Games are a great way to bring people together. Remember being young and finding some kids on the playground? Chances are after a few rounds of red rover you were the best of friends with former strangers. 

The fun and excitement games create can still prove powerful for adults. It’s not easy for us to let our guard down at work, but bringing in a little silliness can break down barriers and create new relationships. “Get to know you” games can be as simple as 20 questions or a lot more involved, but they all help members of groups get to know each other better. The point of the games is to make it easier to share personal information and form new bonds with each other. These are often used as a form of team-building games or icebreaker activities and are perfect for your next work gathering. 

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20 Fun “Get to know you” games to try

1. Top Five

In this game, you’ll ask players to come up with their five favorites across several categories. Each player can make a list and then share with the larger group. The options for categories are nearly limitless and you should try to cater them to your audience. Try creating “best-of” lists for these categories: 

• Movies
• TV shows
• Books 
• Songs
• Vacations
• Desserts
• Websites
• Celebrities
• Blogs
• Animals
• Brands
• Apps

2. Twenty questions

An old favorite, this is a very straightforward “get to know you” questions game. Everyone takes a turn as the interviewee, and other players get to ask up to 20 personal questions. You may choose to let players have an opportunity to pass if they don’t want to answer a question, but it’s the most fun when everyone is ready to fully participate. Try using a random question generator to develop the list of questions if you don’t have time to come up with some. 

3. Figure it out

This activity is a combination of 20 questions and various TV game shows. It involves guessing a “secret” phrase that someone has drawn. To play, choose an initial contestant. That person draws an item based on slips of paper that you previously created. They begin by drawing a number of blanks to signal the number of words in the phrase they picked. From there, the other people present can ask yes or no questions. If someone guesses a word that appears in the secret phrase, the player writes the word in the blank. At any time, the other participants can guess the phrase. This game requires a bit of preparation. You’ll need to come up with as many “secret phrases” as there are people present, and also have large pieces of paper and a marker to keep track of the number of words for each round. 

4. Confess then guess

This is a simple “getting to know you” game for groups of all sizes, especially people who are just getting to know each other. In every round, participants write down the answer to a prompt (that was previously created) and then put the answer into a bowl. A host will read out each reply and players have to guess which person wrote the answer. Some prompts to try are: 

• Your greatest fear
• Your favorite animal story
• Who you were in a past life
• Your favorite activity for relaxing
• What you were voted in high school
• What you wanted to be when you grew up
• The first item on your bucket list
• Your personal hero
• Something you’re allergic to

5. “Would you rather?”

This activity is a common “drinking” game but is great fun for anyone! This game has players choose between two courses of "Would you rather" action. The situations you come up with might be silly, strange, or uncomfortable. You can be as creative as you want, and the answers often reveal interesting things about the personalities of the players. To streamline the process, you might want to come up with several scenarios in advance and have people draw them randomly. It can be difficult to come up with some fun scenarios on the spot. Here are a few example prompts: 

• Would you rather spill hot tea on your lap or across your desk? 
• Would you rather live with a persistent runny nose or a consistent cough? 
• Would you rather become famous by taking credit for someone else’s work, or watch someone get famous by taking credit for your work? 
• Would you rather live in a sitcom world or a non-stop romantic comedy? 
• Would you rather be hated for your true self or loved for an image you project? 
• Would you rather accidentally spoil a child’s birthday party or your friend’s wedding? 
• Would you rather have unlimited access to cash or your ideal job? 
• Would you rather have a hundred papercuts or stub your toe one hundred times? 

