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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- 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
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- Perfect for killing time! Fun games you can easily play on LINE
- 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 lively with just conversation (31–40)
No equipment needed! Air catch ball
“Air Catch,” a make-believe game of tossing an imaginary ball without any props, is a very simple team-building activity.
Participants form a circle.
Someone calls another person’s name while miming a throw of the “air ball,” and the next person pretends to catch it and continues in the same way.
The rules are: make eye contact and call the person’s name before you throw.
Once everyone gets used to it, you can increase the difficulty by tossing multiple balls at once or speeding things up.
It builds communication skills and concentration and gets people laughing, making it great for training icebreakers and strengthening team cohesion.
It takes about 5–15 minutes, so give it a try!
YES/NO Quiz
A key point of “Yes/No Quiz,” where you work toward finding the answer, is that it’s a game enjoyed by splitting into a question master and questioners.
The question master chooses a topic and answers the questioners’ questions with only “Yes” or “No.” The questioners listen to the answers and try to figure out what the topic is.
To narrow down the answer, it’s important for the questioners to think carefully as they ask their questions.
It’s also a great game for team competitions, so let’s all have fun together.
Guess the person game
A recommended guessing game for deepening communication is one where participants get lively conversation going and make new discoveries about each other.
The person posing the question should first choose a very well-known person as the subject.
The respondents ask the questioner about what kind of person it might be while imagining the answer, and the questioner should reply only with “yes” or “no.” If it’s too difficult, it’s also helpful to give simple hints, such as the person’s gender or a basic characteristic.
Set a time limit, and try it as individual or team play, adjusting to the ages of the group.
The Runaway Trolley, the Worker, and the Fat Man
A further variation on the trolley problem is the scenario where you could stop the trolley by pushing a fat man standing beside the tracks.
If you push him, many lives would be saved, but you must make the decision to directly sacrifice that person.
The choices are simple, yet they question the value of life and the ethics of actions.
In group discussions, opinions tend to split between prioritizing outcomes and prioritizing the action itself, leading to heated debate.
It’s an idea that allows classmates to delve deeply into their individual values through discussion.
Dosukoi Game
@ve4snxqh♬ original sound – LUMINARY FOR CARS – LUMINARY FOR CARS
Dosukoi is a game that seems like it would get really lively with four players.
Everyone keeps their thumbs down, then one person (the caller) says “Dosukoi [vowel sound/letter]” and a single character.
After that, players randomly raise whichever thumbs they want.
Combining the number of raised thumbs with the first letter the caller said, the first person to quickly say a word that matches that pattern—[word] dosukoi—wins.
Because you have to rhythmically find a word with that number of syllables/characters, it’s a game that uses both your brain and your reflexes.
Some people also use an extra rule that allows players who have already dropped out to give answers.
Getting lost in snowy mountains
You all joined a tour to see the aurora.
However, the plane you were on crashed due to a geomagnetic storm.
The crash site is in snowy mountains, and the nearest town is as far as 32 kilometers away.
The pilots have died, and the plane has sunk to the bottom of a lake, so you have no choice but to make your way on your own.
Besides cold-weather clothing, you only have 10 items.
To survive, discuss as a group and rank the items from most to least important.
The time limit is 30 minutes; when time is up, present your ranking.
When giving opinions about the ranking, be sure to explain your reasons, and when making decisions, reach a consensus—an agreement among everyone.
Play the Signal Game Indoors!
The “Traffic Signal Game,” where everyone follows the leader’s instructions, is a play activity that can help develop the ability to listen carefully and the judgment to act immediately.
When the signal is blue, take one marching step; when it’s yellow, shake your head left and right and look around; when it’s red, squat down.
Listen closely to which color the leader calls and act accordingly.
If the leader calls a color other than the three, everyone says “nai-nai” (meaning “no such color”).
There’s no winning or losing in this game, so just have fun moving your body!
Raise it higher and higher! Game
The rhythm-based relay game “Keep Raising the Price!” is fun with both large and small groups.
The rule is just as the name suggests: each person has to name something that costs more than the previous person’s answer.
For example, if the first person says “a 5-yen chocolate,” the next might say “Butamen instant noodles,” then “a rice ball,” … “a car,” “a house,” and so on.
In the video, people eventually end up answering with things like a celebrity’s entire fortune or a national budget.
The key is to name something just a bit more expensive than the previous answer and pass it smoothly to the next person.
It’s a great hype-builder, so it’s likely to bring participants closer together!
Werewolf Game for 10+ Players That Even Elementary School Students Can Play!
In addition to roles like “Werewolf” and “Villager,” it seems there are also roles such as “Android” and “God.” You can play using cards or with apps on smartphones, but that heart-pounding, exciting atmosphere of kids playing together face-to-face in the moment is likely to become a lasting memory.
Each time you add new roles, be sure to explain the rules carefully so everyone can enjoy the game while understanding it.
The video also features the role of “Lovers,” so be sure to try incorporating that as well.
20 indoor activities you can enjoy even on rainy days
Let me introduce a brain-teasing rule game.
The key point for the kids is to tell them, “Watch carefully.” Then the teacher shows numbers with their fingers, saying, “This is 1, this is 2,” and so on, which naturally makes the children focus on the finger movements.
But here’s the twist! They should also pay close attention to what the teacher says.
The level of excitement changes depending on the themes or rules the teacher sets.
Be sure to have fun playing it together with the kids! It’s also great because you can play it anywhere, like at camp or on a field trip.