[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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[From Small to Large Groups] Drinking Party Games Recommended for College Students (1–10)
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.
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!
[From small to large groups] Drinking games recommended for college students (11–20)
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?
Memorization Shiritori
Shiritori is a classic pastime for killing time.
Ever since we were kids, we’d play it whenever we were a bit bored—but this is an evolved version called “Memory Shiritori.” You link words in the usual shiritori way, but you also have to keep reciting everything from the beginning each time, making it a game that tests how much you can memorize.
For example, if a normal shiritori goes “ringo (apple) → gorira (gorilla) → rappa (trumpet),” then Memory Shiritori would go “ringo → ringo-gorira → ringo-gorira-rappa,” and so on.
It’s harder on memory than regular shiritori, and it’s the kind of game that really piles on the pressure when you’ve had a drink and your memory is already a bit shaky (lol).
Telephone game
The classic recreation game from way back: the Telephone Game.
It’s always fun to see whether the message makes it all the way to the end correctly, and then play detective afterward to figure out where it went off the rails.
There are lots of variations, but if you have a smartphone and earphones, I recommend the “Earphone-Blasting Telephone Game”! Put on music through your earphones at a volume where you can’t hear anything else, read the speaker’s lips to figure out what they’re saying, and pass it on to the next person.
You’re guaranteed to burst out laughing when you check the final answer!
Don’t copy me, okay? / No copying, okay?
The game is called “Kabuccha Yaayo,” where matching answers means you’re out! It’s the reverse of the common game where you try to match answers to a given prompt.
For example, if the prompt is “What’s a common rice ball filling?” you might say bonito flakes, salmon, or spicy cod roe.
If your answer matches someone else’s, you’re out; if no one’s answer overlaps with yours, you’re safe and earn points.
The person with the most points at the end wins.
It’s a lively game that sparks conversation even after the answers are given.