Games for two people to enjoy. A roundup of party games that liven up drinking gatherings.
Have you ever felt that just the usual conversation isn’t quite enough when you’re spending time one-on-one with a friend or a partner, and wished you had something fun to do together? If you have word games or brain teasers you can play even while having a drink, things are sure to get more lively! With games that don’t require memorizing complicated rules and can be enjoyed with nothing more than your thinking and creativity, conversation flows naturally and you’ll feel much closer to the other person.
In this article, we’ll introduce easy yet deep drinking games that will make your time as a twosome even more special.
- Fun two-player games recommended that you can play using conversation only
- For Couples: Fun and Exciting Punishment Game Ideas
- [For Couples] Fun Punishments You’d Want Your Girlfriend to Do
- A forfeit/punishment game for couples to get hyped (from girlfriend to boyfriend)
- [From small to large groups] Drinking games recommended for college students
- [Punishment Game] A collection of romance-themed prompts. Punishment games that get men and women excited
- With friends or couples! A set of questions perfect for penalty games
- A fun punishment game recommended for women
- A simple punishment game you can do anywhere without any props—even at school or outdoors.
- Simple but intense! A quick-and-easy penalty game that hypes everyone up
- Party Games That Spice Up Your House Drinks Night
- Punishment games that liven up drinking parties and banquets
- [At-Home Time] Games Couples Can Enjoy Together
Wordplay and Brain Games (21–30)
A game where you can only use honorific language
The “Polite Speech Only” game is a simple word play that two people can enjoy.
The rules are easy: just repeat your partner’s lines exactly as they said them, but in polite language.
Once you try it, you’ll stumble, slip up, and burst out laughing—guaranteed fun! If any non-polite wording slips out, you’re out on the spot.
It’s simple, but it really tests your focus and quick reflexes.
You don’t need any props—just two voices! It’s perfect for playing on the go or during short waits.
Friends, couples, and parents with kids can all enjoy it, and it brings people closer through language.
The overly courteous exchanges become addictively funny—it’s a fresh, new kind of word game.
Two-Person One-Character Composition
Let me introduce a unique game that brings on a slow, steady wave of laughter: the “Two-Person One-Character Composition” game.
All you need to do is draw a 3×3 grid on a sheet of paper, and you’re ready to play.
Each person adds one character at a time to build a short composition together.
Play with someone who shares your sense of humor—close friends or family—and you’ll be laughing before you know it! The unexpected twists are part of what makes this game so much fun.
It’s a charming game that just might sharpen your sense of humor.
Ogiri (Japanese improv-style comedy wordplay game)
Ogiri, a form of entertainment loved across generations, is a familiar favorite.
It’s featured on shows like “Shoten” and “IPPON Grand Prix,” and enjoys popularity among a wide range of age groups.
The well-known formats include writing answers on paper in response to prompts, and making comments about photos displayed on a screen.
Adding a time limit can lead to unexpected answers and really heat things up.
Try setting themes related to school, work, or hobbies to spark empathy and strengthen bonds.
Give this simple yet exciting game a try!
A Story That Never Fails (to Get Laughs)
The long-beloved show “Hitoshi Matsumoto’s Suberanai Hanashi.” It’s a talk show where every episode features hilarious stories that make you want to say, “Wait, is that for real?” How about trying that famous dice-rolling bit at a drinking party—the one where whoever’s name comes up has to tell a story? It’s basically just sharing personal episode-talks, but you can spice them up a little for laughs, and liven things up with narration impressions like on the show.
Whether the story lands or totally flops, make sure to wrap it up with, “Suberanna~!”
Immersive/Action Games (1–10)
Gesture Game
A gesture game where you express with your body instead of words.
Start with easy prompts like animals or famous people.
It sparks observation and imagination, so even first-time acquaintances naturally break into smiles.
Its simplicity and wide range of themes make it great in any setting.
It’s also fun one-on-one over drinks with a friend or partner.
It can make time with someone you want to get closer to even more special.
Give it a try!
Finger Smash
A game with many regional names: Yubi-suma.
You don’t need any equipment—you can play anytime, anywhere.
Hold both hands out in front of you, stick up your thumbs, and fold the other fingers.
After saying “Yubi-suma,” call out either 0 or a number up to the maximum possible from the thumbs shown.
If the number you call matches the total number of raised thumbs, you’re correct and can lower one hand.
The first person to lower both hands wins—a simple game with fun bluffing and strategy.
It’s very straightforward, but since the numbers run from 0 to 4, it’s surprisingly hard to match and the game can go on.
That’s part of what makes this easy game so exciting.
Stopwatch Perfect-Timing Challenge
This is a game where you try to stop a stopwatch at exactly the specified time, relying only on your internal sense without looking at your hands.
As long as you have a stopwatch, it’s easy to try, and depending on the time you set, you can decide the winner quickly.
Start with short durations measured in seconds, then gradually challenge longer times to increase the difficulty.
If you focus only on the time, there will be moments of silence, so to both avoid silence and raise the difficulty, it’s also recommended to keep the conversation going while measuring the time on purpose.
