Now that the restrictions are lifted again and more people are vaccinated, there're more opportunities to gather with our friends! But after not meeting some of them for so long, we might find it a little awkward on our first meeting.

Fear not! Here are some Korean games that you can play with your friends! They don't require a great deal of planning or props so it's perfect for the small group gatherings that we can hold now!

Pushing Game

You may not need props for this game, but you'll definitely need some open space for this! Just like the name of the game, two people face each other and take turns hitting their opponent's palms. The aim is to get your opponent to lose their balance and fall over, making you the winner. Be careful though! You might end up falling towards the other person or falling backwards to make sure there aren't any fragile or dangerous objects around.

Hongsam Game

For those who still remember the good old days of (non-zoom) orientation camps, you might remember playing the game Boom Boom Chucky Chucky. This game is similar, but with an added level of enjoyment! You start off the game by saying "Assa Hongsam, everybody Hongsam". Assa is a way of expressing excitement and joy, while Hongsam means red ginseng.

Then, the first person who starts will say "Assa neo, neo". Neo means you, and when you say neo, you point to two people. These people now have one "bullet" and can choose to "shoot" one other person. If two people point at you, you now have two "bullets".

In Boom Boom Chucky Chucky, you'd just "shoot" two people in your turn. But in the Hongsam Game, you first have to do an action after receiving the "shots". You do this by saying "Assa Hongsam" and you do your (usually funny) action on Hongsam. Everyone will follow you, saying "everybody Hongsam" and copy your action.

The game ends when someone misses the beat, either by not following the action of the player who was "shot" twice, or by not realising that they have been "shot" and thus need to "shoot" someone else.

369 Game

While this will work over Zoom, it's best played in person when you can see everyone's brains turning, trying to make sense of where the game is at. The game is simple. You and your group of friends just have to count up from 1, clapping whenever there is 3, 6, or 9 instead of saying the number. Take note that this doesn't mean multiples of 3, but literally any number that has 3, 6, or 9. For example, you would clap at 13, but not at 15. If you reach the 30s, it will be a whole round of clapping (which then makes it super confusing but also fun!). At 33, 36, and 39, you will have to clap twice.

There are tons of Korean games out there, with some requiring certain props to be prepared, or for someone to be the host of the game. For the abovementioned three games, everyone can join in the fun. The best part about it all is that no props are needed, so you can have fun anytime and anywhere!