Drinking party crowd-pleasers: party and banquet games
A lot of people are probably thinking about simple games to play at banquets, right?
Whether it’s a wedding after-party, a New Year’s party, a year-end party, or a welcome/farewell party, having a game that helps everyone bond and adds a touch of flair to the event makes it more fun.
That said, it can be hard to choose a game for a banquet with multiple participants, since there are so many considerations, don’t you think?
So in this article, we’ll introduce banquet games you can enjoy in a variety of situations!
We’ve picked out a wide range—from timeless classics to slightly unique games—so please use this as a reference.
Party and drinking games that liven up a get-together (1–10)
Don’t copy me, okay? / No copying, okay?NEW!
Let’s play a game called “Don’t Overlap!” where players must not give the same answer to a prompt.
Prepare several prompts, and each participant writes down exactly one answer that fits the prompt.
If none of the participants’ answers overlap, the challenge is a success; if even one overlaps, the challenge fails.
Prepare prompts that are easy for anyone to answer, such as “What’s a fruit?” or “What’s a spring flower?” If there are many participants, divide into teams and compete to see how many times each team can succeed.
Bottle flipNEW!
Fill an empty plastic bottle with an appropriate amount of water and close the cap.
Throw it by hand, make it do a full rotation in midair, and if it lands neatly, you’ve succeeded at the “bottle flip” challenge.
If you make it a team competition, a good rule is that the team that gets everyone to succeed consecutively the fastest wins.
Consecutive attempts can be quite tense, but the joy when you succeed is exceptional.
Even teammates meeting for the first time will feel like high-fiving.
It’s a recommended game when you have some time to spare.
Kaki no Tane Mountain CollapseNEW!
Arrange some Kaki no Tane (spicy rice crackers) on a plate and stand a single chopstick upright in the center.
When it’s your turn, eat one piece of Kaki no Tane.
Repeat this, and whoever knocks over the chopstick loses.
You can safely eat from the outer edge, or you can raise the tension by eating pieces closer to the center.
If you’re okay with spicy flavors, the rules are simple—just eat! It’s a relaxing game to play while snacking, and it’s likely to spark fun conversation.
Yamanote Line game
The Yamanote Line Game is a classic staple at banquets and drinking parties.
It’s a simple game where players take turns saying words that fit a given theme to a set rhythm.
As long as you come up with a theme, you don’t need any props, so it’s a super convenient activity you can do on the spot.
Because it’s a thinking game, it’s guaranteed to liven things up when played at a drinking party where everyone’s a bit tipsy.
Drawing collaboration
A game where two people team up to complete an illustration based on a given prompt, called “Drawing Collab.” One person draws the face and the other draws the body, and in the end you combine them to see if it turns into a proper picture.
Because you have to finish within a time limit, there’s a sense of urgency, and even if you want to draw well, sometimes you just can’t.
And even if each part turns out well, it might look unbalanced when you put them together.
But that moment when an unexpected picture comes out—that’s the most fun part.
All you need is paper and a pen, and there are even smartphone apps for it.
5-Second Master Painter Game
There’s a common kind of game where you draw something based on a prompt, show the drawing to everyone, and they try to guess what it is.
This one is a pretty tight version called the “5-Second Master Artist Game,” where you have to draw the illustration in just five seconds.
Drawing something in five seconds is quite a challenge, isn’t it? But it feels like some amazing illustrations might come out of it—maybe even the birth of a true master artist.
Umaibō Sommelier
There are so many flavors of Umaibo, right? This game uses that everyday snack: you put on a blindfold and a nose plug, take just one bite, and try to guess the flavor.
Especially with your nose plugged, you really can’t tell the taste.
It’s surprisingly tough and makes for an exciting game.