Ideas for team-based games to enliven a party
When you’re put in charge of a company drinking party or banquet, the biggest headache is often the entertainment and performances, isn’t it?
In particular, coming up with games that everyone can enjoy together can be quite a challenge.
So in this article, we’ll introduce a wide range of games that are easy for everyone to join, as well as group-versus-group games you can enjoy in teams!
With a little twist, even classic games can be transformed into plans that instantly liven up the venue!
Be sure to check out these team-based games that will energize any banquet.
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Team-based game ideas (1–10) to liven up a party
10-second stopwatch challenge
Let me introduce a fun 10-second stopwatch challenge game that thrills you with the tension of trying to hit the exact time.
Prepare a stopwatch, and the person who stops it exactly at 10 seconds wins.
If no one hits exactly 10 seconds, the person closest to 10 seconds wins.
Using a stopwatch app on your phone is recommended.
It can be even more exciting if several people try at the same time, or if you increase the difficulty by changing the target time to 20 or 30 seconds.
Earphone Loud Telephone Game
You know the game Telephone, right? It’s the one where you have to pass a sentence correctly to the next person.
Well, this is a version where you do it while blasting music through headphones: the “Headphones-Blasting Telephone Game.” Because the music drowns out the voice completely, you have to read the speaker’s lips and pass it along.
The audience can only hear the spoken answers, so the ridiculous responses are guaranteed to bring the house down! Will any team manage to pass the message accurately?
Word association game
A word-association game where you answer in sequence with whatever the previous word brings to mind—like, “Bananas make you think of yellow,” “Yellow makes you think of…” It’s a classic party staple enjoyed with various rules, such as limiting the number of characters or specifying a theme.
If you make it a team competition, it’s fun to set a target word in advance and declare the team that reaches the final word in the fewest turns the winner.
Feel free to add your own rules to energize the group and make it more enjoyable.
Team-based game ideas (11–20) to liven up a party
No Katakana Hint Quiz
The “No Katakana Hint Quiz” is a game where you deduce katakana answers from hints that contain no katakana.
In everyday conversation, we unconsciously use many katakana words.
Some terms are so commonly known by their katakana names that explaining them in Japanese can become roundabout and unnatural.
In this quiz, the hints are intentionally given without katakana, which leads many players to feel confused by the awkward descriptions and think, “I have no idea what you’re trying to say!” Let’s calmly work through the hints.
human disentanglement puzzle
Let me introduce a human knot game that tests your team’s brainpower and body coordination.
Any number of people can play, but if you’re competing against another team, it’s best to balance the team sizes.
Start by forming a basic circle, then cross arms or even legs to create a human knot.
Communicate and work together to untangle it.
The key to a quick solve is to keep track of the whole picture while resolving one part at a time.
Setting rules—like a time limit or not letting go of hands—will make it even more exciting!
Three-letter English Shiritori without katakana
Let me introduce a three-letter shiritori game with a twist: you’re not allowed to say any three-letter loanwords written in katakana.
The rules are very simple—play shiritori while avoiding any three-letter katakana words.
You’ll be on the edge of your seat wondering what the person before you will say.
Choose your words carefully to avoid three-letter katakana and pass it to the next player.
The last person remaining wins.
It’s also great because you can play it while seated, making it perfect for year-end parties and similar gatherings.
Adding hand claps as you play will make it even more exciting.
Ranking Check
A “grading check” that tests your discerning eye! It’s a game where you compare things that should be obviously different—like bargain meat versus premium Wagyu, a luxury pen versus a regular store-bought pen, or the sound of a multimillion-yen violin versus a beginner’s violin—and try to identify the more expensive one.
Since bringing food and drinks can be difficult for parties at restaurants, prompts like stationery or recorded sounds are recommended.
If you’re thinking, “I’ll definitely know the difference!”—once you actually try it, you’ll likely realize how much your perceptions are influenced by price.