[Simple Games] Recommended Indoor Recreational Activities for Adults
When a large group gathers indoors and you think, “Let’s do something fun!”, do you ever find yourselves surprisingly stuck for ideas? In this article, we introduce simple games that are perfect for getting everyone excited, including team battles and cooperative play.
From games that require almost no props to ones you can play easily with everyday items, we’ve gathered activities ideal for indoor recreation.
Games that you progress through by cooperating naturally spark conversation and deepen relationships! There are also slightly brain-teasing games that adults will especially enjoy, so be sure to give them a try together.
- A collection of simple indoor recreational games
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- Games you can play with just conversation. Classic and popular activities you can enjoy without any props!
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- [Children’s Club] Easy and fun indoor games. Exciting party games
Classic Board Games and Card Games (11–20)
Nanjamonja Game
Nanjamonja is a board game where you give names to characters from the Nanjamonja Tribe and play.
Players take turns flipping one card at a time from a face-down deck.
If the character is appearing for the first time, you can name it however you like.
The next time the same character appears, quickly say the name you decided.
Whoever says it first gets all the cards in the middle.
When all the cards are gone, the player with the most cards wins.
People’s unique naming styles make it a simple yet super exciting game!
Monopoly
Monopoly is a board game enjoyed all around the world.
At first glance it looks like a simple roll-and-move game, but it’s actually a rather ruthless game where you grow your assets through real estate deals and drive other players into bankruptcy! When you land on spaces like utilities, properties, or railroads, you can buy them, and other players who land on those spaces must pay rent.
There’s no finish line, so you can decide when the game ends—such as when there are no more properties to buy or someone goes bankrupt.
Setting a time limit and declaring the richest player at the end the winner works too! The rules are simple, but beneath the surface it’s a slightly scary game for grown-ups.
The Game of Life
There are many games you can play indoors, and among them, I bet many people love The Game of Life.
These days, various versions of The Game of Life are on the market, so try choosing one that suits you best.
Even if you like it but got bored because the outcomes felt similar, a new version can make it feel fresh again.
Go and Gomoku
Many people have experience playing shogi, but it seems fewer have tried go.
In fact, compared to shogi, which has many different pieces, go has simpler rules, so beginners can pick it up more quickly.
There’s also a way to play go called gomoku (five-in-a-row); its rules are even simpler and games end quickly, so it’s a good choice when you want to play in a short time.
Classic Board and Card Games (21–30)
Nine Tiles
Nine Tiles is a fast-paced game where you slide and flip the nine tiles in front of you to match the arrangement shown on the challenge card.
It’s only nine tiles, but just figuring out the placement and orientation gets your brain and hands working at full throttle! Your concentration and decision-making are put to the test as you race to finish before anyone else.
Because rounds are quick, you can play again and again, making it fun for both kids and adults—and it’s easy to get everyone excited.
You’ll be using your head while keeping your hands busy, so it’s a game you can’t help but get absorbed in.
The rules are simple, yet the sense of accomplishment will have you coming back for more.
Give it a try!
Board game ‘Cloak’
This is a game where you rearrange pieces of various colors to line up three of the same color before your opponent.
It’s not just about moving pieces—each player also has lids to cover the pieces, so you have to remember which color is inside as you play.
Even if you place a piece yourself, you still need to remember it, so it really tests advanced strategy and memory.
There are even situations where you declare a match but it turns out not to be correct due to a memory slip, and that kind of bluffing and mind game is part of the fun.
The board game “For Sale” (Hagetaka no Eji)}
It’s a game where you enjoy the mind games of choosing which score to go after and with what number: if you play a number from your hand that’s higher than everyone else’s, you claim the points currently on the table.
However, some of the score cards that appear on the table are negative, so you avoid those by playing low numbers—this push-and-pull makes the bluffing even more intense.
It’s also crucial that your hand size is limited and that if played cards tie, no one gets the points.
Keep an eye on what remains in both your hand and your opponent’s as you steer the game to your advantage.