Games you can play with just conversation. Classic and popular activities you can enjoy without any props!
I’m going to introduce games that can be played using only conversation, without any props.
There are times—like during school breaks or in the car—when you want to play but don’t have any tools or can’t move around freely, right?
In those moments, wouldn’t it be nice to have games you can play just by talking?
In this article, we’ve gathered popular conversation-based games you can enjoy simply by talking, singing, or answering prompts!
Use them when you want to have fun with friends, teammates, or your partner, or when you need to kill time while waiting—whenever you’re in a pinch.
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Shiritori, Wordplay, and Brain-Teasing Conversation Games (11–20)
Shiritori Conversation Game
It’s a game where you add a shiritori element to everyday conversation to see if you can keep the rules and still talk smoothly.
The fun part is that adding a thinking component makes an ordinary conversation just a bit awkward.
The standard approach is to attach a preface that starts with the last letter of the previous person’s word to what you want to say, and the game tests how well you can connect it.
How many suitable words you know—and how quickly you can recall them—seems to be the key.
Favorite-things shiritori
A game where you play shiritori while taking turns telling each other what you like about the other person.
It’s a playful way to express feelings for a friend or partner that you might normally be too shy to say.
First, choose one character from the Japanese syllabary, then play shiritori while also sharing something you like.
It’s also fun to set a rule that if you get embarrassed or start laughing, you get a penalty.
When playing one-on-one, you alternate turns, making it perfect for deepening a couple’s bond.
Even if you can’t meet in person, try this game to reaffirm each other’s love or friendship.
Tongue Twister Game
This is an easy-to-understand game that uses Japanese tongue twisters, a traditional form of wordplay.
Many people have played it before, so the minimal explanation needed makes it easy and casual to enjoy.
The rules are simple: take turns among all participants and try to say the given tongue twister three times in a row without stumbling.
Precisely because the game is simple, it’s worth putting thought into the penalties for tripping up—especially the visual aspects.
Since it’s an age-old pastime, there are plenty of prompts to choose from, making it fun right from the stage of selecting the phrases.
Self quiz
This is a quiz where you present each person’s profile or episodes as questions to deepen your understanding of them.
Their everyday behavior patterns are also big hints, so the quiz ends up testing trust and bonds as well.
If recent episodes make it too easy, we recommend using older stories as questions—you can enjoy a higher difficulty level by comparing them with the present.
It’s a game that can spark conversation by letting you discover what’s changed and what hasn’t, and by reminiscing over shared memories.
Commonality-Finding Game
It’s a perfect game to kick off a conversation by looking for commonalities among the participants.
However, since the goal is to find something everyone has in common, it can be brutally never-ending in some cases.
It’s important to identify topics that are likely to overlap—for example, narrowing the genre and asking about favorites, or conversely focusing on things people dislike.
The difficulty increases as the number of members grows, so it’s recommended to start with rules like “clear if it applies to a certain number of people,” and gradually make it harder.
Puzzle-solving & deduction and communication game (1–10)
Majority Game
It’s a game where you pose a either-or question to everyone—one that’s likely to split opinions—and see whether your own answer ends up in the majority.
Through the questions, you can learn about each person’s way of thinking and behavior patterns, making it a great conversation starter.
For those who end up in the minority, you can assign a penalty: either have them do a small forfeit after each question, or tally points and decide the loser at the end—both approaches work well.
You can also spice things up by adding rules, like giving players time to persuade others to choose their option, which can create a different kind of excitement.
A game divided by Christmas
Here’s a party game that’s sure to liven things up, perfect for Christmas: the “Break Up ‘Christmas’” game.
The rules are simple: take the word “Christmas” and split it at any point you like, then pass it to the next person.
The person who receives it continues saying the word “Christmas” starting from where the previous player split it.
Keep the rhythm, think about where the previous person cut the word, and as you pass it on, decide where you’ll split it next.
It’s also fun to play using other words.
Try coming up with your own original words and give it a go!
