[From small to large groups] Drinking games recommended for college students
We’ve put together a list of games that seem perfect for livening up a drinking party—especially recommended for college students.
We’re focusing on ones you can start on the spot when inspiration strikes and that don’t require many props.
When drinking, even things that wouldn’t normally make you laugh can suddenly feel hilarious, so even super simple games you’ve played “a million times” can get everyone fired up! These are all games that both drinkers and non-drinkers can enjoy together in a lively atmosphere, so be sure to give them a try!
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- A simple punishment game you can do anywhere without any props—even at school or outdoors.
- Simple but intense! A quick-and-easy penalty game that hypes everyone up
[From Small to Large Groups] Drinking Party Games Recommended for College Students (1–10)
NanjamonjaNEW!
Let’s play the hugely popular card game “Ninja Monja.” Here’s how to play: Players take turns drawing one card at a time from the deck and give a name to the creature illustrated on the card.
For a newly revealed card, you give it a name; if a card that has already been named appears, you must immediately say the name that was given.
The first person to say the correct name gets that card, and the player with the most cards at the end wins.
You can choose easy-to-remember names, but giving quirky names tends to spark curiosity about the naming reasons, leading to conversation and making the game more exciting.
Bottle flipNEW!
Fill an empty plastic bottle with an appropriate amount of water and close the cap.
Throw it by hand, make it do a full rotation in midair, and if it lands neatly, you’ve succeeded at the “bottle flip” challenge.
If you make it a team competition, a good rule is that the team that gets everyone to succeed consecutively the fastest wins.
Consecutive attempts can be quite tense, but the joy when you succeed is exceptional.
Even teammates meeting for the first time will feel like high-fiving.
It’s a recommended game when you have some time to spare.
Kaki no Tane Mountain CollapseNEW!
Arrange some Kaki no Tane (spicy rice crackers) on a plate and stand a single chopstick upright in the center.
When it’s your turn, eat one piece of Kaki no Tane.
Repeat this, and whoever knocks over the chopstick loses.
You can safely eat from the outer edge, or you can raise the tension by eating pieces closer to the center.
If you’re okay with spicy flavors, the rules are simple—just eat! It’s a relaxing game to play while snacking, and it’s likely to spark fun conversation.
[From small to large groups] Drinking games recommended for college students (11–20)
No-Katakana Drinking
A “no-katakana drinking party” that shocks you with the fact that katakana words and Japanese-made English are flying around far more than you think.
You just chat over drinks about everyday topics or recent funny things, but as the name suggests, katakana is forbidden—you’re not allowed to say it.
If you slip and say a katakana word, that’s minus one point; keep a tally as you go.
Because we don’t usually speak with this in mind, you’ll realize just how much katakana we use—it’s surprisingly a lot!
Dice Talk
Let’s try playing “Dice Talk,” a game that gets lively with just a single die! It’s that thing they used to do on TV where the topic changes depending on the number you roll.
On that show, the topics were written on a giant die, but you can easily play with a regular one—decide topics in advance, like 1 = “scary stories,” 2 = “embarrassing stories,” 3 = “love stories,” and so on.
It’s guaranteed to make any conversation more exciting than usual!
Dancing Gesture Game
Let’s liven things up with this evolved gesture game: the “Dancing Gesture Game”! The rules are: the person giving the prompt wears earphones so no one else can hear and listens to music, then dances and uses gestures to convey things associated with the song’s lyrics.
The guessers watch the dancer in silence and try to figure out which song is being expressed and guess the title—a pretty tough challenge.
It sounds like a game that would really heat up at a drinking party, doesn’t it?
Bamboo Shoot Gnocchi
From the chant “Takenoko takenoko nyokki-kki!” it’s a well-known game that kids and adults can enjoy and that really hypes everyone up.
The rules are simple: after the chant, players say “one nyokki, two nyokki,” and so on, while making a bamboo shoot pose.
Once you say your number, you’re out.
But if your “nyokki” overlaps with someone else’s, that’s not allowed, and you also lose if you end up being the last one left.
It’s simple, but the speed and mind games make it surprisingly exciting.