A fun game using coins. A recreational game.
We’ve put together a collection of coin-based games and recreational activities!
When you think of games that use coins, the popular coin games at arcades probably come to mind first.
But did you know there are all sorts of games you can play using the coins in your own wallet?
Classic examples include “10-Yen Soccer,” which was popular among kids back in the day, and “Underwater Coin Drop,” a staple of summer festivals.
In this article, we’ll introduce a variety of games you can play with coins!
Give them a try during school breaks or at parties when you’re looking for a quick game everyone can enjoy.
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Fun games using coins. Recreation games (1–10)
Coin hunt in the pool
When you were in elementary school, did you ever play a game in the pool where you searched for little balls like they were treasure? This game is basically a much tougher version of that.
You toss a tiny coin into a big pool and everyone searches for it! Trying to find a single small coin amid all the splashing is incredibly hard (lol)! Most people will think, “There’s no way we’ll ever find this!!” but that just makes it all the more exciting when someone does.
And even if no one finds it, being able to laugh and say, “Told you it was impossible!!” is part of the fun too!
100-yen coin rock-paper-scissors game
Striking it rich with a single blow might not be a dream—the “100-yen Coin Rock-Paper-Scissors Game.” Each person holds a 100-yen coin.
Pair up with someone nearby and play rock-paper-scissors.
The loser is eliminated on the spot and entrusts their 100 yen to the winner.
In this way, winners keep collecting 100-yen coins, and the final winner takes all the coins in play.
It’s a game that gets very heavy as the number of players increases (laughs).
Put a 1-yen coin in with air
This is a trick where you gently blow on a 1-yen coin to make it float just right, then drop it neatly into a tall glass.
Where you blow and how strong you blow are the key points and tips for getting it into the glass.
There’s no special gimmick here—just practice! It might be good to start practicing with a slightly shorter cup at first.
If you can do this, it could become a neat little party trick.
Fun games with coins: Recreation games (11–20)
Coasters with Coins
It’s a trick where you use a coin as a coaster and manage to make a glass stand while tilted on top of it.
There’s no gimmick at all—it really stands purely thanks to a perfectly pinpoint balance.
Mysterious, isn’t it? The success varies with the size of the glass and the amount of water inside, so it seems like it would take quite a lot of practice to be able to do it reliably anytime.
Daruma-otoshi with a one-yen coin
There’s a game called “Daruma Otoshi,” right? It’s the one where you have a daruma made of wooden blocks and you strike the lower pieces to knock them out cleanly.
This is a version where you try it with 1-yen coins.
Stack 10 one-yen coins.
Then use a card to flick out only the bottom coin.
If you can knock out all 10 coins one by one without the stack collapsing, you succeed; if it collapses along the way, there’s a penalty game.
100-yen Chicken Race
This is a simple game called the “100-Yen Chicken Race,” where you just throw a 100-yen coin toward a designated line.
The person whose coin lands closest to the line wins, but if you throw too hard and your coin crosses the line, you’re out.
The key is how you push the limits—getting as close as possible without being greedy and going over.
double-headed coin
This is the Heads or Tails coin game where you guess whether the coin hidden in someone’s hand is heads or tails.
It’s that scene you often see in American films, where a decision is made based on the flip of a coin.
You can use any coin from your wallet, or even a medal or token.
First, decide which side is heads and which is tails, and remember it.
It’s simple, but it’s the kind of game you can’t help getting serious about.