Conversation games, or talking games, refer to structured activities designed to facilitate communication and interaction within the workplace. Games often incorporate elements of collaboration and play to encourage team members to engage in meaningful dialogues, share ideas, and build stronger relationships. Examples of conversation games include icebreaker activities, role-playing exercises, and group discussions centered around specific topics or scenarios relevant to the workplace.
Research supports the effectiveness of conversation games in enhancing workplace communication and teamwork. Conversation games provide a structured framework for employees to practice active listening, empathy, and problem-solving skills, ultimately contributing to a more positive and collaborative work environment.
Here are 35 conversation games to help break down communication barriers, foster creativity, and promote a culture of open team communication.
35 conversation games to boost productivity and connection in the workplace
1. Word Association Chain
Stimulating creativity and quick thinking is guaranteed to get the ideas flowing, and conversation will follow. The Word Association Chain game can be played online or in person and is perfect for icebreaker sessions and get-to-know-you games.
How to play:
Start with a randomly chosen word related to the workplace. Each participant takes turns saying the first word that comes to mind related to the previous word said. The chain continues, with no word repeated, until someone hesitates or repeats a word.
2. The Story Continues
Storytelling is the backbone of human communication and should be used to get colleagues talking, encourage collaboration, and foster teamwork in the workplace. This game is simple, fun, and a perfect addition to any conversation-starting game or team-building activity.
How to play:
One person begins a story related to a workplace scenario. After a few sentences, they stop, and the next person seamlessly continues the story. Participants take turns adding to the story until it concludes.
3. Brainstorming Relay
For teams with a big project coming up that will need collaboration, brainstorming is one of the best places to start getting ideas out into the world. Making a brainstorming session into an opportunity to connect is a great way to promote rapid idea generation and collaboration.
How to play:
Divide participants into teams. Each team is given a workplace-related problem or challenge. Set a timer and have teams brainstorm ideas for solving the problem. After a designated time, teams rotate to a new problem, building on the previous team's ideas.
4. Debate Club
Getting together with colleagues and establishing a respectful and open platform where workers can practice persuasive communication and critical thinking supports open and honest conversation.
How to play:
Select a workplace-related topic for debate (e.g., remote work vs. in-office work, the effectiveness of specific policies). Divide participants into teams representing opposing viewpoints. Each team presents arguments and counters the opposing team's points in a structured debate format.
5. Workplace Scavenger Hunt
Encourage exploration and teamwork while learning about the workplace through play that sparks conversation. Center the scavenger hunt around workplace topics, and let teams take it from there!
How to play:
Create a list of items or tasks related to the workplace (e.g., find a specific document or interview a colleague about their role). Participants work in teams to complete the list within a set time frame, using communication and collaboration to succeed.
6. Crossword Collaboration
Perfect for remote teams or team-building activities at the office, collaborative cross-work boosts problem-solving skills and gets colleagues talking.
How to play:
Create a crossword puzzle with workplace-related clues. Divide participants into teams and provide each team with a copy of the crossword puzzle. Teams work together to fill in the crossword, using their combined knowledge and communication skills.
7. Interview Swap
An interview swap is a simple and fun game that resembles role reversal. It is a fun and informative way to facilitate connections and learn more about colleagues.
How to play:
Pair up participants and have them interview each other about their backgrounds, interests, and experiences. After a set time, pairs switch roles, allowing each person to be the interviewer and interviewee.
8. Feedback Charades
Instead of acting out a film or wild animal, this version of the classic guessing game focuses on conversation through feedback in the workplace. Charades allow employees to practice giving and receiving feedback in a lighthearted way.
How to play:
Write down common workplace feedback phrases (e.g., "Great job!", "Room for improvement"). Participants act out the words without speaking while the rest of the group guesses the feedback being portrayed.
9. Innovation Poker
Consider adding this game to an office Casino Night or as part of a team-building retreat. Innovation Poker prioritizes ideas and fosters discussion on innovative solutions.
How to play:
Each participant is given a set number of "innovation chips," usually 5. They propose workplace improvement ideas, and the group discusses each idea. Participants "bet" their chips on the ideas they believe have the most potential, with higher bets indicating more substantial support.
10. Appreciation Exchange
Like gratitude circles, exchanging appreciation regularly in the workplace will cultivate a culture of gratitude and recognition.
How to play:
Participants pair up and take turns expressing appreciation for their partner's actions or qualities. These can be related to work achievements, personal characteristics, or acts of kindness. Encourage sincere and specific compliments.
11. Problem-Solving Relay
There will be times of stress in the workplace, and leadership should always find ways to support employees to avoid burnout. By adding games like Problem-Solving Relay to the roster for game nights and team-building days, workers will be better equipped to work together under pressure.
How to play:
Divide participants into teams and assign each team a workplace-related problem or scenario. Set a timer and have teams brainstorm solutions. After a few minutes, teams pass their solution to another team, which builds on it. Rotate solutions until each team has contributed to every problem.
12. Collaborative Doodles
Encouraging creativity and collaboration through art is a great way to spark conversation in the workplace. By drawing together, coworkers can admire each other's talents and enjoy a moment of spontaneous creativity.
