Simple but intense! A quick-and-easy penalty game that hypes everyone up
Many people probably like to play games when getting together with friends, or at year-end and New Year parties.
And when it comes to games with winners and losers, punishments are a must! A little something scary that awaits the person who loses.
In this article, we’ll introduce some of the heavier punishment-game ideas.
We’ve gathered a variety—from absolutely mortifying ones you’d never want to do to those that pack a psychological punch.
Be mindful of your relationships and choose ideas that, while heavy, still let everyone end with a laugh!
Embarrassing Punishment/Prank Ideas That Cause Psychological Damage (1–10)
Pocky game
The Pocky Game is a surefire penalty game that will liven up gatherings with friends or drinking parties.
The rules are simple: two people eat a single Pocky stick from opposite ends, so anyone can join easily.
As your faces get closer, the excitement builds, and it gets especially lively when two men take on the challenge.
The slight embarrassment of almost kissing is part of the fun, making it something everyone can enjoy together.
Even the person who loses can end with a smile—give this charming penalty game a try.
It’s guaranteed to get the party going!
Embarrassing line reading
It’s a simple penalty game where you have someone say embarrassing lines inspired by various works like manga and TV dramas.
The key is not to water down the lines—have them deliver the lines with full commitment while imagining the situation, and look forward to their reaction afterward.
Some people may find certain lines less uncomfortable than others, so it could be interesting to notice which types each person finds most embarrassing.
If you repeat the game and penalties quickly, players might get used to the embarrassing lines, so having a good variety of lines is also an important point.
A dance competition held in the city (for beginners)
Having your performance watched by others feels especially embarrassing when the people around you aren’t interested in you.
This dare focuses on being seen by those uninterested onlookers: performing a dance in the middle of town.
Choose a setting where as many people as possible will see you, improvise a dance on the spot, and take in the reactions around you—along with the embarrassment.
Since the police are likely to show up without prior permission, it’s also important to pick a location where you won’t cause too much trouble for others.
Put on pantyhose over one’s head
A truly embarrassing punishment game: wearing pantyhose over your head! You often see it on variety shows, but there probably aren’t many people who’ve actually seen someone do it in real life.
It deals a big psychological blow and is perfect as a punishment game, but showing it off outdoors is pretty much torture.
If you’re doing it as a penalty at a friends’ drinking party or a year-end party, please keep it to a private room or inside the venue only.
Also, thick tights can make it hard to breathe and are dangerous, so if you’re going to put something over someone’s head, make sure it’s thin stockings!
Change the name for a certain period
It’s a punishing game where, for a set period, you must go by a different name and your friends present must keep calling you by that name—making it tough because it doesn’t end when the moment passes.
You can choose a pattern where the name includes embarrassing words you wouldn’t want to call yourself, or a simpler name that lets you experience a longer-term rename.
Aim for a good balance between the words and the duration.
Emphasize clearly introducing yourself with the new name and responding when others address you by it; adding extra penalties when someone fails to respond also sounds harsh.
To avoid bothering outsiders, it’s best to keep the rename strictly within your group.
Doodles on the forehead
It’s a traditional, simple punishment game where you draw on someone’s forehead with a marker.
Some of you may have done this to a sleeping friend on a school trip.
Since you can’t check what’s been written on your own forehead and it’s hard to remove if it’s done with a permanent marker, it can cause serious damage both mentally and physically.
Depending on what you draw, it could go beyond a harmless prank and turn into a fight, so keep it within a range that everyone can laugh about.
Change the sentence ending
The penalty game where the loser has to change their sentence endings for a set period can be really embarrassing, depending on what those endings are.
Whether it’s something quirky like an anime character’s speech style or, for standard speakers, adopting dialect expressions, it can be mentally tough.
It’s fun because you can adjust the duration—from a few days to a month after the game, or just until the next person loses—based on the number of players and your relationships.
It’s a sure-fire, laugh-out-loud penalty game that I hope you’ll try, from standard options to ones with real impact.