Collection of gesture game ideas and prompts
A classic, crowd-pleasing recreation that both kids and adults can’t help but get hooked on: the gesture game.
In this article, we’ll introduce a variety of gesture-game prompts, organized by category.
It’s packed with everything from easy prompts to tricky ones that make you think, “Huh? How am I supposed to act that out?”
It’s your time to shine!
Even if the message doesn’t get across in the end, putting in the effort to think and move is the key to making it fun!
Don’t be shy—move as much as you can and try whatever comes to mind.
For harder prompts, try offering hints or using other creative tweaks.
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Operation (11–20)
to play Acchi Muite Hoi (the ‘Look That Way’ game)
You’ve probably played “Acchi Muite Hoi!” at least once.
To play it, you start with rock-paper-scissors, right? If you assume you won, point your index finger at your opponent and say “Hoi!” while pointing in one of the four directions: up, down, left, or right.
Conversely, if you assume you lost, turn your head in one of those directions: up, down, left, or right.
That way, it’s immediately clear you’re playing Acchi Muite Hoi! It’s more fun to team up with someone and act it out with gestures than to do it alone!
Characters / Celebrities (1–10)
Antonio Inoki
“Are you fired up?!” The moment you say that, everyone knows who you’re imitating! But this time, it’s a charades game.
Here’s how to portray him without using the famous catchphrase.
The essential element for the pose is the jaw.
Jutting your chin out a bit is the most important point to convey Inoki.
Then there’s the classic “One, two, three—Daa!” pose: make a fist and thrust your arm straight up with full force.
That’ll make you look like Inoki! You can’t use your voice, but shape your mouth as if you’re shouting ‘Daa!’
Doraemon
You know him! Doraemon, the cat-shaped robot who came from the 22nd-century future! The anime has been on the air for ages and is still loved by many people.
His most distinctive feature is, of course, the four-dimensional pocket on his belly! If you mime pulling something out of that pocket with both hands, you might look like Doraemon.
And don’t forget to stick out your tongue like Peko-chan while you do it.
You might feel tempted to add sound effects like Doraemon would, but hold back… Try to keep a straight face and stay silent until you’ve “taken a gadget out” of the pocket!
ninja
It is said that ninja were active as spies gathering information from the Muromachi period through the Edo period.
Even today, they remain part of popular culture, with events where you can experience being a ninja.
To infiltrate enemy strongholds, ninja wore black outfits as a disguise.
There’s also a pose where you clasp your hands and raise your index fingers; making that gesture makes it easy to convey “ninja” without words.
Since they used shuriken in combat, a throwing motion might also get the idea across.
Rola
With her cute smile and signature “Okay! Hehe~,” Rola is a hugely popular model who’s always among the top on Instagram in follower count! Lots of people imitate her voice along with a certain pose, but this time it’s just the gesture! So what is that pose? Make a circle with your thumb and index finger and place it on your cheek—simple as that! It’s also okay to puff your cheek out a little while you do it.
Don’t forget to put on your absolute cutest face and brightest smile.
Ichiro
Ichiro—there can’t be many people in Japan, or even in the world, who don’t know that name, right? In Japan he won batting titles, stolen base crowns, and RBI titles; in MLB he collected accolades like the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove Awards.
His unwavering dedication surely influenced not only baseball fans but countless others.
Speaking of Ichiro’s pose, it’s the “samurai pose”: hold an imaginary bat in your right hand, place your left hand along your right arm, and gaze off into the distance—do that, and you’ll look just like Ichiro!
Ultraman
An alien from the Land of Light in the M78 Nebula! Hearing that might sound a bit mysterious, but Ultraman is a giant hero who defeats evil monsters and aliens! And the way you can become a hero like that is… by striking the pose for Ultraman’s most iconic finishing move, the Specium Beam.
Cross your arms in a cross shape with a slight rightward tilt, and you too can be a hero who vanquishes evil like Ultraman! Do that, and anyone watching will surely think, “Ah! It’s Ultraman!”