Recommended games for two people that you can enjoy without any equipment
When it comes to games you can play without any tools, many of them use words.
Word-based games are great because many can be enjoyed by just two people, making them perfect for friends or couples! In this article, we’ll introduce wordplay and brainy games you can play in pairs without any equipment.
We’ve gathered a variety of games—from classics like Shiritori, the Yamanote Line game, and games where certain words are forbidden, to activities that have trended online and on social media.
There are also plenty of games you can play remotely, so try them out with friends or partners you can’t easily meet in person!
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Fingerplays, hand play, and movement games (1–10)
Finger Smash
Do you know a slightly advanced mind game called “Yubi-suma”? It’s a simple psychological game played with both thumbs.
In time with a chant, you call out a number; if the total number of raised thumbs matches the number called, you lower that hand.
The first person to lower both hands wins.
When playing with two people, use both thumbs and play with numbers from 0 to 4.
If the number of raised thumbs matches what your opponent called, the one who raised their thumb loses, and the one who baited them wins.
It’s a simple battle of probing and guiding, but it’s quite thrilling and fun.
It’s also great for quick spare moments, so I recommend it.
Finger plays, hand games, and body-movement games (11–20)
Hand-push sumo
The great thing about push sumo is that you can enjoy it anytime, anywhere, as long as you have a bit of open space.
Face each other, open your hands, and push—whoever moves their feet first loses.
It’s a very simple game, but it gets really exciting if you adjust your pushing strength and throw in some feints.
Grabbing hands or clothing, or dodging your opponent, is against the rules! Since you might lose your balance and fall, make sure there’s nothing around you that could be dangerous before you start.
Mochitsuki Hand Game
This is a hand-clapping game themed around mochi pounding, where you match the song and rhythm while interlacing and clapping each other’s hands.
One person keeps a steady beat—like vertical claps—while the other adds interjections, forming shapes in between.
When the hands open, touch the lower hand or pass through the gap, and move your hands by reading the rhythm precisely.
After completing one sequence, switch roles, adjust the tempo, and check each other’s sense of rhythm—it’s a fun way to play and practice together.
Finger magic
For magic tricks that make it look like your finger has come off, the key is how convincing you can make it look! Even though you know it’s impossible for it to actually come off, smooth, natural movements can still make your heart skip a beat.
Flexibility in your fingers is also important for finger tricks.
Movements like crossing your fingers or bending your pinky far backward aren’t used in everyday life, so you might find they barely move when you try.
These are tricks you can use at get-togethers or parties, so work on your flexibility and practice!
CC Lemon Game
Do you know the CC Lemon game where you perform a move after the shout of “CC~”? There are three moves: Lemon, where you hook your fingertips together; Haa, which attacks the Lemon; and Guard, which blocks attacks.
After the shout, everyone does a move—if they match, it’s a tie, and if one does Lemon and the other does Haa, the person who did Haa wins! It’s like rock-paper-scissors but with gestures.
It can be hard to grasp until you learn the moves, but once you start playing, it’s surprisingly fun and addictive! Give it a try!
Arithmetic game with both hands
It’s a game where even simple arithmetic suddenly feels difficult when you have to form the numbers with your fingers at the same time.
Start with small addition problems that you can count on one hand: while forming each of the two given numbers with both hands, say the answer out loud.
Coordinating hand movements and speech is trickier than you’d expect, and it really tests your ability to focus on both at once.
Once you’re comfortable with addition, try subtraction and multiplication to make the answers more complex and engage your brain even more.
Impersonation
How about incorporating impressions—classic as party tricks or quick gags—into your conversation? You can show off an impression you’re good at, get feedback from the other person, and have fun in lots of different ways.
If you care about keeping a good rhythm in the exchange, it’s best to choose a theme with back-and-forth banter; boosting the liveliness of your words can deepen the bond between you two.
As a twist on a staring contest, trying to make the other person laugh could be a fun goal as well.