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?
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New Year’s party games that bring the excitement: a fun collection of ideas from classics to DIY (41–50)
Tempo Snail
Tempo Snail is a gentle board game that even very young children can enjoy.
You play with six colored snails and two dice that each show colors.
After lining up all the snails at the starting line, roll the two dice and move forward one space any snail whose color matches a color rolled.
If both dice show the same color, move the snail of that color forward two spaces.
No one owns a specific snail; using the colors you roll, you can move any snail you like.
The winner is the person who moves a snail to be the first to reach the cabbage patch finish line.
Alternatively, you can play with a rule where the winner is the person who moves the snail that finishes last.
Since there’s no counting or specific commands required, even small children can happily join in.
Gesture Game
A gesture game that puts your expressive skills to the test! Act out the given theme with your body and compete to see how many others can guess.
Expressing something using only body movements without making a sound is surprisingly difficult! Plus, even with the same theme, the way people express or interpret it can differ by generation or gender.
During New Year’s gatherings with family and relatives, those differences can make the game even more exciting.
Stock up on plenty of themes that everyone from adults to kids can understand—like animals, foods, and anime characters!
Hyakunin Isshu
Hyakunin Isshu is said to have become established as a New Year’s pastime since the Edo period.
The rules are simple: a waka poem written on an illustrated card is read aloud, and players compete to grab the matching card that contains only the poem’s second half.
The more poems you have memorized, the faster you can take the cards, making it a game that fosters learning as you play.
tycoon
When it comes to card games, Daifugō is a classic favorite.
Players take turns laying down cards stronger than the one currently on the table from the hand they were dealt.
The first person to run out of cards becomes the ‘Daifugō’ (Grand Millionaire)! Interestingly, in the Kansai region it’s often called Daifugō, while in the Kanto region it’s more commonly known as Daihinmin (Grand Pauper), and the rules can vary by region.
So when a big group gets together, people may be surprised by the differences.
If you’re planning to play over the New Year holidays, it might be a good idea to agree on the rules beforehand.
Word Poker
Word Poker is a game where you create a funny phrase using three out of five words laid out on the table.
It takes a bit of thinking, but you can enjoy it in a way similar to the “When, Where, What Did You Do?” game.
Once you’ve prepared the cards, try playing together with everyone.
There’s no limit to the number of participants, so it’s perfect for getting a big group excited.
Give it a try!
Grab-and-pick game
@100yenshoplove This instead of a New Year’s gift!
♬ High Speed – Evoke Music
Speaking of New Year’s, kids always look forward to otoshidama, right? Here’s a grab-and-win game you can play as part of giving out otoshidama.
All you need are toy erasers from the 100-yen shop, a fishbowl, and some coins.
Mix the toy erasers and coins in the fishbowl, then let the kids grab whatever they can! The erasers get in the way, so it’s harder than it looks and really exciting.
Afterward, everyone can count the coins they grabbed and have fun comparing.
You can buy a fishbowl at a 100-yen shop, but you can also substitute other containers—feel free to get creative.
UNO
UNO is the classic card game.
The rules are simple: you just play cards in turn that match in color or number.
The key, however, lies in the cards with words instead of numbers.
If you make good use of the action cards—like ones that make the next player draw cards, skip their turn, or reverse the order—things are sure to get exciting.