New Year party games that get everyone excited: a fun collection of ideas from classics to DIY
When it comes to New Year’s, it’s a special time spent with family and relatives.
Osechi dishes and New Year’s money are exciting, but having games everyone can play instantly livens up the gathering.
In this article, we’ll introduce game ideas perfect for the New Year.
From classic New Year’s games and easy DIY activities to popular board games and active play, these are all things people of all ages can enjoy! As the new year begins, why not put down your phones and spend some fun time laughing together?
- [Simple Games] Recommended Indoor Recreational Activities for Adults
- [Children’s Club] Easy and fun indoor games. Exciting party games
- Recommended for upper elementary grades! Exciting indoor recreation and games
- A game that the whole family can enjoy playing together
- [Elementary School] Quick and Easy! Indoor Recreational Activities Perfect for Lower Grades
- Fun for kids and adults alike! A collection of DIY beanbag (otedama) ideas
- Handmade Lottery Draws Kids Will Love! A Fun Collection of Ideas to Make and Play
- Indoor games for parents and children: fun activities that use the body and the mind
- New Year’s Games: Traditional Play and Fun Activities That Excite Everyone from Kids to Adults
- [For Kids] Indoor Games and Activities Recommended for Winter Break
- [Part 2] Recommended Indoor Activities and Recreation Games for December
- Indoor Games for Small Groups: Exciting Recreational Activities
- Simple mini-games that liven up a party
Exciting New Year’s games: A fun collection of ideas from classics to DIY (31–40)
The Perfect Match Game
The “Perfect Match Game” is a game where you keep adding answers to numerical questions until you reach a preset target number, and the first to hit that number wins.
It’s guaranteed to get lively when you split a large group into teams! The larger the target number, the more exciting it gets.
Restricting the types of questions allowed will increase the difficulty.
Give it a try with everyone!
Trump ‘Ikkyu-san’
A simple and fun card game with a deck of cards: “Ikkyu-san.” Arrange the cards face down in a circle like a donut.
Decide the order, then each player draws one card on their turn, flips it, and places it in the center.
When a card with “1,” “9,” or “3” appears, quickly put your hand on the pile.
The last person to put their hand on it takes all the cards in the center.
Repeat until the circular layout of cards is gone.
The winner is the player with the fewest cards in hand at the end.
The rules are very simple, so anyone who can recognize numbers can enjoy this game!
Donjara
It seems the origin of Donjara does indeed come from mahjong.
When the so-called mahjong boom arrived, Bandai released it in 1980.
Today, various character-themed Donjara sets are sold, and many people have probably played it at least once.
Its appeal lies above all in gathering around the table to play leisurely with a large group.
Even the clattering sound when mixing the tiles is fun, isn’t it?
Intro Quiz
If you’re looking for a game that’s fun with a large group, it’s a classic, but how about an “intro quiz”? You listen to the intro of a song and guess the title.
There are plenty of videos made for intro quizzes on free video sites, so you can enjoy it easily with just a smartphone.
Try searching for compilation videos that match your group—like “Popular J-Pop” or “Anime Songs”—and give it a go.
If you want to make it harder, add variations like requiring both the song title and the artist’s name!
mahjong
Mahjong has long had the image of being enjoyed mainly by older people.
However, it’s now gaining attention as a game for children as well, since it’s said to foster concentration and thinking skills! The patience needed to sit around the table for long sessions, and the social skills developed by reading other players’ moves and engaging in conversation, are also considered benefits of mahjong.
New Year’s, when families who usually struggle to find time all come together, is the perfect opportunity to settle in and play mahjong! Why not teach your children or grandchildren the rules and depth of the game so you can enjoy it together as a shared hobby from now on?
New Year’s party games that bring the excitement: a fun collection of ideas from classics to DIY (41–50)
The “Haa” game
Do you know the game “Haa” where your acting skills are put to the test? The cards feature an interjection as the prompt along with various situations.
For example, if the prompt is “mou,” the situations might include being teased, running out of time, or feeling irritated.
You have to express those situations using only “mou,” and the person who gets the most correct guesses wins! In everyday life, most people rarely get a chance to act, so let’s gather a crowd and have a blast laughing at each other’s awkward performances!
Ohajiki game “Zabuton”
Ohajiki is one of the classic New Year’s games in Japan.
There are many ways to play with ohajiki, but here we’ll introduce a game called “Zabuton.” First, prepare about 30 to 50 ohajiki pieces and place them on a soft cloth or towel.
Each player takes some ohajiki in their palm, tosses them into the air, and tries to catch them on the back of their hand.
If several pieces land on the back of the hand, toss them again and this time catch them with your palm—but before you toss, declare how many you plan to catch.
If you successfully catch the number you declared, you get to keep those pieces!