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
- Games and activities everyone can enjoy together. A collection of fun play ideas.
- Perfect for killing time! A roundup of games for three people to enjoy
- 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
- [For 2 Players] Easy Pen-and-Paper Time-Killing Game
- Get the Fun Going! Easy Classroom Games You Can Play at School: Recreational Activities for the Whole Class
- Perfect for killing time! Fun games you can easily play on LINE
- Fun games recommended for making friends with people you’ve just met
- Recommended games for two people that you can enjoy without any equipment
- [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)
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
Classics and fan favorites! Party games that get lively with conversation alone (21–30)
riddle
Nazokake is a traditional wordplay that uses rephrasing and word construction, and it’s a staple in rakugo performances as well.
This is a game that uses nazokake to test both the breadth of your knowledge of words and your ability to construct them.
If building a nazokake from a prompt feels too difficult, proceed in a quiz format using books or videos as references.
Starting from a state where the prompt and answer are given, think up the “sono kokoro wa” (the punchline or rationale), and you’ll develop your rephrasing skills and creativity.