[For University Students] A Roundup of Fun Games and Recreational Activities
We’re introducing recommended games and recreational activities for college students!
We’ve gathered a variety of options—from exciting activities perfect for club or seminar retreats and welcome/farewell parties, to simple games for small groups, and large-scale recreation suited for spacious venues like school grounds.
There are plenty of activities you can enjoy indoors too, so no need to worry about the weather on the day!
These can be used across many event scenarios, so feel free to use them as a reference.
Let’s play some classic recreational activities and trending games, and have a great time together!
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[For University Students] A Collection of Exciting Games and Recreational Activities (1–10)
Commonality-Finding Game
Do you know the common-ground-finding game that’s perfect for college students? It’s like magic—you can instantly get closer to someone you’ve just met.
As you look for people who share things like hobbies, favorite artists, or beloved manga, the conversation starts to flow naturally.
The best part is that it works in any setting—welcome/farewell parties, group dates, seminar meetups, you name it.
Plus, there’s no prep required, so you can start right away.
You might even discover unexpected things in common and hear surprised reactions like, “Wait, really? No way!” Give it a try as a way to make new friends!
Birthday line
If you’re looking for a recreation activity that gets a big group excited, Birthday Line is our top recommendation! In this game, participants line up in order of their birthdays without using any words, making it a huge hit at freshman welcome events, seminar retreats, and more.
Because you communicate only with your hands and gestures, hilarious mix-ups and unexpected incidents can happen.
But those very mishaps become great stories to laugh about later.
The sense of accomplishment and togetherness when you get it right is exceptional! Since no one speaks, people tend to be more considerate of each other, which can spark new friendships.
Give it a try with everyone and have fun!
balloon volleyball
The game where you bat a balloon back and forth so it doesn’t fall—many of us strongly associate it with childhood play.
If a regular rally feels a bit too simple, try adding some twists to make the mind games more intense.
For example, gradually increase the number of balloons you use, or incorporate a Yamanote Line game into the rally so players have to think while they move.
Because the basic rules are so simple, there are countless potential variations to try.
[For University Students] A Collection of Exciting Games and Recreational Activities (11–20)
New: When-Where-Who-What Game
A game where you shuffle cards on which everyone has written “when,” “where,” “who,” and “what they did,” and then make a single sentence.
It’s a fun activity on its own, but a new version is introduced where you actually carry out the sentence.
In this version, you omit “when,” write the names of the participating members under “who,” and for “what they did,” the key is to write actions that are just barely feasible in real life.
Taste-testing ___ game
There’s something called “kikizake” (sake tasting), and this is about trying that concept with food and snacks instead of alcohol.
There are so many flavors of chocolate, and potato chips also come in limited-time and regional varieties—so many types are on the market.
Put on a blindfold, taste them, and try to guess the flavor! Just being blindfolded makes it surprisingly difficult.
Tag (or Tag, holding hands)
This is a game that adds a new element to the basic tag rule of running away so as not to get caught by the tagger: taggers hold hands and form a chain.
When someone is caught, they don’t switch roles; both become taggers and, from then on, chase the runners while holding hands.
Quick decisions are crucial for catching runners, and this becomes more challenging as the number of taggers grows.
With more players, new strategies become possible, so in addition to speed, teamwork is also an important factor.
Serious Tag
“Serious Tag” is, as the name suggests, a straightforward, no-frills game of tag (lol).
Nothing more, nothing less.
Since college students need a decent amount of space, playing tag on campus can be a lot of fun—just make sure you get permission first! You can add special rules if you like, but keeping it simple works too.
If you use smartphones to share the location and time of people who get caught, it cranks up the thrill even more, so give it a try!
