Looking for a way to level up your next gathering? “Minute to Win It” games are the perfect way to do it! These games are quick, easy to set up, and guarantee laughter, bonding, and a hint of friendly competition. Designed to bring out everyone’s playful side, they’re all about performing quirky tasks in under a minute. Whether it’s a family reunion, a work party, or a casual hangout, these games will add excitement to the mix.

To get started, all you need are a few common household items, a timer, and plenty of enthusiasm. Most of these games are solo challenges, but some work great as team activities. You’ll want to keep track of time, so make sure there’s a stopwatch or timer handy. Ready to dive into some fun? Let’s get started with the 18 best “Minute to Win It” games that will test your skills and get everyone cheering!

What You Need and How to Play

Before you dive into each game, here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need and how these games work. You don’t have to spend a lot or make elaborate preparations; in fact, most of these games require items you likely already have at home, like plastic cups, straws, ping pong balls, and marshmallows. It’s also helpful to have a few small prizes on hand for the winners, but this is optional.

When it comes to gameplay, each challenge takes just 60 seconds, and you can keep score by tracking who completes each challenge or who achieves the best results. These games encourage friendly competition and a lighthearted atmosphere, so feel free to cheer, laugh, and celebrate each player’s attempt.

18 Minute to Win It Games That Will Test Your Skills

1. Stack Attack

Stack Attack is a classic game that tests balance and speed. Each player must create a pyramid out of plastic cups and then unstack them back into a single pile—all within one minute.

• How to Play: Players start by stacking cups in a pyramid shape, then quickly unstack them to form a single stack again.
• Skills Tested: Coordination, speed, and focus.

2. Cookie Face

Cookie Face brings out the laughter as players try to move a cookie from their forehead to their mouth without using their hands. It’s trickier than it looks, requiring facial muscle control and patience.

• How to Play: Place a cookie on each player’s forehead. They must wiggle and scrunch their face to guide it into their mouth without using hands.
• Skills Tested: Facial control and persistence.

3. Junk in the Trunk

Get ready for some hilarious moments in Junk in the Trunk! Players wear a tissue box filled with ping pong balls strapped to their waist and have to shake all the balls out within a minute.

• How to Play: Fill a tissue box with ping pong balls, secure it around the player’s waist, and let them shake, shimmy, and twist to get all the balls out.
• Skills Tested: Energy, coordination, and flexibility.

4. Rapid Fire

This game challenges players to knock down a series of plastic cups by blowing a ping pong ball across a table. Precision and lung power are essential to succeeding in Rapid Fire.

• How to Play: Line up cups at the end of the table. Each player blows a ping pong ball from one end to the other to knock over the cups.
• Skills Tested: Aim, control, and patience.

5. Movin’ on Up

Movin’ on Up is all about stacking and moving quickly. Players have a stack of cups with one unique color cup at the top and must move each cup to get the unique one back on top within a minute.

• How to Play: Stack several cups with one different-colored cup at the top. Players transfer each cup, one at a time, to the bottom until the unique cup is back on top.
• Skills Tested: Speed, hand-eye coordination, and balance.

6. Defy Gravity

In Defy Gravity, players keep three balloons in the air for 60 seconds without letting them touch the ground. It sounds easy, but keeping them all in motion can be surprisingly challenging.

• How to Play: Each player is given three balloons and must keep them airborne for the full minute using only their breath or a slight tap.
• Skills Tested: Timing, multi-tasking, and concentration.

7. Penny Stack

Penny Stack is a simple yet challenging game where players attempt to stack as many pennies as possible in one minute. It tests your patience and steady hand as you build a tall tower of coins.

• How to Play: Players stack pennies one on top of the other to see who can build the highest stack without it toppling.
• Skills Tested: Precision and patience.

8. Ping Pong Bounce

Ping Pong Bounce is an engaging game that involves bouncing ping pong balls into cups. Each player gets a ping pong ball and attempts to land it in the cup as many times as possible within the minute.

• How to Play: Set up cups in a row and give players ping pong balls to bounce into each cup. The player who scores the most wins.
• Skills Tested: Aim, precision, and control.

9. Dizzy Mummy

In Dizzy Mummy, one player wraps a teammate in toilet paper while spinning around them as quickly as possible. The challenge is to wrap them fully without tearing the paper.

• How to Play: One player holds a toilet paper roll and spins around their partner to wrap them up. If it breaks, they must restart.
• Skills Tested: Speed, balance, and teamwork.

10. Cup Blow

Cup Blow is a fun and lighthearted game where players use a straw to blow a plastic cup across a table. The goal is to reach the other side within the one-minute timeframe.

• How to Play: Each player takes a straw and blows a cup across a table, aiming to get it to the finish line without it falling off.
• Skills Tested: Lung power, patience, and control.

11. Chopstick Madness

Chopstick Madness requires players to pick up as many small objects as possible using only chopsticks. This game is great for testing hand-eye coordination and dexterity.

• How to Play: Players use chopsticks to transfer small items, like marshmallows or candies, from one bowl to another within a minute.
• Skills Tested: Dexterity, focus, and patience.

12. Balloon Pop

Balloon Pop is all about speed and courage. Players sit on balloons to pop as many as they can in a minute. It’s a fun and simple game that adds excitement to any party.

• How to Play: Players try to pop as many balloons as possible by sitting on them within the minute.
• Skills Tested: Agility and energy.

13. Tissue Pull

Who can empty a tissue box the fastest? Tissue Pull is a quick-paced game where players pull out as many tissues as they can in a minute.

• How to Play: Each player grabs a tissue box and pulls out tissues one by one as fast as possible until the box is empty.
• Skills Tested: Speed and endurance.

14. Cup Stacking

Cup Stacking is a classic game where players stack and unstack a specific number of cups as quickly as possible. It sounds easy, but balancing speed and precision is the real challenge.

• How to Play: Stack cups into a pyramid, then unstack them back to a single pile within one minute.
• Skills Tested: Coordination and speed.

15. Ball Drop

In Ball Drop, players drop small balls into a container from above, aiming to get as many as possible to land inside without bouncing out.

• How to Play: Each player stands over a small container, dropping balls from a height, and tries to get as many in as possible.
• Skills Tested: Precision and timing.

16. Blindfold Taste Test

In this taste-testing game, blindfolded players try different foods and guess what each one is. It’s a fun sensory game that often results in lots of laughter.

• How to Play: Blindfold players, then offer them different foods to taste and guess. They have one minute to guess each food correctly.
• Skills Tested: Sensory skills and memory.

17. Penny Tower

Penny Tower tests your steady hand and patience as players attempt to build the highest penny tower possible in under a minute. The challenge is to keep stacking without the tower collapsing.

• How to Play: Stack pennies one by one to create the highest tower possible. If it topples, players must start again.
• Skills Tested: Precision and steadiness.

18. Elephant March

Elephant March is a hilarious game that involves knocking down bottles with a tennis ball dangling from pantyhose worn on the head. The game requires balance and coordination as players try to swing the ball with precision.

• How to Play: With pantyhose on their heads and a tennis ball at the end, players swing their heads to knock down bottles lined up on the floor.
• Skills Tested: Coordination, balance, and control.

Wrapping It All Up

These 18 “Minute to Win It” games bring out everyone’s competitive spirit and offer loads of laughs. Whether you’re hosting a casual get-together or a larger party, these quick, easy games guarantee fun and excitement. Just grab a timer, gather a few household supplies, and dive into the challenges. With a mix of skill, coordination, and a bit of luck, you’ll have everyone on their feet, cheering, laughing, and competing for that one-minute win. So get ready, set your timer, and let the games begin!