Circle Games
Psychiatrist
One player leaves the room. The group secretly agrees on a shared “condition” (for example: answering as the person on their right, pretending to be animals, always lying, etc.).
The Psychiatrist returns and asks yes/no or open questions to diagnose the condition.
If the psychiatrist guesses correctly, the round ends and a new psychiatrist is chosen.
Mafia
The group sits in a circle with a moderator. Roles are secretly assigned: Mafia (eliminate players), Doctor (may save one person each night), Detective (investigates one person per night), and Villagers (no special powers).
Each “night,” Mafia choose someone to eliminate; Doctor chooses someone to save; Detective learns whether one person is Mafia.
During the “day,” all players debate and vote to eliminate a suspected Mafia.
Villagers win by eliminating all Mafia; Mafia win by reducing villagers until they cannot be voted out.
Ninja
Players form a loose circle and freeze in a pose. Taking turns, each player gets one quick, single movement to attempt to hit another player’s hand.
If a hand is hit, that player loses that hand; if both hands are hit, they’re out.
Last player with any hands remaining wins.
Extreme Ninja
Same turn-based movement as Ninja, but the target is forcing an opponent to move a foot.
If a player’s foot shifts position, they’re out.
Last standing player wins.
Duck, Duck, Goose
Players sit in a circle. One player walks around tapping heads saying “Duck” until tagging someone as “Goose.”
The Goose must chase the tapper around the circle. If the tapper reaches the Goose’s spot first, they sit, and the Goose becomes the new walker.
If the Goose tags the tapper, the tapper goes again.
Zip Zap Boing
Players stand in a circle and “pass” energy by saying specific words:
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Zip: pass to the person on your left
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Zap: pass to the person on your right
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Boing: send it back to the person who passed it
Players eliminated if they hesitate, send the wrong word, or aim the call incorrectly.
Last remaining player wins.
Simon Says
One player (“Simon”) gives commands. Players must only obey commands prefaced with “Simon says…”
If someone follows a command without that phrase, they’re out.
Last surviving player becomes the next Simon.
Hand Slap Game (Stack Hands)
Players stack hands in a pile in the center. A slapping turn moves around the pile as each player tries to slap the next hand in sequence.
A double slap reverses the direction.
If you flinch, miss, or move illegally, you’re out.
Play continues until only one player remains.
My Chair / Fruit Basket
Players sit in labeled chairs (fruit names, colors, or categories). The caller shouts a fruit; everyone with that label stands and quickly swaps seats.
The caller also tries to claim a seat. Whoever is left standing becomes the new caller.
“Fruit Basket” means everyone must swap chairs at once.
Moo Off
Players stand in a circle and one at a time perform their best “moo.”
Judges (or the whole group) choose winners based on loudness, creativity, ridiculousness, or duration.
A pure comedy game with no eliminations unless you choose to run it as a contest.
Duck, Duck, Goose (Extreme Version)
Same format as regular Duck, Duck, Goose, but with a twist applied to the chase—players must hop, crawl, crab-walk, spin, or perform a set movement while running the circle.
All other rules stay the same.
Shark Infested Custard
Players stand in a circle with a leader in the center calling energetic commands such as:
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Shark Attack — players run to designated “safe zones”
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Lifeboat — group up in small clusters
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Captain on Deck — salute and freeze
Players who react incorrectly, too slowly, or in the wrong formation are out.
Last surviving player wins.
Electricity
Two teams sit or stand in lines holding hands. A neutral object (usually a cone) is placed between the front players of both lines.
A referee secretly sends a “signal” by squeezing the hand of the back player. The squeeze travels forward like electricity.
When the front player feels it, they race to grab the cone.
Winning team scores a point; lines reset for another round.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
A rhythm-based name-passing game. Each player has a title (often Bible names or numbers).
In rhythm, one player calls their own title, then another player’s. That player must continue the pattern without breaking tempo.
Mistakes send the player to the lowest seat, and everyone shifts upward.
Goal: reach the “top” seat and stay there.
Guess the Leader
One person leaves the room. A leader is chosen who begins subtle, repeatable movements (tapping, head nods, rhythmic clapping).
Everyone copies the leader while hiding where the movements start.
The guesser returns and tries to identify the leader with limited guesses.
Name & Action
Going around the circle, each person says their name with a unique movement or gesture.
The next person must repeat all previous names and actions before adding their own.
Play continues around the circle until the final player recites the entire sequence.
Pass the Parcel (with Tasks)
Players pass a wrapped parcel around the circle while music plays. When the music stops, the person holding it unwraps one layer.
Inside each layer is a small task (singing, acting, challenges).
The final layer reveals a prize for the last un-wrapper.
Consequences
Players sit in a circle with paper. Each person writes a prompt (e.g., “A boy’s name”), folds the paper to hide it, and passes it on.
Everyone writes to the next prompt, folds again, and passes.
When all sections are complete, the papers are opened to reveal hilarious, mismatched mini-stories created by the group.
Heads Down, Thumbs Up
Most players sit with heads down and thumbs up. A few “pickers” walk around tapping one thumb each.
Tapped players stand when told to and guess which picker touched them.
Correct guessers switch places with the picker; wrong guesses leave roles unchanged.
Play continues in rounds.
Whisper Race / Telephone / Chinese Whispers
A message is whispered from one player to the next around the circle.
The final player says the message out loud.
The humor comes from how drastically the phrase changes through mishearing and whispering.