University students are always surrounded by new connections, like in seminars and clubs.
Many of you may be looking for games that everyone can play together to build rapport with new members.
In this article, we’ll introduce recommended indoor activities and recreation games that college students can enjoy.
There are also games you can play online, so they’re perfect for remote classes too! There are plenty of games you can use when you’ve got a bit of free time with friends, so be sure to check them out!
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- Get the Fun Going! Easy Classroom Games You Can Play at School: Recreational Activities for the Whole Class
Indoor games and recreational activities recommended for college students (1–10)
Prince Shōtoku game
The anecdote about Prince Shōtoku being able to distinguish the voices of ten people speaking at once is well known, isn’t it? In this game, several people will speak simultaneously just like Prince Shōtoku’s tale, and the player tries to pick out what each person is saying.
It may seem easy at first glance, but as the number of speakers increases it becomes quite challenging—so give it a try.
Award points for each correct answer, and prepare penalties or rewards to make it even more exciting.
Who am I? game
If you enjoy brain-teasing games, I recommend the “Who Am I?” game.
In this game, the questioner pretends to be something or someone, and the players ask questions to figure out what they’re impersonating.
If you choose something very obscure, it can take quite a while to guess, so try adjusting the difficulty.
Limiting the number of questions makes it much more of a brain game, so that’s a great additional rule to try.
THE NG word
Many people look for simple games that don’t require any preparation.
In those moments, we recommend the “NG Word Game.” In this game, each participant is assigned an NG (forbidden) word.
Without knowing your own NG word, you chat and try to get others to say theirs.
It’s simple, but surprisingly fun—give it a try!
Signaling Game
If you’re looking for games to play at drinking parties or mixers, the “Traffic Light Game” is a great choice.
In this game, the questioner first names three favorite colors.
Then, the respondents take turns saying things that match those colors in order.
If someone can’t answer or says something that doesn’t match the given color, they get a penalty.
It’s simple but really gets everyone excited, so it’s highly recommended.
Pedometer Competition
https://www.tiktok.com/@mon252800/video/7148052122326600961It’s a simple yet thrilling game where you compete to see how much you can advance a pedometer’s count within a time limit.
While the classic method is to hold it in your hand and shake it, trying to make it vibrate in small, rapid motions ends up tensing your whole body, leading to amusing, awkward movements—that’s part of the fun.
If you set a longer time limit, it becomes hard to keep shaking at full power the whole time, so you’ll need to get creative with how you move.
Playing background music during the time limit might also help some players discover efficient movements that match the rhythm.
Balloon Game
https://www.tiktok.com/@kanattok/video/6995127302040341762It’s a game where you match actions to a rhythm based on prompts called out by the leader.
Everyone performs the action in time with the beat, and anyone who makes a mistake loses.
For example, when the prompt is “big balloon,” you make a small circle with your hands—the trick is to reverse the size of the action and the prompt.
As the energy rises, it gets more and more confusing.
If you increase the number of prompt–action pairs and add the challenge of recalling the right move in a high-energy moment, the difficulty ramps up even more.
Keep the game moving with loud calls to build a sense of unity in the group.
Indian poker
Indian poker is a game where you bet while guessing whether the value of the card you can’t see—the one on your own forehead—beats your opponent’s card or not.
First, draw one card from the prepared deck and place it against your forehead like an Indian feather so that you can’t see your own number.
You can see your opponent’s number, so if you think your card is higher, you bet; if you’re not confident, you can fold.
The more players there are, the stronger the psychological element becomes, so if you have a deck of cards at hand, it’s a game you should definitely try.
Pepper Police Chief Game
@eschiba Pepper Keibu GameGame Creatorget excited; liven up; heat up; be盛り上がる; build up (excitement/enthusiasm); be盛り上がる (crowd/atmosphere)MasterpieceRecommendationParty gamePepper Police Chief#fyp
♫ Original song – es chiba – es chiba
This is a game inspired by the choreography of Pink Lady’s classic song “Pepper Keibu.” Form a circle, sing, and perform the opening choreography—the layered voices and movements build a great sense of unity.
Each person chooses either the pattern where you pull your right hand or the one where you don’t.
If the two people facing each other match, they can leave the circle; the group repeats the song’s opening over and over until only one person remains.
The last person left is the loser and ends by singing the song’s closing part alone, somewhat sadly.
The game is designed for an odd number of players, and the more participants there are, the harder it becomes to match.
Balloon Cup Battle
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♬ Sleigh Ride (Sped Up) – The Ronettes
Paper cups and balloons—those are everyday items, right? Try using those two to spice things up with a Balloon Cup Battle! The rules are super simple: sit facing each other with a table in between, place paper or plastic cups on the table, and try to move the cups toward your opponent’s side while defending so they don’t get pushed back onto your side.
You inflate a balloon and use the air pressure to push the cups toward your opponent, but keeping the balloon inflated while playing is tricky—if you’re busy blowing it up, your opponent can go on the offensive.
The key is timing: decide when to inflate and when to move the cups.
10-second stopwatch
“10-Second Stopwatch” is a game where you try to hit exactly 10 seconds using only your sense of time, without looking at the stopwatch screen.
It gets more exciting if you offer prizes or prepare penalties.
If you extend the target time from 10 seconds to 20, 30, and so on, the difficulty increases accordingly.
