Chinese New Year games are sure to keep your crew entertained! Gather around for classic festive challenges, card games, and more.
Chinese New Year games are a must-have if you’re hosting or headed to a gathering for the festive season. One thing you need to know about celebrating CNY is that games (played with or without money) are especially common during the festivities. It comes from the belief that games, whether a win or a loss, bring good luck in the new year. So if you’re hosting a party or wanna play game master this season, be sure to have these in your back pocket! Be sure to check out our ultimate guide to celebrating Chinese New Year in Singapore.
Chinese New Year games for your next CNY gathering
Fun games to test your luck and skills
1. Big two
How to play: Think of Uno, where the goal is to clear all the cards in your hand. For this four-player game, the highest value card is two. The suits also play a part, where the weakest is diamonds, followed by clubs, hearts, and spades. The person with the lowest card (three of diamonds) will start, and to play, you need to discard a card that is of a higher value. If you don’t have one (or want to keep your higher value cards for later in the game), you can pass your turn. It takes a while to pick up the strategy for this game. But once you do, you’ll be a pro in no time.
Difficulty level: Medium
Great for: Four players who enjoy strategic thinking
2. Mahjong
How to play: Don’t be mistaken: this convoluted game – played during Chinese New Year and beyond – isn’t just meant for older people. Anyone of (almost) any age is welcome to play this four-player tile game. The goal is to create four sets of three and a pair – also known as “eyes”. And the value of your hand depends on how you play. We won’t get into the nitty gritty details of it all, ‘cos there are so many variations, we can hardly keep track. They say the best way to learn this game is to play it, so grab the mahjong veterans in your group. Each house plays with different rules – just ask questions if you’re unsure.
Difficulty level: Hard, but you’ll get the hang of it!
Great for: Small groups who love thinking games
3. In between
How to play: Gathering with a big group of friends? The more, the merrier! Two cards are drawn from a shuffled deck and opened up. Your job is to decide if the next card drawn will be in between or out of the value of the first two.
For example, if the two cards drawn are two and nine, you might guess that the next card drawn is between two and nine. If it is, congrats! Deal out a penalty to another player. If it’s not? Everyone else will have to come up with a penalty for you. You can make use of snacks as rewards, or play it as a drinking game with boozy penalties.
Difficulty level: Easy, if your luck is good!
Great for: Big groups with high energy
4. Baccarat
How to play: This game is the true test of luck, and it’s very easy to learn. All you have to do is add the value of your cards to get a number. To win, your hand’s value must be higher than the dealer’s.
The dealer will distribute two cards to each player. Add the numbers together, which will give your hand a value of one to nine. For double digit sums, take the ending number as the value. So if your cards have a total of 16, the value of your hand is six. If you’re unlucky enough to end up with a zero-value hand, never fear. You’re allowed to draw one card to hopefully change your luck around.
Difficulty level: Medium, some strategy can help you here
Great for: Big groups
5. Chinese calligraphy challenge
How to play: Think you’ve got some amazing handwriting? Here’s a little contest you can hold with the family to see who can do it best. Get some brushes, ink, and paper, and freehand some typical Chinese characters for prosperity. Take a vote, and whoever’s calligraphy is the best gets a prize. We think this particular game is great because you get some Chinese New Year decorations out of it too!
Difficulty level: Easy (but things might get messy!)
Great for: All ages, any number of players can participate
6. Poker
How to play: Are your friends good at bluffing? This game will put them to the test. In its simplest version, you’ll be dealt two cards that are kept concealed from other players. Five cards will be progressively revealed, with opportunities to bet in between. The goal (or hope) is to get the most powerful set using a combination of your concealed cards and the shared five cards. But beware, there might be liars among you. Remember to keep standard poker etiquette and wait your turn before deciding on a move.
Difficulty level: Hard
Great for: Bigger groups who want a challenge
7. Blind man’s bluff
How to play: Otherwise known as Indian poker, the game starts with everyone drawing one card out of the deck. But you can’t look at it. Instead, you’ll hold it up to your forehead and face the other players. The way to win is to get the highest value card. How can you do that without seeing your card, you ask? Well, you’re going to have to trust your other fellow players. And yes, they can lie to you. You only get one chance to change your card, so pick who you trust carefully.
Difficulty level: Medium, easy if you know your group well!
Great for: Big groups of all ages
8. Black Jack
How to play: Otherwise known as ban luck, this is a classic that can be played with a large group. The best part is stripping away the complicated casino rules! Once you assign a dealer, the cards are shuffled. You may also be asked to cut the deck (just to make sure there’s no cheating), and everyone places their bets before the cards are dealt.
The goal is to hit as close to 21 as possible without going over (aka bursting). You can draw additional cards to hit this number. But be wary since that increases your chances of bursting. There are also situations where you can surrender or split your cards depending on what you have.
Difficulty level: Easy
Great for: A classic Chinese New Year game for big groups
9. Chinese New Year trivia
How to play: Trivia is a great game, no matter the occasion. And we think it’s even better to give your cultural knowledge a test with all the Chinese New Year facts that you can think of! You can go old school with written questions on cards, jazz it up with a slideshow or make it competitive by setting it up on Kahoot. Need help figuring out what trivia to throw in? Check out our list of Chinese New Year traditions, ang bao rates, and local superstitions.
Difficulty level: Easy, just a tedious set up
Great for: Families or friend groups that have fun facts in their back pocket.
CNY games to buy
10. The Singaporean Dream
How to play: Can you tell that we’re big fans of card games? Even better when they’re made with quirky local twists. The Singaporean Dream is one of our first choices. Start by selecting a Singaporean personality that comes with unique pre-requisite hands, and keep collecting dreams. You can either buy them with cash cards or sneaky action cards that let you steal dreams from other players.
Difficulty level: Medium
Great for: Good for three to seven boardgame lovers
11. Chinese New Year-themed Monopoly
Hasbro is joining in on the festive cheer with its yearly Chinese New Year-themed Monopoly set. The gorgeous game board shines in reds and golds, decorated with celebratory motifs. There’s even a special 3D Zodiac Wheel and exclusive gold-coloured tokens for a unique spin on this classic board game. What’s different about this Monopoly set? Special ang bao cards have been added to the mix, encouraging players to be generous because you’ll lose money if you hold onto them.
Difficulty level: Easy with a game master to help with instructions!
Great for: Families and competitive groups of friends
Go get your game on this Chinese New Year!
Frequently Asked Questions
How many games should I plan for a gathering?
Two to three games are usually enough depending on the amount of people are visiting. The beauty of some card games is that you can keep playing one for hours, and they're easy to join and exit depending on how guests feel.
What are alternative non-cash rewards?
Snacks, chocolates, or small gifts can be used in place of money if you want to avoid gambling.
When is the best time to play Chinese New Year games?
It tends to depend on the group. You might find one or two enthusiastic guests who can help you start the game whenever they'd like!
Normally, games start after meals.
What if guests don't want to participate?
It's best to keep games optional. Most Chinese New Year games are just as entertaining to watch as they are to play, so your guests will have plenty of fun!
Are there online or digital Chinese New Year games?
Yes, you can host many games online! There are Whatsapp quizzes, Telegram bots, and you can even create trivia quizzes using Kahoot or Google Forms.
