Popular ranking of entertainment ideas for year-end and New Year parties
We introduce year-end and New Year party skit ideas in a ranked format!
From students to working professionals, one of the biggest worries around the holidays is, “What should we do for entertainment?”
Especially for juniors or subordinates, you might get asked by seniors or managers, “Got any funny ideas?”
This article lets you check out popular skit ideas ranked by popularity—perfect for those situations!
If you’re looking for ideas that will get laughs or want to know the surefire crowd-pleasers that get everyone hyped, be sure to take a look!
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Popularity ranking of year-end and New Year party entertainment ideas (81–90)
Name Bingo81rank/position
When it comes to bingo, the standard version uses numbers, but this one is played using participants’ names and headshots.
You’ll need the photos to create the roulette, so be sure to request them in advance.
Prepare bingo cards with names already filled in, or have participants write them on the day.
If there are many participants, some people may not recognize faces and names, so it would be helpful for the host to say, “This is Mr./Ms.
___.” Sharing a small bit of info about the person who appears on the roulette can also make the atmosphere friendlier.
The “Haa” game82rank/position
A unique game where players express the word “haa” in various situations.
The quizmaster specifies an emotion—such as anger, awe, or sadness—and the player performs a “haa” that matches it.
The other participants then guess which emotion it is.
Because it tests acting skills, each performer’s personality shines through, filling the venue with laughter.
One of its charms is that the audience can enjoy making predictions as they watch.
You also get to see sides of colleagues and friends you don’t normally see, creating a special sense of togetherness perfect for a New Year’s party.
Apatou Game83rank/position
A classic game at Korean drinking parties, its charm lies in the rhythmic chants and how quickly a winner is decided.
First, everyone rhythmically repeats the Korean word for “apartment,” apateu.
At the same time the caller announces a random number, participants stack their hands in the middle.
You move the bottom hand to the top while counting numbers; whoever matches the number the caller announced loses.
Lightness and speed are what matter most—don’t overthink the tactics, just keep it casual and have fun.
Earphone Loud Telephone Game84rank/position
The more people who join, the more exciting it gets—the ‘Blasting Earphones Telephone Game’ is perfect for a welcome party because it really heats things up! Participants put on earphones, blast music at high volume, and get ready.
The first person passes the prompt to the person next to them, and that person, relying on lip movements and gestures, interprets it and passes it on to the next person, and so on.
If the final person’s answer matches the original prompt, it’s a success.
Watching the prompt morph as it’s passed along is hilarious, and the whole venue will be filled with laughter.
Challenge the Guinness World Records85rank/position
Lately on the year-end NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen, singer Hiroshi Miyama has been attempting a “kendama Guinness record.” I get so curious about the Guinness record that I end up forgetting the main act—like, “Huh? What song did he even sing…?” As for Guinness records you can try at a party-trick level, there’s “the number of pencils stood upright in one minute.” The world record is 55.
Another one that could get the crowd going is “how many coins you can stack on your face in one minute.” By the way, the world record is 57—amazing! As a gag, it might be fun to have someone dressed sharply in a suit, like a “serious Olympic official,” stand next to you while you’re attempting the Guinness record.
The person playing the official absolutely must not laugh.
Juggling86rank/position
For those with soccer experience, I recommend juggling.
Juggling is one of the fundamental drills for improving ball control and spatial awareness, but it’s also a crowd-pleaser at parties.
Here, we introduce 10 juggling tricks, such as the chest stall—keeping the ball balanced on your shoulder after kicking it up—and the inner–around–heel turn, where you rotate your body after popping the ball up.
Each move looks flashy and cool when you can do it, so give them a try if you like!
Childhood photo guessing quiz87rank/position
It’s a game where you collect participants’ childhood photos and guess whose picture it is! Some people haven’t changed at all since they were little, while others look completely different.
You can probably even guess the era from the photo quality.
At year-end or New Year parties with coworkers you only know as adults, it’s sure to spark excitement with reactions like, “You look totally different!” or “You haven’t changed at all!” It might also be a chance to share personal stories you wouldn’t normally talk about and help everyone get a little closer.
manzai (a traditional Japanese stand-up comedy duo performance)88rank/position
Manzai is a classic staple of comedy-style party entertainment! It does take time to come up with material and practice together, but it’s a crowd-pleaser across all generations.
Set a theme that fits the occasion—New Year’s parties, year-end parties, farewell and welcome parties, or after-parties—and sweep everyone up in laughter.
Since manzai relies on quick back-and-forth dialogue, perform with clear volume and pace that are easy to follow, while making sure the tempo doesn’t drag.
First Impressions Game89rank/position
I think everyone has preconceived impressions of others—like someone who seems kind or someone who looks studious.
This is a game where we explore what impressions you have of such people and whether those impressions are commonly shared.
Split into teams and choose, from the opposing team, the person who fits the given prompt; the more matches you get, the more points you earn.
Don’t just count the matches—also check whether those answers really fit.
Use it as a conversation starter, too.
Fox Dance90rank/position
How about trying the “Fox Dance,” which has been going viral on social media? The Fox Dance is performed by the Fighters Girls, the cheerleading team of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.
It features cute outfits with fox ears and playful, comical moves.
The dance was originally designed so that both kids and adults could imitate it, so you should be able to pick it up quickly.
You could also liven things up by doing impressions of baseball players or managers along with it.