6. This or That

Are you a country-lover or city-dweller? In this game, players pick between two different choices. The answers show participants’ preferences and can go a long way in helping people to learn more about each other and how to relate to their colleagues. One nice thing about this game is that it goes really quickly, so you can tailor it to your event. If you need to create more conversation or kill more time, you can do a few rounds of this rather than asking a single question. If you’re in a hurry, stick to a single question. You can also play a new round at the end of a meeting or during breaks in a company retreat. Try a few of these This or That questions: 

• Day or night
• Phone call or email 
• TV or movies
• Coke or Pepsi
• Cats or dogs
• Plane or road trip
• Brunch or dinner
• Coffee or tea
• Writing or speaking
• Concert or sporting event
• Mountain or ocean
• Pool or beach
• Ice cream or cake

7. “If I were”…

One of the easiest games to play, this activity allows players to describe themselves in different situations. Simply read the prompts out loud and give everyone a chance to respond. Some things you can suggest are: 

• If I were a country, I’d be….
• If I were a song, I’d be…
• If I were a food, I’d be…
• If I were a brand, I’d be…
• If I were a cocktail, I’d be…
• If I were a wild animal, I’d be…
• If I were a mythical creature, I’d be…

8. Team trivia

If you want to put a little extra time into your “getting to know you” games, why not come up with some personalized trivia? Typically trivia games are based on static subjects like pop culture or literature. However, you can create a custom trivia game based on information about teammates as prompts. First, gather the data by creating a survey and then asking employees to fill it out. Then you can use a tool like Kahoot to make a multiple-choice quiz. Players can enter the game room pin and access the questionnaire, answer questions on mobile devices, and then the app will automatically keep score. There is no limit to the questions you can ask, but we suggest ones like: 

• Which teammate was born on Halloween? 
• Which teammate owns a lizard? 
• Which teammate backpacked across Europe? 
• Which teammate’s favorite food is ice cream? 
• Which teammate has seen their favorite band 12 times? 
• Which teammate loves kayaking? 
• Which teammate used to be in the National Guard? 

9. All alike

This game encourages players to find common ground, which can be really helpful before collaborative sessions. Break everyone up into groups of 3 or 6 and have them separate physically (such as into different meeting rooms) from the other groups. Set a timer for five minutes - that’s how long everyone has to come up with a trait that they all have in common. For example, everyone studied abroad, everyone lived in a certain neighborhood at some point, or everyone dislikes a specific food. 

10. “Never have I ever…”

Another game that you might have played in college, this activity translates well to team-building activities too. Instead of taking a drink each time they are “guilty” of a statement, they use their hands. Players should start by holding up ten fingers. Participants take turns making “never have I ever” statements, and everyone must lower one finger if they have done the behavior. The game goes on with everyone lowering fingers each round until only one person has a finger still up. Remember to keep your “never have I ever” statements safe for work! You could say things like: “Never have I ever” learned to ride a bike, been skydiving, been to Europe, attended my high school graduation, been horseback riding, bought clothing that costs more than $500, etc. 

11. Group art project

If you want to be a little more active and collaborative, try coordinating an art project like a mosaic for the group. An activity like this can cater to people who are more introverted and not naturally chatty. First, provide everyone with a workspace and the proper materials. Choose different mediums like paper, paint, magazines, glass pieces, or even computer graphics you printed. Come up with some guidelines such as “draw a team crest” or “come up with a goal for your team”. Then set a timer for a specific amount of time and let everyone create their art! You can have everyone do this as a large group or break people into smaller groups. If there are smaller groups, allow everyone to show off their creation to the larger group. If you need more ideas for icebreakers for introverts, check out our past post. 

12. Show and tell

This is a great activity that people have loved since kindergarten! Let every participant know in advance that they can bring an item to the event and show it off. Everyone should show their item and explain the importance of it. If you want to provide some direction, you can assign a theme such as childhood toys or vacation souvenirs. This game is a nice way to learn what matters most to the people you work with, which can provide a lot of insight into their personality and values. 

13. Finding bonds

Try an identity game that will help players to find common bonds. Everyone takes a turn making “I am a…” statement. Some examples could be “I am a mother” or “I am a runner” or “I am an amateur chef”. Other players who identify with that statement should move to stand near the person speaking. To begin the game, players should be spread out across the room, and move toward speakers as they identify with statements shared. 

