Kill time while waiting or stuck in traffic! A roundup of games four people can play
Want to make the most of your waiting time or downtime? That’s the perfect moment to start a party game that four people can enjoy together! You don’t need any special equipment, and you can jump right in—these games are more thrilling and suspenseful than you’d expect, and they’re sure to bring out smiles.
The ways to have fun are endless, and with a bit of creativity, every game becomes exciting.
Spend a joy-filled time with family and friends!
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Brain-type Games (11–20)
relay novel
Here’s an idea for a relay story with unexpected twists.
First, prepare a sketchbook for each participant and write the title and opening sentence of the novel you want to create.
Then pass your sketchbook to the person next to you and have them continue the story.
Keep circulating the sketchbooks, and when they make a full round, the fun is seeing what kind of novel it has become.
Try it with the aim of keeping the story aligned with the title.
Quiz
A tried-and-true classic: quizzes! They’re very simple but always get people excited.
You can use common quizzes you find online or in books, riddles, or even quizzes that make people answer personal questions—those are fun too.
They’re great for killing time, and they might even give you a chance to impress the people around you!
10-second Memory Game
It’s a “10-Second Memory Game” where your memory makes all the difference.
The rules are simple: first, look at an illustration for 10 seconds.
Next, you’ll be asked questions about its details and answer them.
How many people were in the picture? What color clothes were they wearing? As the quiz master, focus on the fine details.
It might feel difficult at first, but memory can be trained over time.
If you keep challenging yourself bit by bit, you’ll surely get better at it.
Magical Banana
This is a game that became hugely popular on the Nippon TV variety show “Magical Zunō Power!!”.
The show even featured the network’s announcers, such as Yūko Kimura and Minako Nagai.
It seems like it was also a program that helped announcers shine in variety shows.
The rules of the game are very simple: you just keep linking word associations.
For example: Bananas are yellow → yellow is lemon → lemons are sour → sour is vinegar…
and so on.
If you get stuck and can’t answer, or say something completely off the mark, you lose.
It’s also great for staying awake while driving, so give it a try!
No-English game
This is another game you can play casually without any preparation.
You just have a normal conversation—but English is forbidden! It may sound easy, but everyday speech is full of made-in-Japan English and katakana words.
Let your guard down and you could be out in no time—just the right amount of tension to make it fun!
Japanese Syllabary Order Game
Here’s a fun game called the “A-to-O Order Game,” which was also featured on the YouTube show ‘Takkuu TV.’ It looks like even elementary school kids can enjoy it, so try playing it in the car during family outings.
The rules are just two: answer with a three-letter word, and link them in the order of the Japanese syllabary (a-i-u-e-o).
For example: aisu (ice cream), iruka (dolphin), usagi (rabbit), emoji, otoko (man)—the initial sounds go a, i, u, e, o, right? You can go clockwise for the next player, or point to choose who answers next—either is fine.
Once you get used to it, you can make it more challenging by using four-letter words or adding variations!
Picture shiritori
A strong ally when you’ve got free time, like during breaks: picture shiritori! It’s a really fun game you’ll want to play even when you’re not bored.
All you need is paper and a pen, but even things that are easy to say out loud can be surprisingly hard to draw! It’s a game that puts your drawing skills to the test and guarantees maximum excitement!