Put a penalty on the line! A roundup of party games that get everyone hyped
In recent years, board games have become a boom, and getting together to play has been really taking off.
It’s even being featured on TV shows, so I bet many of you who came here are interested.
In this article, I’m going to introduce some exciting party games that let you decide who has to take the punishment!
We’ll cover a wide range—from games you can play without any props to the latest board games.
Hope you find it helpful!
Bet a penalty game! A roundup of party games that get everyone excited (1–10)
Indian poker
Indian poker is a game where you bet while guessing whether the value of the card you can’t see—the one on your own forehead—beats your opponent’s card or not.
First, draw one card from the prepared deck and place it against your forehead like an Indian feather so that you can’t see your own number.
You can see your opponent’s number, so if you think your card is higher, you bet; if you’re not confident, you can fold.
The more players there are, the stronger the psychological element becomes, so if you have a deck of cards at hand, it’s a game you should definitely try.
Finger Smash
The game known as “Yubi-suma,” whose name is said to have become widespread thanks to the variety show SMAP×SMAP, has long been played by children under names like “Issē no se” or “Issē no de,” so many people may have heard of it in their childhood.
All participants form a circle and extend both fists in front of them so that thumbs can be raised.
In time with a chant, players call out how many thumbs in total they think will be raised among all participants.
If a player’s prediction is correct, they lower one fist; the person left with a fist at the end loses.
With these simple rules, it’s a handy party game you can play anytime.
Change Janken
Rock-paper-scissors gets more fun just by changing how you play it.
This time, set up a big partition between the two players so they can’t see each other.
Because you can’t tell how your opponent is posing their hand, you’ll end up chatting with them and treating it like a deduction game; and with a rule that allows you to change your hand until the barrier is removed, it turns into a psychological operation as well.
Your brain will be running at full speed until the result is revealed.
Rock-paper-scissors may seem fair and purely luck-based at first glance, but with an idea like this, it can be a hundred times more enjoyable.
NG word game
Say this and you’re punished! The NG Word Game is a super simple game where you lose if you accidentally say your assigned forbidden word during conversation.
The keywords chosen by people you usually talk with tend to hit where it hurts.
If someone who knows your catchphrases picks the word, you might say it right at the start without a second thought.
When a battle of wits unfolds as everyone tries to draw out the NG words, the competition for the penalty will get even more exciting!
Nanjamonja
Nanjamonja is a card game born in Russia.
You flip a card, give the mysterious creature on it a name, and if the same card appears again from the deck, whoever shouts that name first gets the card.
It’s a game that tests both memory and quick reflexes.
Because the characters are so strange and mysterious, each person’s naming sense really shows—but if you give a name that’s too long, you’ll end up forgetting it and holding your head in frustration later.
Then again, that’s exactly what makes the game so fun.
Beef Tongue Game
All you need are your hands! This is a beef-tongue rhythm game you can enjoy with no props.
Start with both hands together.
After someone says “gyu” (cow), the next person claps once to say “tan” (tongue).
Go clockwise in time with the chant “gyu-tan gyu-tan gyu-tan tan,” and on the second, third rounds and so on, increase the number of “tan” claps you add at the end.
If you say “gyu” at the wrong time, clap at the wrong moment, or fall off the rhythm, you’re out! The rules are simple, but when you actually play, you’d be surprised how easily you panic.
It’s a game you can start right now, so give it a try!
High-difficulty Jenga
Jenga is a classic party game.
The basic setup stacks rectangular blocks in layers of three, alternating 90 degrees each layer, but changing how you stack them creates higher-difficulty Jenga and doubles the fun.
You can stack five blocks per layer on their narrow faces, or three on their narrow faces.
The ultimate challenge is standing pieces upright as you build, which makes the tower even more unstable.
At that point, beyond how to remove the pieces, the real question is whether you can even stack them in the first place.