Nostalgic games that were popular when we were kids
Don’t you think kids are truly geniuses at killing time?
During recess or after school, we played all kinds of games every day!
I bet you can instantly think of a few nostalgic games too, right?
In this article, we’ll introduce plenty of the games we used to play as kids!
We’ve rounded up nostalgic games that will take you right back to childhood the moment you see them and put a smile on your face.
I’m sure today’s kids would enjoy them too.
You can play together across generations, and we hope this helps you fondly remember those days!
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Nostalgic games that were popular in our childhood (21–30)
Gunpla
Even as adults, countless people find themselves completely hooked! Some enjoy painting them, combining different parts, or customizing them as they go.
Commonly abbreviated as “Gunpla,” these Gundam plastic model kits let you build the mobile suits that appear in the anime Mobile Suit Gundam.
First released in 1980, they gradually gained popularity and are now loved overseas as well.
With so many different types available, they really stoke your desire to collect.
Their appeal isn’t just for skilled model builders—products are also thoughtfully designed for beginners.
Cabbage Patch Kids
Released by an American toy manufacturer as dolls born from cabbage patches, the Cabbage Patch Kids came with birth certificates and names, and each one had unique features like different facial expressions and hair colors, making every doll one of a kind.
While the head is plastic, the body is made of soft cloth, offering an ideal tactile feel for children.
Since each one is different, some children may have wanted to collect many of them! Their individual personalities likely made doll play even more engaging.
Game & Watch
There are many handheld game consoles like the Switch and the DS, but it’s no exaggeration to call the Game & Watch the original.
Released by Nintendo in 1980 as its first handheld game console, it reportedly got its name from the fact that it could be used as a clock when you weren’t playing.
The line evolved over time, with larger screens and even a dual-screen clamshell design.
In 2020, a limited-time Super Mario edition of the Game & Watch was released.
Pachin Gum
If you reach out your hand, tempted by the kind offer of “Here, have some gum,” your fingers will get snapped with a sharp “snap!” This is a prank toy that was popular from the Showa era into the early Heisei period.
It looks like a stick of chewing gum, but you can’t eat what’s inside.
It’s an easy-to-understand prank, yet it has a certain charm that makes you want to try it over and over.
If you really want to catch someone off guard, surprising them out of the blue might work best.
Butaminton
The badminton-style competitive sports game “Butaminton” is a nostalgic toy for those who spent their childhood from the Showa into the Heisei era.
In badminton you use a racket to hit the shuttlecock, but in Butaminton you use a pig toy! You squeeze the pig to puff out air from its snout, and that force launches the shuttlecock.
Revived in the Reiwa era, it won the Grand Prize at the Japan Toy Awards 2025.
Truly a wildly popular toy that transcends generations!
Chopstick Game
The “waribashi game” is a pastime everyone used to play during school breaks.
You face each other with only your index fingers extended on both hands, and tap your opponent’s finger with your own—tap! The person who gets tapped increases the number of fingers they’re holding out by the number of fingers the tapper has extended.
Since everyone starts with one finger, the person who’s tapped then extends their middle finger too, making two.
After you’re down to one hand, if you clap both hands together—clap!—you can split the number of fingers from one hand across both hands.
It’s a simple, fun game you can play anywhere.
High Tag
It’s similar to tag, but in taka-oni (high tag), if you climb to a high place while running from the “it,” they can’t touch you.
It’s best played in places like parks with playground equipment.
Elementary school kids used to play this a lot.
Brings back memories.
It’s less fun if you just stay on a high spot, so it’s a good idea to set a time limit for how many seconds you can remain in one place.