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!
- A simple punishment game you can do anywhere without any props—even at school or outdoors.
- How embarrassing! Lines recommended for punishment games
- A fun penalty game recommended for men
- With friends or couples! A set of questions perfect for penalty games
- [Easy] Punishments that will get middle schoolers excited
- [Punishment Game] A collection of romance-themed prompts. Punishment games that get men and women excited
- [Doable at School!] Fun Punishment Game Ideas That Will Hype Up High Schoolers
- A party forfeit that gets everyone hyped
- Recommended for college students! Punishment game ideas that will make everyone laugh and hype things up
- For Couples: Fun and Exciting Punishment Game Ideas
- A fun punishment game recommended for women
- [For Couples] Fun Punishments You’d Want Your Girlfriend to Do
- A forfeit/punishment game for couples to get hyped (from girlfriend to boyfriend)
Painful/Harsh Punishment Games and Physical & Sensory Challenge Collection (11–20)
smell socks
It’s a simple penalty game where someone has to smell socks—something most people would associate with a bad odor.
If your own socks are used, it can serve as a penalty not only for the person who has to smell them but also for the person whose socks are being smelled.
If you use it as a penalty in sports, the sweat could make the smell stronger, which adds to the fun.
Since odors vary from person to person, it’s also recommended to prepare intentionally smelly socks in case the smell is too weak.
flick on the forehead from everyone
“Shippe,” the classic punishment game where you get flicked if you lose at rock-paper-scissors or slip up in shiritori.
Its origin is said to lie in a Zen Buddhist implement called “shippei,” used to instruct monks in training.
It may seem simple—just press your index and middle fingers together and bring them down with a snap—but in fact, if you use too much or too little force, you won’t deal any damage, making it a surprisingly tricky punishment.
If you mess it up, the person doing the flick might end up hurting themselves, so be careful!
PET bottle game
Here’s an introduction to a penalty game where you fill an empty plastic bottle with water, hang it, and try to hit the other person with it.
It’s called the plastic bottle game, and you can enjoy it not only as a punishment but also as a regular game.
You swing the hung, water-filled plastic bottle so it hits the other person’s face.
However, both the person swinging and the person being hit wear blindfolds.
By blindfolding both sides, everyone gets to experience the thrill, making it a great penalty game.
You never know when the bottle will swing your way, and the reactions when it actually hits are hilarious.
rubber band snap
A classic of game punishments, known as the “rubber band snap.” You’ve probably seen it used in games at parties or wedding after-parties.
The person receiving the punishment just holds a long, thick rubber band in their mouth and waits.
When the person holding the other end lets go, the band snaps back and hits the recipient’s face, turning the moment into big laughs.
It’s a simple forfeit, but it really gets the crowd going.
Rubber bands made specifically for this gag are sold online as party goods.
Eat extremely spicy, extremely bitter, and extremely sweet foods
It’s a modern forfeiture game where you have to eat or drink something that focuses on one specific taste.
In recent years, many ultra-spicy options—even cup noodles—have hit the market, which are irresistible for spice lovers but can be a brutal punishment for those who can’t handle heat.
Besides the popular super-spicy items, choosing something extremely bitter, very sweet, or very sour—depending on what members are likely to dislike—can add an element of surprise and fun.
However, since these are things you put in your mouth, be careful not to waste food and don’t force anyone to go through with it if it could genuinely make them unwell.
shave my eyebrows
If it’s a casual drinking party among friends, a slightly extreme penalty game like shaving off someone’s eyebrows might be acceptable.
However, eyebrows have a huge impact on one’s facial impression, so it’s very risky for people in sales or customer-facing roles to shave them off! Even if you draw them back in with eyebrow makeup, it’ll be noticeable.
They won’t grow back in just a few days either, so don’t force it just because it’s a penalty game—make sure to get the person’s permission first.
Personally, I recommend not actually shaving them: use a shaver without batteries and a sound effect of shaving to give them a scare instead!
In conclusion
We’ve introduced some heavy punishment games—what did you think? If you’re looking to try something a bit more intense and entertaining than usual, feel free to use these as a reference.
Just don’t forget to follow up and take care of the person who had to do the punishment afterward!