How to play:
Provide each participant with a sheet of paper and markers. Set a timer and have everyone start doodling simultaneously. After a few minutes, pass the doodle to another participant, who adds to it. Continue passing and adding to the doodles until everyone has contributed.
13. Jargon Jumble
Most of us know what it's like to get stuck in a two-hour meeting here, but half the things said are workplace jargon. With Jargon Jumble, employees work together to eliminate workplace jargon through discussion.
How to play:
List standard workplace jargon terms or acronyms. Participants take turns explaining each term in plain language without jargon—the group votes on the most straightforward explanation.
14. Positive Spin
Positive talk, whether to oneself or amongst team members, is essential for keeping morale high in the workplace. This game allows employees to practice reframing challenges into opportunities.
How to play:
Participants share a recent workplace challenge or setback. The group then collaboratively generates positive perspectives or potential opportunities from the challenge, encouraging a solution-focused mindset.
15. Speed Networking
Facilitating connections and networking among colleagues is vital whether they've been working together for two days or two years. Speed Networking is a quick office game that uses conversation to unite employees, encouraging team bonding and collaboration.
How to play:
Set up a series of short, timed rounds (e.g., 2 minutes). Participants pair up and have brief conversations, exchanging introductions, interests, and professional backgrounds. After each round, participants rotate to meet a new colleague.
16. Team Trivia Challenge
Trivia is always a great fit for team-building events and off-site retreats, as it ticks all the boxes of workplace conversation starter games: teamwork and discussion.
How to play:
Create a set of trivia questions related to the company, industry, or specific projects. Divide participants into teams and quiz them on the questions. Encourage collaboration and discussion within teams.
17. Problem-Solving Puzzles
Enhance critical thinking and collaboration skills by dedicating an afternoon to brain-stimulating games. Great for small and large teams, this activity can be done quickly in the office or over Zoom with remote teams.
How to play:
Provide teams with puzzles or brain teasers related to the workplace (e.g., logic problems, riddles). Teams work together to solve the puzzles, leveraging each member's strengths and perspectives.
18. Feedback Gallery Walk
Rather than a trip to the museum, create a workplace gallery filled with "feedback art." This conversation-started activity can focus on general feedback or perspectives on a specific topic or project.
How to play:
Display visuals or documents related to the topic around the room. Participants walk around and provide written feedback or comments on sticky notes. Afterward, gather to discuss the feedback and identify common themes.
19. Storytelling Mad Libs
Zoom game nights are a great way to keep remote teams connected, but sometimes, finding the appropriate games to spark conversation online takes a lot of work. Harnessing the power of storytelling through the classic Mad Libs game will encourage discussion and laughter through collaborative storytelling.
How to play:
Create a Mad Libs-style template with blanks for workplace-related nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc. Participants fill in the blanks with words suggested by the group. Once completed, read the story aloud, enjoying the humorous results.
20. Feedback Bingo
Game nights are a great way to encourage spontaneous conversation. Still, to make sure connection is a priority, games like Feedback Bingo are designed to promote active listening and constructive feedback related to the workplace, all while having fun.
How to play:
Create Bingo cards with common feedback phrases or behaviors (e.g., "active listening," "praise in public, criticize in private"). During discussions or presentations, participants mark off squares when they observe the behaviors. The first to get Bingo wins a prize.
21. Group Mind Mapping
Another brainstorming game requires coworkers to combine creative prowess with conversation. This activity would be perfect for upcoming projects or product launches but can also be used as a general foundation for discussing issues in the workplace.
How to play:
Start with a central workplace-related topic or challenge. As a group, brainstorm ideas related to the topic and write them down on a large sheet of paper or whiteboard. Connect related ideas with lines to create a mind map, facilitating discussion and organization.
22. Job Swap Simulation
Fostering empathy and understanding in the workplace is vital to team bonding. One of the best ways to help workers understand one another is to allow them to experience what it's like to walk in another's shoes.
How to play:
Participants temporarily switch roles with colleagues from different departments or positions. They spend a designated period performing tasks and responsibilities associated with the new role, gaining insights into its challenges and requirements.
23. Goal Setting Pictionary
Perfect for game night, this version of Pictionary is focused on setting goals and discussing visions for the future in the workplace.
How to play:
Participants take turns drawing pictures representing their personal or team goals for the upcoming period. Others try to guess the goals based on the drawings. Afterward, discuss each goal, clarify objectives, and identify areas of overlap or synergy.
24. Story Dice
All you need is a pair of di and the whole team to get ready to talk up a storm. An easy way to stimulate creativity and collaboration in storytelling is on a lunch break or during a get-to-know-you game session.
How to play:
Each participant rolls a set of story dice containing different images or symbols. Starting with one person, each participant incorporates the image rolled into a sentence or phrase of a collaborative story. The story continues as participants roll the dice and add to the narrative.
25. Decision Dilemma
Knowing how to be decisive in the workplace is a majorly important skill, especially for leadership. Through conversation, this activity strengthens and develops decision-making skills and explores different perspectives.
