Drinking parties are often held to deepen connections with coworkers and friends.
It can be hard to coordinate times and locations, and sometimes it’s tough to get everyone together.
That’s when games you can enjoy remotely really come in handy.
We’ve picked out options everyone can play together using video features on tools like Zoom or LINE.
The lineup ranges from quick quiz-style games to full-fledged titles.
Even when you’re far apart, try adding games that bring people closer to your remote drinking party.
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Games to spice up your remote drinking party. Play together even when you're apart! (1–10)
Aburi Karubi Game
In remote settings, it’s common for people to start talking at the same time and for conversations to get congested.
The “Aburi Karubi Game” is recommended even for remote environments because it’s a game where people speak in a set order.
Players say tricky words like “aburi karubi,” and the next person repeats the phrase while adding one more instance; whoever fails to say it correctly loses.
Deciding the loser is fun on its own, but you can also get everyone excited by trying multiple rounds to see how far you can go.
Choosing the words is also key, and coming up with your own original tongue-twisters sounds like fun too.
GeoGuessr
Do you know Geoguessr, a game that uses Google Maps’ Street View feature? Geoguessr is a game where you guess the location shown on a Street View screen.
It became a hot topic right after its launch in 2013, and saw a resurgence in 2020 when going out was strictly limited due to the pandemic.
If you can see signs with place names or a bank name, you can make a decent guess at the location, but when you’re dropped in the middle of nowhere with no information, you have to rely on your intuition.
It’s a game that’s guaranteed to get big laughs even at remote drinking parties!
Intro Quiz
Do you know the Fuji TV show “Quiz Doremifadon!”? If you’re in your 50s or 60s, it’s right in your wheelhouse.
The quiz itself was fun, of course, but what really stood out was the banter between the contestants and the host, Tadao Takashima.
How about enjoying that same intro-guessing quiz at your next remote drinking party? There are plenty of channels on video sites that create and upload intro quizzes.
And if you have a novelty buzzer that goes “ding-dong” to claim the right to answer, you’ll feel just like you’re on Doremifadon!
Online Bingo
It seems that a number-guessing game played in Italy around the 16th century was the prototype of bingo, and today it’s enjoyed in some countries as part of lotteries or charity fundraisers.
In Japan, it often shows up as a fun finale for bus tours and parties.
Let’s try that same bingo at a remote drinking party! Everyone fills in their favorite numbers on a 25-square bingo card, and the organizer calls out the numbers.
That heart-pounding excitement is the same even online! For prizes, how about unusual canned foods from around Japan? They’ll also come in handy as snacks for your next remote drinking get-together.
Gesture Game
In the early days of television, NHK’s variety show “Gesture” was a nationally popular program.
The fact that this gesture game is still being planned for variety shows in the Reiwa era means it must be a kind of fun that resonates with the DNA of the Japanese people.
Is it okay to get as excited as you want at a remote drinking party? Let’s all enjoy a gesture game together.
You can do it in a time-trial format, or have one person keep doing gestures as the sole quizmaster—just enjoy it in whatever style you like.
If you mute yourselves, no voices will be heard, so everyone can enjoy it fairly!
werewolf
Werewolf is a classic tabletop RPG that’s often played, and since many people already know the rules, it’s an easy game to enjoy casually.
Players split into the Villagers and the Werewolves, using conversation and deduction: the Villagers try to find the Werewolves, while the Werewolves aim to secretly devour all the Villagers.
A Game Master facilitates the play, and incorporating features like messaging can help the game run smoothly.
Because it’s a well-loved classic, there are many rule variations; starting with the basic rules and gradually adding complexity can make the game even more exciting.
Telepathy Game
It’s a game where participants test how connected their hearts are and confirm their bonds.
The content is very simple: everyone thinks of an answer to a given theme, and the goal is to match answers.
Because it’s so simple, you can arrange a wide range of rules, such as whether discussion is allowed.
Precisely because it’s in a remote setting, it might be exciting to choose themes that are hard to say in everyday conversation—like someone’s good qualities—that you’d normally feel too shy to bring up.