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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- Party games collection that get everyone excited in a big group
- Drinking party crowd-pleasers: party and banquet games
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- Get the office buzzing! A collection of recommended entertainment and performance ideas for year-end and New Year parties
- Party games to liven up your New Year’s celebration: a fun collection that will keep everyone laughing non-stop
Team-based game ideas (11–20) to liven up a party
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.
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.
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!
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.
Weight Guessing Game
How about a weight-guessing game that anyone can enjoy, regardless of age or gender? The rules are very simple: pick up two items and guess which one is heavier.
The items can be anything—something a participant has, familiar objects like a smartphone or a roll of toilet paper, or heavier things like a dumbbell.
Choosing similar items, like a hard baseball versus a soft baseball, could make for an interesting twist.
The rules are easy, but getting the answer right isn’t.
An unexpected result is sure to liven up the room.
Stand-up game
You clear the game if the number you call matches the number of people who stand up! “Stand-Up Game” is perfect for parties: it needs no props, it’s simple, and it puts your team’s skills to the test.
The person who calls the number can either stand or stay seated.
Even though it’s about teamwork, you can’t actually discuss, so reading the room and relying on intuition might matter more.
The rules are easy, so it’s great not only for parties but also for large family or relatives’ gatherings.
Team Competition! Azuki Relay
It’s a team competition game where you use chopsticks to move red beans to the plate next to you.
It’s the kind of game where the results will likely differ between dexterous and clumsy players.
Once alcohol gets involved, your hands tend to slip, so beans might skid and fly off, or you may not be able to focus and can’t pick them up at all—leading to funny mishaps! It’s a simple game, but it’s surprisingly lively and perfect for a party.
Perfect Coke-Only Game
The “Cut the meat to exactly 300g” challenge segment on the midday variety show Pokapoka is so simple, yet it always gets everyone excited.
Maybe that active participation mindset boosts the fun even more.
So how about a game where you drink a beverage to exactly the designated line? Since some people aren’t fond of carbonated drinks, everyone can prepare their favorite juice and give it a try.
If it’s a drink in a clear bottle, you could even draw the line directly on the bottle!
Foot Reflexology Thumb Wrestling
Some people have no trouble at all, while others are incapacitated by sharp pain… that’s how wildly reactions vary to acupressure mats.
Enter “Acupressure-Hand-Push Sumo,” which uses one of these mats as the ring! The rules are the same as regular hand-push sumo, but for those who find just standing on an acupressure mat painful, it might feel like a punishment game.
It’s a perfect party game that gets the crowd fired up watching the two contenders, but be very careful not to hit your face or head on the mat if you fall!
Kendama Challenge
Even kendama, usually an individual sport, transforms into a perfect party game when played as a team competition! Choose several tricks by difficulty, and have team members attempt them in turn.
If anyone succeeds, you move on to the next trick; if everyone fails, that team is out.
The team that succeeds all the way to the final trick wins.
Even if no one has publicly declared “kendama is my hobby,” there may be a hidden master in the office who can handle all the classic moves.
Catching a glimpse of an unexpected side of an unexpected person—that’s part of what makes parties so fun, isn’t it?