Ranking of Popular Party Game Ideas
Based on feedback from our readers so far, we researched popular themes and gathered easy, casual games that seem especially suitable for lighthearted party atmospheres.
There may be people at your company who always look busy and are hard to approach, or those with whom you’ve only ever discussed work.
That person who’s usually serious about their job, and this person, too…
These are party games that everyone can enjoy together and really liven things up—even with people you don’t usually interact with much.
In this article, we’ll introduce them in a ranking format.
Enjoy!
- Office party games that get everyone excited
- Party games collection that get everyone excited in a big group
- [For Kids] Popular party games. Fun games that get everyone excited
- [Classic] Funny! Hilarious! A roundup of punishment games that will liven up the classroom
- Party games that get everyone excited at school
- Games for two people to enjoy. A roundup of party games that liven up drinking gatherings.
- Party Games That Will Liven Up Your Workplace [2026]
- Liven up your drinking party! Fail-safe conversation topics and talk themes
- Drinking party crowd-pleasers: party and banquet games
- Put a penalty on the line! A roundup of party games that get everyone hyped
- Ideas for team-based games to enliven a party
- A simple punishment game you can do anywhere without any props—even at school or outdoors.
- A fun punishment game recommended for women
Ranking of Popular Entertainment/Game Ideas (21–30)
Communicating in cat language29rank/position
Things that make you feel embarrassed are a classic choice for penalty games, right? Here’s one to try: a penalty game where you communicate in cat language.
Because it has a game-like element, it’s fun to keep things moving.
First, decide on a prompt or topic.
Then the person taking the penalty uses cat sounds like “meow” to convey what the prompt is.
For a twist, you can add rules like wearing cat ears, or switch to the sounds of other animals for extra fun.
butt bat (a prank/hazing act of hitting someone’s buttocks with a bat)30rank/position
A “butt-bat” is when you swing a bat hard from behind toward someone’s butt.
Because you can enjoy the big reactions of the person taking the punishment, it’s used in all kinds of situations.
It also fits well with competitive games and events, like the TV show series “Gaki no Tsukai: No Laughing.” To avoid injuries when swinging the bat, it’s best to prepare one made of the softest material possible.
It’s a penalty that causes pain while boosting motivation to engage in the game.
Why not give it a try as a way to deepen friendships among your group?
Ranking of Popular Party Game Ideas (31–40)
nose tickling twist (a thin paper twist used to stimulate the inside of the nose)31rank/position
A super easy and fun punishment game: the nose twist! Haven’t you seen it in punishment game videos or on TV? All you need is a tissue—just twist the edge into a thin cord—and you can do it anytime, anywhere.
You insert the twisted tissue into your nose and tickle… It’s so tantalizing and ticklish that just watching can make you want to sneeze.
And the face you make while tickling is a funny goofy face too (lol).
Do you look at the other person’s phone or not?32rank/position
People say, “There’s nothing good about looking through your partner’s phone,” but which type are you, your partner, and your friends? If you’re someone who does look, it might be interesting to present why you choose to—or why you end up doing it.
A staring contest game where you compliment each other33rank/position
Speaking of staring contests, there’s that game where you chant “Niramekko shimasho, appuppu,” make funny faces, and whoever makes the other person laugh first wins, right? This version of the staring game is one where you gaze at each other and take turns complimenting the other person.
If you smirk, you’re out! Any compliment works—like “You’re cute” or “You’re so kind.” As a penalty game it can be surprisingly embarrassing, and it’s shy-making to compliment someone while others are watching.
But who knows—maybe a little romance will sprout from it?
one-shot gag34rank/position
It’s a punishment game that tests both creativity and quick thinking, where each person has to come up with a gag on the spot and perform it.
Deciding what kind of material to do is also crucial; if creating something original is tough, have them perform an existing gag in their own style, with their own movements and energy.
For people who aren’t used to it, performing a gag can feel embarrassing, but if you steel yourself and just go for it, you’ll minimize the damage afterward.
Using existing material works too—set a theme like “whose gag do you want to see,” or have everyone come up with an original gag based on a chosen theme.
That flow is recommended.
Gesture Game35rank/position
It’s a game where you express a given prompt using only body movements and see whether the audience understands it.
You can enjoy watching people frantically move to get others to guess, and you’ll notice the different ideas behind which movements they choose.
It could also heat up with prompts like animals known for distinctive calls, where players feel the frustration of not being allowed to make sounds.
I also recommend including prompts with intentionally little movement or abstract concepts to push the limits of expressive power.