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.
- Fun two-player games recommended that you can play using conversation only
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- Recommended games and activities for five people
- Games you can play in the car! Fun activities to liven up drives and traffic jams
- Challenge together! A roundup of word games for adults
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- Fun games recommended for making friends with people you’ve just met
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- [Rec] Interesting! A roundup of wordplay games
- Brain-teasing game roundup
Classics and fan favorites! Party games that get everyone excited with just conversation (11–20)
Chorus Speed-Singing Game
It’s a fast-response quiz-style game with a music theme.
The host says the title of a song, and players try to start singing the chorus faster than the others—a simple rule.
The key point is that it’s the chorus, not the opening line, so mistakenly starting from the beginning can be a fun twist.
In addition to timing, you could also judge accuracy of the lyrics and how far someone can sing, which might make it even more enjoyable.
It’s a peaceful, feel-good game where you can savor the joy of singing together with friends.
Prince Shōtoku Battle
Prince Shōtoku is a historical figure renowned for a legend that he could listen to ten people’s petitions at the same time and respond accurately to each.
This game is inspired by that legend.
The rules are very simple: multiple people speak to the respondent at once, and players compete to see how much they can catch.
It also sounds fun to increase the number of speakers one by one and challenge the limit of how many people’s words you can understand.
Deciding on a theme for the words in advance might help you increase the number you can comprehend.
Werewolf game
Werewolf is a game that helps you deepen bonds with friends and teammates without using any props.
Players split into Werewolves and Villagers, and the goal is to find the hidden werewolves through discussion.
Choose a game master, then call in each participant one by one to tell them their role.
There are many roles like Seer and Knight, but starting with simple rules is recommended.
Because it’s a cooperative game to uncover the hidden werewolves, it’s perfect for building teamwork.
Give it a try at parties or retreats—it’s a game you can enjoy for long stretches.
Telephone (Chinese whispers)
It’s a game where a single sentence is set as the prompt, then passed along in order to each participant to see if the last person can answer without getting the prompt wrong.
Restrictions—like speaking in a low voice so only the next person hears, and limiting the number of times you can speak—make it easier for misunderstandings to occur.
The more participants there are, the more likely it is to drift from the original prompt, which is part of the fun.
The sentence chosen as the prompt is also important, and you can adjust the difficulty by changing the number of words that make up the sentence.
Bamboo Shoot Gnocchi
A game where each player takes turns calling out numbers with “Nyoki” attached—like “1-Nyoki,” “2-Nyoki”—while stretching their hands upward like growing bamboo shoots.
The idea is to avoid being the one left at the final number and to avoid overlapping with others.
If you wait too long for the right moment, you’ll end up being left; but if you aim to go first, you might clash with someone else.
The back-and-forth mind games make it exciting.
The fewer the players, the higher the chance of getting stuck at the end, which creates a sense of urgency as everyone tries to bail out quickly, adding to the speed and thrill.
Two-letter shiritori
Would you like to try playing two-letter shiritori? In regular shiritori, you connect the last letter of the previous word to the first letter of your word regardless of length, and the person who uses a word that ends with “n” loses.
This version adds one more rule: you can only answer with two-letter words.
It’s perfect for when regular shiritori is too easy and boring.
If you want to make it even harder, try banning repeated words or keeping a steady rhythm while playing.
It’s a real test of your vocabulary!
Stealthy-Stealthy Game
This is a game devised by Shohei Osada of the comedy duo Chocolate Planet, inspired by one of his own sketches.
Building on the line “sorori sorori” delivered by Osada in the role of a kyogen performer, the rule is to answer given prompts using the pattern “—ri —ri.” Since there aren’t necessarily clear-cut answers to things, what matters is whether you can give a response that convinces the other person.
Sometimes the prompts can be too difficult, so if you can’t answer, it might be a good idea to check whether the questioner has an answer in mind and use that as the basis for judging.
Myanmar Game
Let’s play a fun, laughter-filled game: the Myanmar Game.
First, try saying “Myanmar.” It’s pretty hard to pronounce, right? This is a game where you keep saying tricky words like that.
With each person’s turn, the number of times you have to say “Myanmar” increases.
As you repeat “Myanmar, Myanmar,” your tongue gets more and more twisted, which makes it hilarious for both the speaker and the listeners.
It’s a game that gets everyone fired up—and you’ll be impressed if someone can say it smoothly.
Try the Myanmar Game during a little bit of free time!
playing rock-paper-scissors after seeing the opponent’s move (i.e., acting with hindsight/cheating)
In regular rock-paper-scissors, both players reveal their hands at the same time to decide the winner.
However, in this after-the-fact version, you first look at your opponent’s hand, then instantly choose your own, aiming to achieve the specified outcome at the very moment their hand becomes visible.
Because the normal rule is to try to win, people tend to reflexively throw a winning hand on the spur of the moment.
So make sure to suppress that reflex before deciding your move.
The basic approach is to have players think of a losing hand after seeing the opponent’s hand, but by mixing in winning hands and ties as well, you can raise the difficulty even further.
Atama-Oshiri Game
The fresh, TV-famous rhythm game “Atama-Oshiri Game”! In time with the music, you answer by connecting the first and last letters of the word presented.
You have 10 seconds, and the key to winning is whether you can come up with longer words or more letters.
It tests both speed and creativity, so everyone can have fun cranking their brains together.
On the show, Banana Man and Sandwich Man take on the challenge, with unexpected answers being a highlight.
Enjoy laughs and edge-of-your-seat moments.
It’s a recommended game that gets families and friends pumped up while training rhythm and quick thinking at the same time.
