Break the ice with intros and team battles! Party games to spice up your welcome event
It’s about time for welcome parties, isn’t it?
With new students and fresh graduates coming in, many of you are probably planning welcome events.
In this article, we’ll introduce party games and fun activities that will liven up your welcome party.
If you’re thinking, “I want games that are fun even with people meeting for the first time,” or “I want to plan simple, easy-to-run games,” this will be a great reference.
In particular, games that help you learn about each other through self-introductions, and team-based cooperative games, are recommended because they make it easier to get to know one another and create a friendly atmosphere.
Now, let’s take a look at our recommended games!
- Games to Liven Up the Freshers’ Welcome Party
- [Self-Introduction & Games] Icebreaker Ideas Collection
- Fun games recommended for making friends with people you’ve just met
- Team-based recreational activities for adults that are fun even with large groups
- Games you can play with just conversation. Classic and popular activities you can enjoy without any props!
- A simple and fun co-op game that enhances teamwork
- A great way to get to know each other! Entertainment and performances to liven up a welcome party
- Ideas for team-based games to enliven a party
- [Let’s Get Closer] A Collection of Engaging Questions for Self-Introductions
- [Simple Games] Recommended Indoor Recreational Activities for Adults
- [For University Students] A Roundup of Fun Games and Recreational Activities
- A roundup of recommended icebreakers for college students
- Games that liven up social and networking gatherings
Break the ice with self-introductions and team battles! Party games to liven up welcome events (11–20)
Self-Introduction Spot-the-Difference Game
A get-to-know-you game where each person adds exactly one lie to their self-introduction.
First, form teams of about two people.
Each person writes a brief self-introduction on paper and compiles it.
Once finished, share within your team which part of each introduction is the lie.
Then one representative from each team reads their compiled self-introduction aloud.
After both sides have read, each team discusses and comes up with just one question to ask the opposing team.
The teams ask their questions, observe the responses, and try to detect the lie in each other’s self-introductions.
Through the single inserted lie, you learn whether the other person matches the image you had of them—or not.
Pose Matching Game
It’s a variation on a gesture game.
Players pair up, and each person uses their body to pose the assigned theme; if their poses match, they clear the round.
For example, if the theme is “baseball,” it’s OK if both strike a batting stance; if one is in a pitching motion, that’s a no-go.
You can spice it up by making the themes celebrities, etc., and because it requires no preparation and is easy for anyone to join, it’s perfect for settings like welcome parties with lots of first-time participants.
Earphone Loud Telephone Game
The Earphone-Blast Telephone Game: a message relay while blasting music at full volume! Just like the name suggests, you pass along a message while wearing earphones with the volume cranked up.
Not only do you have to read lips, but the music scatters your concentration, making accurate listening practically impossible.
Rather than whether the message survives to the end, the real fun is seeing what hilarious sentence it turns into.
It’s the perfect game to liven up a gathering.
Voices tend to get loud, so be considerate if there are other groups nearby.
Concatenation and Nimble Game
It’s a game where you hold hands with the person next to you and pass a loop—made from easily torn paper ribbon or similar—along the line by moving it over your body and onto your neighbor.
Holding hands with someone you don’t know can feel a bit awkward at first, but before you know it you’ll have become friendly.
Even if you start with a light grip in the early stages, you may find yourself squeezing tightly when the loop arrives unexpectedly.
It’s fun with both large and small groups, so I highly recommend it!
Who did what, when, and where game
A game where everyone’s answers combine into one sentence about who did what, when, and where.
You draw lots from a bag and create a sentence that fits the given prompt.
After everyone has written theirs, you read them in order.
Since you answer without knowing what your teammates wrote, the combined result turns into a unique sentence—that’s the fun part.
Plus, the experience of four people working together to build a single sentence becomes a great spark for communication.
Give this delightful game a try; it’s sure to make everyone laugh.
Oshibori Roulette
Use easily available wet towels (oshibori).
Soak the towels in water, then take turns wringing them out.
Whoever can’t get any water to come out loses.
It’s more fun if the loser has to do a simple forfeit, like an impression.
It’s a suspenseful game where the water gradually runs out depending on how hard people wring the towel.
Break the ice with intros and team battles! Party games to spice up welcome gatherings (21–30)
Blindfold drink: perfect chuu-chuu!
It’s a perfect game for welcome parties and other gatherings since all you need is a bottle or glass with a drink and some straws.
The rules are simple: put on a blindfold and try to drink a specified amount through a straw.
For example, mark a line on a bottle of juice, and the person who drinks to the level closest to that mark wins.
As long as you bring straws to the venue, you’re good to go.
If you get creative with the blindfold design, it’s sure to make things even more exciting!