How to play:
Present participants with hypothetical workplace dilemmas or decisions, having each share their approach to resolving the dilemma and explain their reasoning. Afterward, discuss the various perspectives and potential outcomes.
26. Wheel of Work
A game that can be played only online or in person, The Wheel of Work presents dedicated categories to promote discussion on various aspects of work life. Having a set of subjects takes the pressure off employees, giving them a foundation for building productive conversations.
How to play:
Create a spinning wheel with different categories related to work (e.g., teamwork, communication, personal development). Spin the wheel and have participants discuss their experiences or thoughts about the chosen category.
27. Collaborative Playlist
Sharing a favorite song or band is a surefire way to start a conversation. In the workplace, encouraging employees to know one another's music taste is an easy and natural way to spark conversation and build connections and shared experiences through music.
How to play:
Create a collaborative playlist on a streaming platform (e.g., Spotify). Invite team members to add songs that motivate, inspire, or relax them during work. Discuss the songs and their significance during team meetings or breaks.
28. Desk Debrief
A dedicated period of reflection, mainly when focused on daily experiences in the workplace, fosters understanding and encourages employees to share insights with colleagues regularly.
How to play:
At the end of each day or week, gather with colleagues and take turns sharing highlights, challenges, or lessons learned from their work experiences. Encourage open and honest communication in a supportive environment.
29. Team Memory Game
Sharing memories is an easy way to facilitate conversation. We often share everyday experiences, and collective memories can bring us together. In the office or over Zoom, this quick team-building game aims to strengthen memory and camaraderie among team members.
How to play:
Create cards featuring images or symbols related to the workplace (e.g., company logo, office equipment). Lay the cards face down. Take turns flipping two cards simultaneously, trying to find matching pairs. Participants will be encouraged to share memories or experiences associated with the images as they find matches.
30. Workplace Haiku Challenge
Poetry in the workplace can play a surprisingly influential role in bringing colleagues together. The Haiku challenge leans on creativity and concise communication to get coworkers to discuss insights about the workplace.
How to play:
Challenge participants to write haikus (three-line poems with syllable counts of 5-7-5) about their workplace experiences, challenges, or successes. Share and discuss the haikus as a group, appreciating the creativity and insights shared.
31. Team Vision Board
Like the Feedback Gallery Walk, having a Vision Board in the workplace is a great way to help visualize and align team goals and aspirations. In addition, keeping the board in a public setting lets employees stay up-to-date on workplace goals and can lead to inspiring conversations amongst colleagues.
How to play:
Provide materials such as magazines, markers, and poster boards. In small groups or as a whole team, create a vision board representing collective goals, values, and aspirations for the team or organization's future. Display the vision board in a prominent place as a reminder of shared objectives.
32. Workplace Alphabet Game
The perfect icebreaker or onboarding game, the Workplace Alphabet exercise encourages creativity and exploring workplace concepts.
How to play:
Starting with the letter 'A,' participants take turns naming workplace-related terms or concepts that begin with each consecutive letter of the alphabet (e.g., "Attendance," "Budgeting," "Collaboration," etc.). The game continues until reaching 'Z,' fostering knowledge sharing and creativity.
33. Feedback Fortune Teller
Giving and receiving constructive feedback in this workplace is essential to having good predictive conversations that boost morale. For employees who may struggle with feedback, this game uses a playful format to encourage honest and open dialogue.
How to play:
Create a "fortune teller" out of folded paper with different feedback prompts written inside each section. Participants take turns choosing a prompt and providing constructive feedback based on the prompt they selected. The lighthearted format can help ease tension and encourage open communication.
34. Professional Would You Rather
An easy and fun game perfect for an afternoon of relaxing with the team, this version of Would You Rather is centered on conversation and exploring different workplace scenarios.
How to play:
Pose hypothetical "Would You Rather" scenarios related to professional situations (for example, "Would you rather give a presentation to a large audience or have a one-on-one meeting with your manager?"). Participants take turns choosing and explaining their preferences.
35. Office Time Capsule
Getting the whole team together to create memories and milestones within the workplace will undoubtedly spark discussion and encourage colleges to bond over shared experiences.
How to play:
Encourage participants to contribute items or notes representing the current state of the workplace (e.g., photos, mementos, predictions for the future). Seal the contributions in a time capsule to be opened later, fostering nostalgia and reflection.
Make conversation games part of an off-site team retreat
Workplace conversation games can be valuable tools in fostering team cohesion and enhancing organizational communication skills. Conversation games can be part of an offsite retreat by providing a structured yet enjoyable platform for team members to interact and engage with one another in a relaxed setting. They can include icebreakers, team challenges, and collaborative activities to encourage individuals to step out of their comfort zones, break down barriers, and establish connections.
For maximum team-building benefits in the workplace, organizing at least two off-site team building retreats a year is recommended. Surf Office can help you plan a productive and relaxing retreat incorporating conversation games that enhance interpersonal skills; these games also serve as catalysts for creativity and problem-solving. At Surf Office, we specialize in experiences tailored to your team's specific needs and objectives; whether you aim to improve communication, foster collaboration, or boost morale, Surf Office can help with all the logistics, creating a custom program that aligns with your goals. Contact us Today.
