Apps to enjoy at drinking parties: from games to handy utilities
When you’ve got a little downtime in the middle of a drinking party or want to spark some excitement, smartphone apps are the way to go!
Most apps are free or can be installed for just a few hundred yen, making them easy to enjoy.
In this article, we’ll introduce smartphone apps recommended for drinking parties—from full-fledged party games that get everyone hyped to handy, slightly fun utility apps that are useful to have around.
Many of these apps are available for both iPhone and Android, so if you find one that interests you, be sure to install it and have fun together!
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Apps to liven up drinking parties: from games to handy tools (11–20)
Assigning seats by last name
One thing you always do at drinking parties is assign seats.
Many people who have been organizers have probably struggled with seating arrangements.
This app, “Seating by Surnames,” solves that problem.
It determines nicknames/compatibility between participants based on their surnames and assigns seats accordingly.
This way, you can decide the seating while having fun! And that’s not all.
It also has features to announce the best seat and the luckiest participant.
So it’s perfect for sparking conversation at the party.
Seating by Surname: A Drinking Party and Mixer Matcher Used by Over 1 Million PeopleCategory: Entertainment Free Rating: 4.23313
iPhone / iPadAndroid
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Picture shiritori
The trending game app that was even featured on TV is Pictionary Shiritori.
In this version, you play shiritori using only drawings—no text at all.
That means, in addition to the usual shiritori elements, there’s the fun of trying to guess what other players drew.
Whether the chain goes smoothly or not, it’s sure to liven up the mood.
By the way, the app supports both online and offline play.
So why not give it a try, and if you like it, bring it out at your next party?
Illustration Chainer - Online drawing app for picture shiritoriCategory: Games Free iOS Universal Rating: 4.67279
iPhone / iPadAndroid
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uh, that thing
When you want a game that lets you use your brain to the fullest, That One is perfect! This app lets you enjoy the so-called “no katakana words” game.
Players describe a given katakana word without using any katakana words.
If someone slips and uses a katakana word, the first player to call it out earns a point.
The player who guesses the answer correctly also scores points.
In the end, the player with the most points wins.
It’s surprisingly difficult when you try it, so give it a shot!
Drawing Telephone Game
If you’re looking for a game that makes everyone laugh and have fun, a drawing-based telephone game is perfect.
You’ve played the regular telephone game before, right? In the telephone game, you pass along a phrase using words, but in the drawing version, you pass along the prompt using only illustrations.
Because it’s drawings only, the difficulty naturally goes up.
In the end, you’ll likely end up with unexpected answers that really liven things up.
The rules are simple, so people of all ages can enjoy it.
It’s also a great choice for online drinking parties.
Could not find the app link.
Who did what, when, and where game
A smartphone app where multiple people combine words to create unique sentences.
Each member is given a prompt of when, where, who, and what happened, and they come up with their own original words.
Once everyone finishes writing, the completed sentence appears on the screen.
You can gather members online, but for parties we recommend setting a passcode and playing offline.
The rules are simple—everyone just thinks of words—but it’s a fun game that often results in sentences that make you laugh.
You can play in a short amount of time, so give it a try during downtime, like while you’re waiting for something.
When and where onlineCategory: Games, Free, iOS Universal, Rating: 4.53468
iPhone / iPadAndroid
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Half Werewolf
If you want to try playing Werewolf but feel like the rules seem difficult, why not start with Half Werewolf? Half Werewolf is basically the same as the regular Werewolf game, but it’s tweaked so you can play with fewer people and in a shorter time.
That makes it easy to play repeatedly and learn the rules.
Another difference from the standard Werewolf game is how roles are assigned.
In the regular game, each player is given one role, right? In Half Werewolf, each player is assigned two roles.
So it’s also recommended for those who’ve grown a bit tired of the standard Werewolf game.
Half-Werewolf: A werewolf game to play with few people in a short timeCategory: Games Free iOS Universal Rating: 4.08571
iPhone / iPadAndroid
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Power Word Werewolf
Werewolf games have spawned all kinds of variations.
One of them, Word Wolf, has been further tweaked into Power-Word Werewolf.
The rules are very simple, so you’ll pick them up quickly.
First, the players just have a normal conversation.
Meanwhile, the werewolf has to somehow work a designated “power word” into the dialogue.
If the players catch on, the werewolf loses.
There’s a wide variety of these power words, and some of them are downright funny.
Power-Word Werewolf [New Word Wolf]Category: Games Free iOS Universal Rating: 4.27074
iPhone / iPadAndroid
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Give a witty caption to this photo
I think many people have seen “Photo One-Liner Bokete.” It’s commonly known as bokete.
This app is also perfect for livening up drinking parties.
As the name suggests, bokete is a comedy app where you add a one-liner to a photo, like an improv caption contest.
If participants at the party show off their jokes to each other, it should bring everyone closer.
Even if you’re a bit shy about making jokes yourself, just looking at other people’s captions together will get everyone excited.
Plus, bokete lets you save photos with your own captions in advance and show them off later.
If you want to get some laughs, definitely make use of that feature too.
Caption this photo (Bokete): laugh in 3 seconds! Funny photo comedy battleCategory: Entertainment Free Rating: 4.64062
iPhone / iPadAndroid
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Lateral Thinking Game
Do you know lateral thinking puzzles? It’s a game where you ask questions that can be answered with yes, no, or “I don’t know” to deduce the truth.
The app New Theory: Turtle Soup lets you enjoy such lateral thinking puzzles easily.
In it, one person becomes the questioner and the other the answerer, and the two of you progress through the game.
You can enjoy some pretty challenging deductions.
If you have a large group at a party, you can increase the number of questioners too.
First, give it a try and experience the depth of this game!
New Theory: Turtle Soup [Lateral Thinking Game]Category: Games, Free, iOS Universal, Rating: 2.8254
iPhone / iPadAndroid
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Momotetsu JAPAN+
The Momotaro Dentetsu series lets you travel all around Japan by rail while snapping up properties.
Momotetsu JAPAN+ is released as a mobile app, so you can enjoy the game with just your smartphone.
Its hallmark is the simple controls—you just roll the dice and move along the spaces.
It’s a party game that gets everyone hyped, yet you can still play on a single screen, which is great.
The rules also allow for surprise comebacks, so you never know the outcome until the very end! Liven up your get-together with this simple game where you compete to build assets within a set number of years.