14. Team bingo

This is a really fun way to break the ice in a competitive way. Participants can get information on each other in a more engaging way. To begin, create a bingo card with a statement or question in every square. Make sure they are things that will apply to at least one person in the gathering. Try to pick a few things that are aligned with your work or the event. Every player will get a bingo card and then they should mingle around chatting with the other participants. The goal is for them to find people to sign each square based on what they learn. Pro tip: the signatures should only be from one or two people each, to avoid having the same people filling up all the squares for an instant bingo. When everyone has reached bingo (or is close), stop the game and have everyone share something they learned about their colleagues. 

15. Group map

Are you hosting an event where people come from various locations? Try laying out an imaginary map in a room representing all the areas people may have come from. Have them stand in their “place of origin” and share a bit about where they came from. You could also print a large map and have everyone place a pin on their area. The important thing is to share some information about where they’ve come from. 

16. Jenga questions

Spruce up a regular Jenga game by writing intriguing questions on each block before setting it up for the group. When each person draws a block, they should read the question out loud and then answer before placing the piece back on top of the tower. Try to write questions that will ignite more in-depth conversations on topics like personal and professional development goals. This is a good opportunity to generate curiosity and engagement in a group of any size. 

17. Inspirational quotes

For a faster paced activity, prepare a set of inspirational quotes before the session. Grab as many quotes as there are participants and write them individually on pieces of paper. Put the pile of papers in the center of the room and let everyone pick one quote. They should share with the group what the quote means to them and how it is meaningful. This process should continue until everyone has had a chance to read and discuss a quote. 

18. “Speed dating” icebreaker

In this game, you want to facilitate a series of rapid conversations among everyone in a very short amount of time. Have everyone sit in pairs with people they don’t know well or work with directly. Set a time limit (we recommend 3 minutes) and every time the timer goes off, one part of the pair should move to the next person. It’s usually easiest to have people move in a set pattern, such as everyone moving to the right each round. This is a great way to get people out of their comfort zone and sharing with people outside of their usual circle. You can also review our list of effective team building icebreakers. 

19. Keychain sharing

Sometimes bringing a physical object into play can add a new and more personal element. For this activity, have everyone sit in a circle and then place their keyring in front of them. Everyone should talk about which keys are on their ring and why. They can also talk about any keychains they have and why they are meaningful. Go around in a circle clockwise or counter-clockwise and make sure everyone has a chance to share uninterrupted. If you want to take things a step further, take another spin around the group and have everyone share one insight they gained by hearing about others’ keys. 

20. Whose story is it?

This is a really engaging icebreaker game for smaller groups and teams who have known each other for years. Have everyone write down a funny or interesting (true) story on a small piece of paper. Then take all of the papers and place them into a hat to be drawn. The facilitator should randomly choose stories and read them aloud. Then, every player should guess who wrote the story. This is a great way to learn new things about people that you may have known for a long time. 

Get to Know Your teammates better at offsites

“Get to know you” games are a great start to any team meeting, team building activity, or company offsite. These activities can set everyone at ease and set the tone for a successful and engaging event. However, the work doesn’t stop there. 

Event organizers should take the time to foster great conversations throughout the event day. Whether that’s group icebreaker questions, energizing warm-ups during breaks, or creative seating arrangements for meal times, a team retreat is a great opportunity to get out of your office and come up with out of the box ideas. Such events are an important way to improve team culture and take your relationships to the next level. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to build new relationships and foster productivity by planning your next event. 

Many organizations don’t end up planning events because they are too stressed out about the cumbersome logistical elements. It can be really difficult to find venues, plan activities, arrange vendors and food, set up technology, etc. Surf Office can help by taking care of the logistics and administrative elements necessary for a successful team event. Let Surf Office plan your next company event so that you can get everyone out of the office with ease. Our cost-effective solutions can save your team time, and are perfect for remote team meetings, startup events, team building retreats, leadership events, and so much more.