[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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- No worries even in the rain! Fun recreational activities you can do in the gym
- Team-based recreational activities for adults that are fun even with large groups
- Recreation Ideas That Truly Excite High School Students! A Fun Collection of Activities
- A collection of simple indoor recreational games
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- Get the Fun Going! Easy Classroom Games You Can Play at School: Recreational Activities for the Whole Class
- Games to Liven Up the Freshers’ Welcome Party
- Games and activities everyone can enjoy together. A collection of fun play ideas.
- Break the ice with intros and team battles! Party games to spice up your welcome event
[For University Students] Collection of Exciting Games and Recreational Activities (71–80)
A game developed by NASA
Let’s try playing a game developed by NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
To briefly explain the game: it assumes a situation where a spaceship has malfunctioned, and you rank 15 items you have on hand.
You assign ranks in order of necessity, and decide them through group discussion.
First, each person should make their own ranking based on their interpretation, and then discuss and reconcile the differences with the group.
Can you determine the correct order—and survive?
Dribble Sumo
Draw a ring of an appropriate size to make a dohyo, and while dribbling a ball like a basketball by hand, try to push your opponent out of the ring sumo-style to win.
The outcome isn’t decided simply by strength or sumo techniques.
You can’t attack unless you keep dribbling, and if you stop you may lose, so you need to pay attention to the ball as well.
A match between someone with basketball experience and someone with sumo experience is sure to be exciting.
Do-Re-Mi Song Game
The song of the Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti-Do scale, “Do-Re-Mi.” If, instead of Re after Do, So suddenly comes next, can you still sing it in the correct pitch? This game works by nominating the next person and then calling out a scale degree to see if they can sing it correctly.
It sounds easy because the scale order is ingrained, but it’s surprisingly tricky.
You could also add a simple on-the-spot penalty for anyone who doesn’t sing it correctly.
New Super Mario Bros. game
This is a tabletop game themed on Super Mario Bros., the video game Japan proudly shares with the world.
Players take turns saying specified phrases, and whoever makes a mistake loses.
Since it doesn’t require any special props, it’s easy to use as a time-killer for college students or as an icebreaker at mixers.
If you’re familiar with the “Senda Mitsuo Game” that was popular in the 1990s, you might find it easy to pick up despite some rule differences.
Because new phrases are added each round, quick thinking is required, making it a game that players of a wide range of ages can enjoy.
Prince Shōtoku game
A game where two or more people say the same word at the same time, and a guesser listens and tries to figure out what they’re saying.
If it’s among college students, choosing a niche topic that everyone is likely to know can make it much more exciting.
The more people saying the word, the higher the difficulty, but it can be fun to start with two people versus one guesser and gradually increase the number of speakers.
Enjoy instantly! “Shingenchi Game”
Choose one person from the players to be the guesser.
The remaining members decide who will be the “epicenter,” then either stand in front of the guesser or form a circle with the guesser at the center.
At the start signal, the epicenter naturally strikes a pose—anything is fine, such as folding their arms, switching their pivot foot, or scratching their head.
The other members, with a slight delay, imitate the epicenter’s pose.
The guesser must observe who started the pose and identify the epicenter.
Werewolf Game for 10+ Players That Even Elementary School Students Can Play!
In addition to roles like “Werewolf” and “Villager,” it seems there are also roles such as “Android” and “God.” You can play using cards or with apps on smartphones, but that heart-pounding, exciting atmosphere of kids playing together face-to-face in the moment is likely to become a lasting memory.
Each time you add new roles, be sure to explain the rules carefully so everyone can enjoy the game while understanding it.
The video also features the role of “Lovers,” so be sure to try incorporating that as well.
Word guessing game
How about trying a game called “Letter Guessing Game” that both kids and adults can enjoy? Two participants stand facing each other.
A sheet of paper with a character written on it is stuck to each person’s back, and the goal is to look at the other person’s back and guess the character.
You have to move so you can see your opponent’s back without letting them see yours.
It’s a very simple game, but the push-and-pull of wanting to look while not letting your own be seen, along with the tricky movements, makes it exciting.
Feints and sudden moves also get the spectators hyped up.
We can’t go home until everyone makes a trash can shot.
Do you know the TV Asahi program called “Kaerema 10”? It’s the kind of show that always makes you want to watch to the very end, with segments like “You can’t go home until you guess the top 10 most popular sushi toppings” and “You can’t go home until you guess the top 10 family restaurant menu items.” Let’s borrow that concept a bit and have everyone in our college group try “We can’t go home until everyone makes a trash-can shot.” It sounds great as an icebreaker activity with new students, too.
The rules are simple: shoot a soccer ball, and if it lands cleanly in the trash can, you’re good.
Make sure to bring your own trash can—don’t use public ones.
And if you do this on campus, be mindful of your surroundings!
Mansion Game
Let me introduce a rhythm-based apartment game.
There is a five-story apartment building, and the person who first reaches the 5th floor loses.
Assign room numbers to players one by one.
For example, rooms on the first floor are numbered 101, 102, 103, and so on.
Once the game starts, say your own room number, then call out the room number of the next person.
Keep the game moving at a steady tempo with hand claps and a time limit.
If someone is called but fails to respond in time, their room number advances to the next floor—201, 202, 203, etc.
The person who ends up reaching the 5th floor loses.
It’s a thrilling apartment game—let’s keep our focus and play with good rhythm.
