Office party games that get everyone excited
Do you ever play games that everyone can enjoy at company drinking parties or banquets?
Especially during the year-end and New Year party season, you might even prepare prizes and have everyone compete in games!
In this article, we’ll introduce party games that everyone can enjoy together.
We’ll cover plenty—from classic, familiar games to fresh, creative, and funny ones.
Be sure to give them a try and make your banquet a blast!
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Company Party Games That Liven Things Up (31–40)
Does an English conversation telephone game work?
Let’s try playing a game of telephone in English, where each person passes along the same phrase to the next! First, present an English sentence as the prompt.
It’s recommended to have an AI tool read it aloud rather than a person pronouncing it directly.
The first person listens to the sentence and passes it on to the next person.
If the last person can accurately state what the original English sentence was and provide its Japanese translation, the group succeeds.
You could also make the sentence a question and have the last person give an appropriate answer to that question.
It’s a fun communication game that will make you laugh while also testing everyone’s English skills.
No equipment needed! Air catch ball
“Air Catch,” a make-believe game of tossing an imaginary ball without any props, is a very simple team-building activity.
Participants form a circle.
Someone calls another person’s name while miming a throw of the “air ball,” and the next person pretends to catch it and continues in the same way.
The rules are: make eye contact and call the person’s name before you throw.
Once everyone gets used to it, you can increase the difficulty by tossing multiple balls at once or speeding things up.
It builds communication skills and concentration and gets people laughing, making it great for training icebreakers and strengthening team cohesion.
It takes about 5–15 minutes, so give it a try!
YES/NO Quiz
A key point of “Yes/No Quiz,” where you work toward finding the answer, is that it’s a game enjoyed by splitting into a question master and questioners.
The question master chooses a topic and answers the questioners’ questions with only “Yes” or “No.” The questioners listen to the answers and try to figure out what the topic is.
To narrow down the answer, it’s important for the questioners to think carefully as they ask their questions.
It’s also a great game for team competitions, so let’s all have fun together.
Imitation shiritori
Participants face each other and stand on one leg.
Decide the order with rock-paper-scissors or similar, and the first person starts the word chain game (shiritori).
The basic rule of linking words stays the same, but after saying a word, you have to do an impression that matches it.
For example, if you say “gorilla,” you might pound your chest with your fists.
Everyone else copies the impression, and the shiritori continues.
It might sound easy, but you must stay on one leg the entire time.
If you lose your balance or can’t continue the word chain, you lose.
late hand in rock-paper-scissors
A normal rock-paper-scissors game is too easy! In that case, try playing “after-the-fact rock-paper-scissors.” The leader plays as usual by saying “Jan-ken-pon” and showing rock, paper, or scissors.
The participants must then respond after seeing it and beat that hand.
Because you have to instantly recognize what the leader showed and choose the winning hand, it’s trickier than it sounds.
A few people will slip up and lose or end in a tie.
Try turning it into a knockout format or speeding it up to increase the difficulty and have fun!
Lyrics Shiritori Game
A fun game where you play shiritori using song lyrics.
Sing a line from a song, then continue with lyrics from another song that start with the last character of the previous line.
It’s great for everyone from kids to adults—you’ll recall familiar tunes and discover new ones.
Not only for people who love singing, it’s also a chance to encounter songs you don’t know.
Perfect for karaoke, parties, and school activities.
Even those who aren’t confident singers will naturally smile—simple yet surprisingly deep.
Put your musical knowledge and creativity to use and have fun playing!
Lip-sync song guessing game
The lip-sync song guessing game is something even people who love listening to music but aren’t confident singing can enjoy, and it works well at workplaces or schools.
The presenter picks a song, then lip-syncs it—paying close attention to intonation and rhythm—without making any sound.
The guessers carefully watch the presenter’s mouth and facial expressions to figure out what song it is.
At first, it’s best to choose familiar songs that everyone knows.
Once everyone gets the hang of it, you can make the game more exciting by shortening the sung sections or speeding up the delivery.
What comes to mind when you think of ◯◯?
A “What comes to mind when you think of ◯◯?” game where everyone names what they think is the most obvious, universal answer—and tries to match with others.
For example, questions like “What’s the classic rice ball filling?” or “What’s a ball sport?” You answer with something common or your personal standard, but the key is to align your answers with the group.
You might think, I like pickled plum for rice balls, but what will everyone else say? That person might write kelp… There’s a psychological element to it, too.
When all the answers line up perfectly, the satisfaction is doubled.
Swat-and-Helmet Rock-Paper-Scissors
How about livening up your party with “Tatatte Kabutte Jankenpon,” a game anyone can enjoy regardless of age? The rules are simple: first, play rock–paper–scissors.
The winner tries to hit the loser on the head with a toy hammer, while the loser puts on a helmet to protect their head.
If the helmet doesn’t make it on in time and the head gets hit, they’re out.
If the hit is blocked, then even the rock–paper–scissors winner doesn’t score a win.
It’s a game long loved on variety shows, and if all participants play seriously, it will bring even more laughter and excitement to the venue.
If you’re unsure what game to play, give this one a try.
True or False Quiz
The classic quiz: True or False.
With the very simple rule of listening to a question and answering either true (O) or false (X), it’s a game anyone can enjoy.
You’ll find questions on a wide range of topics—general knowledge, local trivia, history, culture, manners—shared on video sites and in books, so you don’t have to worry about running out of material.
If you’re playing at a company party, it’s also a good idea to include company-related or insider topics that help employees bond.
Gather prompts everyone can enjoy and liven up your quiz time!
