A party game that gets everyone excited at home. A fun recreational game.
When you invite family or friends over, it’s great to have a game that gets everyone excited and having fun together.
In this article, we’ll introduce a whole lineup of party games that everyone can enjoy and that are sure to liven things up!
From classic board and card games to activities for small groups and large gatherings, we’ve collected a wide variety of ways to play.
If you find something here that makes you think, “I want to try that!!”, be sure to give it a go with everyone!
Party games to liven up the fun at home: enjoyable recreation games (1–10)
Ungame
Let me introduce a game that’s a game and yet not a game: the “Ungame.” It’s a card-based activity widely known in the United States.
There are 140 cards, each with a question.
As participants answer these questions, they get to know each other more deeply.
Many of the prompts can’t be answered in just a word or two, which naturally encourages richer conversation.
Why not try it in situations where people are meeting for the first time? It’s also said to help develop active listening skills.
NG word game
The NG Word Game requires no special preparation, so it’s perfect for spontaneous get-togethers and can start right away.
The tension comes from keeping the conversation going without saying the NG word written on the paper stuck to your forehead, and the excitement peaks when someone accidentally blurts it out.
It’s ideal for building camaraderie with friends or as a party icebreaker.
The rules are simple, yet it’s guaranteed fun for everyone! It’s a memorable way to spend time together, so try it the next time you have family or friends over.
Wink Killer
Here’s a game you can play at home without preparing anything—just bring yourself: “Wink Killer.” As the name suggests, a player assigned the role of the Culprit advances the game by using winks.
The Culprit winks at citizens; anyone who gets winked at is eliminated from the game.
However, the wink must not be noticed by others.
If two or more people catch the wink and accuse the Culprit during the accusation phase, the Culprit loses.
It’s a very fun game that requires bluffing and acting skills.
The culprit dances
Have you heard of “The Culprit Dances”? It’s a card game you can have a blast playing with family and friends.
The rules are super simple.
Everyone keeps swapping cards while trying to find the culprit—but they’re surprisingly hard to catch, which makes it really thrilling! You’ll scramble to build alibis and try to spot other people’s lies.
Before you know it, things get serious! It’s fun for both kids and adults, so it’s perfect for parties.
If you like psychological battles, this one’s especially recommended.
How about giving it a try with everyone?
The “Haa” game
“The ‘Ha’ Game—what kind of game is that!?” you might wonder (haha).
It’s actually a party game that uses commercially available cards, and it comes with two types of cards.
One set is labeled A through H, and the other set contains prompts.
On the prompt cards, you’ll find words like “ha,” “uso” (no way/lie), and “nande” (why/how come)—expressions that can carry various meanings depending on how they’re said.
Each prompt explains the meanings corresponding to A–H.
The person giving the prompt delivers a line according to one of those meanings, and everyone else guesses which of A–H it was.
It tests your acting skills—how you say the line and the facial expression you make—as well as everyone’s ability to interpret them.
Some of the lines are a bit embarrassing to say, which guarantees the game will get lively!
Without Katakana
I think many people can guess what kind of game it is just from the title “Katakana-nashi”! As the name suggests, you explain the prompt without using any katakana, and others try to guess what you’re talking about.
It may sound easy, but depending on the prompt, it can get very difficult—it’s a game that tests your vocabulary and language skills!
Cockroach Poker
From the title alone, “Cockroach Poker” gives you an icky feeling.
It’s a game themed around despised critters like cockroaches and stink bugs.
The rules are very simple: you take a disliked creature from your hand, declare “This is a cockroach,” and the other player guesses whether that’s true or not.
If they’re right, the person who played the card gets the critter; if they’re wrong, the guesser gets it.
The first person to collect four of the same kind loses!