Need some ideas on how to keep the crew entertained? Gather them around for thrilling Chinese New Year games.
So you’ve had your fill of a delicious reunion dinner with the fam. Or maybe even scarfed down some Chinese New Year snacks like bak kwa and pineapple tarts. What comes next? Games galore! One thing you need to know about celebrating Chinese New Year is that games (played with or without money) are especially common during the festivities. It comes from the belief that games, no matter a win or loss, bring good luck in the new year. Call us a superstitious bunch, but we’ll take the excuse to play a couple of rounds over Chinese New Year.
Test your luck with Chinese New Year games
1. Chinese New Year trivia
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, or 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.
2. Mahjong
Don’t be mistaken: this convoluted game – played during Chinese New Year and beyond – isn’t just meant for the elderly. 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.
3. In between
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.
4. Baccarat
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.
5. Big two
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 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.
6. Poker
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.
7. Blind man’s bluff
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.
8. The Singaporean Dream
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.
9. Black Jack
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.
Go get your game on this Chinese New Year!
