Whether it's a countdown party with friends, a work do, or the whole family at home, the right game depends on how many of you there are, whether you're standing or seated at tables, and how much time you have. These games need nothing but people, and each is explained just enough to start playing.
Go by how many people you have and how much time, then tap a game to see how it works.
Classics that need nothing but people, no cards or paper. Each one comes with a New Year's Eve way to play.
Throw together; whoever lands in the minority is punished
The whole room plays at once: the host counts 1-2-3, everyone throws, and the minority sits down (no minority, throw again). When two are left, they play regular rock-paper-scissors for the prize.
Call odd or even, then add up everyone's fingers — call it wrong and you're punished
Invite five people up front. Everyone else calls odd or even first (hand up for even, hand down for odd), then the five hold up their fingers together. Wrong call, sit down; keep going until only a few are left standing.
Point and say 0-0-7-bang; the one shot crosses arms, neighbors' hands fly up — slowest is punished
A warm-up for the start of the night: five minutes and the whole table is wide awake.
Count on; on 7 or a multiple of 7 say up and reverse — miss it and you're punished
The later it gets, the more people slip up, and the whole circle laughs. Perfect while you wait for the countdown.
Take turns naming things in one category — repeat or blank out and you're punished
Pick New Year categories: gifts you'd never want, things to do next year, things every party needs.
Everyone holds their eyes open — first to blink is punished
Each table sends one player up front to face off. The winning table picks prizes first.
Games people from different teams can enjoy together: no need to know each other, no skill required, and nobody gets picked on.
Only follow orders that start with "The boss says". Follow a plain order and you're out.
The host gives the orders, or better, invite the real boss up. "The boss says raise your hand" means everyone does it, but a plain "sit down" knocks out anyone who sits. Speed up the orders until one person is left.
Tell three things about yourself, two true and one made up, and the table has to spot the lie.
Take turns; everyone else votes at once on which one is the lie, and wrong guesses take a forfeit. Great for tables that mix teams: people get to know each other without it feeling forced.
Announce one forbidden word at the start. Say it at any point in the night and you take a forfeit.
Pick a word the office says without thinking, like "meeting", "deadline" or "client". Whoever hears someone say it calls them out on the spot. It runs alongside every other game, and the later it gets, the more people slip.
The host reads out little-known facts about people in the room, one at a time, and everyone guesses whose each one is.
Before the party, everyone sends the host one thing the office doesn't know about them, like once winning a singing contest or owning five cats. On the night the host reads them out, the room shouts guesses, and the owner stands up to reveal.
Funny without anyone losing face, at a work party or with the family.
Split into teams and get the whole room cheering.
One player acts out a word with no talking and no mouthing; the team guesses as many as they can in a minute.
The host whispers the words, or the other team picks them. Go with New Year themes like fireworks, countdown or gift swap. Most right answers wins.
Each team lines up and whispers a sentence down the line. The team whose last player says it closest to the original wins.
The host gives the first player of every team the same long sentence, like "Next year I'd like a three-month bonus and ten days off in a row." One whisper each, no repeats. The last player says it out loud, and it's usually far enough off to get the whole room laughing.
Teams take turns sending one player to name something in the category. Blank out or repeat and your team is out.
The host sets the category, like New Year gifts or party songs, with five seconds per answer. The last team standing wins.
Teams race to line up in birthday order, day and month, without saying a word. The first team in the right order wins.
The host starts every team at once; gestures and fingers only. Done? Hands up, and the host checks birthdays from the front of the line to the back. One out of place and the team goes again. Everyone learns their colleagues' birthdays along the way.
Every game is played on one phone passed around the group.
Bomb TossThe fastest warm-up: answer in time and pass before it blows · 2–12 players · 5–15 min
One-Line DrawTake turns drawing one line each, then catch the fake · 3–10 players · 10–25 min
Balloon PopPure luck, and handy for deciding who picks a gift first · 2–12 players · 5–15 min
King's CupLasts all night, and each table sets its own forfeits · 3–12 players · 20–40 minDownload Multiludo free and get your friends playing right now.