Library of teambuilding games & icebreakers

Who’s the office detective? In whodunit: office edition, your team plays out a murder mystery, with each member taking on a character to help solve the case. The goal? Work together, piece by piece, to find the culprit.

This interactive, large-group teambuilding activity is great for boosting communication, creativity, and collaboration. It encourages employees to engage and think critically while embracing their roles. Plus, it’s a hilarious way to break up the day and get everyone involved in some playful, investigative fun!

How to play:

• Assign characters and a murder scenario to each participant.
• Everyone plays their role and works together to solve the mystery.
• The team that figures out “whodunit” first wins!

Teams will channel their inner architects and engineers to construct impressive structures using unconventional materials. From spaghetti and marshmallows to playing cards, the challenge is not just to build a towering masterpiece, but also to do so collaboratively, emphasizing communication, planning, and creative problem-solving.

Instructions

• Gather construction materials such as spaghetti, marshmallows, playing cards, or other unconventional items.
• Divide participants into teams and provide each team with the same materials.
• Set a time limit and a goal height for the structures.
• Teams work together to design and construct their structures.
• Evaluate based on stability, creativity, and teamwork.

How to play Broom Hockey

Broom Hockey is just what it sounds like! But, instead of playing with a puck and sticks, you grab some brooms from the cleaning closet and make a puck out of paper. Roll it up into a tight ball so that it rolls smoothly in the direction you want.

It’s best to have a designated open area to play this game, so use any break rooms or conference rooms, using the underside of a desk or a trash bin as your goal marker.

How to play Drama-freeze

Best for small groups, this option can be really interesting. You start with pairs of two and a supervisor. The first team will act out a spontaneous scene without discussing it beforehand. While they do so, the supervisor of the game calls out “freeze” (any time they want). At that time the acting team must remain still. Then the next team of two begins and will start upon the supervisor saying “action”. They need to come up with a scene entirely different from the one from the pair before them. This will go on until each team gets a turn to act and freeze.

It’s charades, but with a twist. In mimic madness, one player acts out words or phrases from charades cards, while their teammates try to guess what they’re acting out—no talking allowed!

This classic team-building game is perfect for boosting communication skills and bringing out everyone’s inner performer. It’s a fun, energetic way to get people working together while adding some laughs to the office atmosphere.

How to play:

• One player selects a charades card and acts out the word or phrase.
• Teammates guess the word based on the actions—no talking allowed!
• The team with the most correct guesses wins.

How to play Recall quiz (at the end of an event)

How about a little icebreaker to wrap things up? Most icebreakers are at the beginning, but with longer events, we suggest interspersing them throughout - including the end. Have everyone go around the room and share their biggest takeaway from the day. Or, have a list of quiz-style questions that you ask everyone and see who can remember the most answers. Recall is an important part of memory, so this is a great time to reiterate the concepts that you really want people to take away.

How to play Share your superpower

Another easy variation on an icebreaker is to share what your superpower would be. As everyone stands and introduces themselves, ask them to include some information on the special talents that make them unique. They can use their imagination for most desired superpowers like teleporting, or they can list some actual talents such as speedy present-wrapping or fantastic filing. It’s a nice way to learn a bit more about the people around you and what makes them special (plus, you might learn about who you can go to when you need some help with certain tasks).

How to play March madness

Take advantage of a competition that’s already going on! Build off of the energy of March Madness and encourage staff to participate. Have people create brackets and keep track throughout the series. You can take things to a new level by adding in a few other themed challenges like a desk decorating contest or make your own jersey day. If you go this route, you can assign points for each challenge to go along with bracket performance.

Quick, easy, engaging, and ideal for getting to know one another, Roulette Questions is an energizer/ice-breaker that’s sure to go down well before virtual meetings – especially for new teams.

How to play Roulette questions

The game involves using an online roulette wheel that’s full of different questions. Co-workers take turns “spinning” the wheel and answering whichever one they land on.

Simply work your way through the questions until there are none left (many roulette tools allow you to eliminate questions as you do, ensuring you never land on the same one twice) or until everyone has answered something!

Try playing with a time limit to inject more energy into the activity. For instance, depending on its size, you could challenge the team to get through the questions in 10 minutes or less. This should stop the game from dragging on too long and make it more enjoyable to boot.

One-word check-in is a quick activity that helps gauge the mood and mindset of all team members. It’s ideal as a warm-up or to start a meeting with a pulse check.

Set up:

In a circle, ask each team member to describe their current feeling, focus, or attitude in just one single word. They might give you positive input like motivated or focused, but they might let you know how tired and overwhelmed they feel, so it’s important to listen closely. Once everyone has spoken, look for recurring themes and reflect on those as a group.

How to play Alphabet game

This game involves going through the alphabet and finding words that fit a specific category. For example, you could choose animals as a category. You would start with the letter “A” and the circle would be responsible for coming up with different animals that begin with A, then B, and so on (so relevant answers could be ant, beaver, etc).

In this activity, individuals become the authors of their own success stories. The game plan? Keep a goal journal, a personal chronicle where you jot down the highs, the lows, and everything in between on your journey to crushing those goals. Why? Because journaling isn't just putting pen to paper; it's a map of progress, a mirror reflecting challenges, and a compass to keep you on course.

Get ready to unleash the power of the written word – your goals are waiting to be documented and conquered!

Top Tip for Facilitator:

• Let everyone know this isn't a sprint; it's a marathon of self-reflection and growth. Remind them that every scribble in their goal journal is a step toward victory.
• Foster an atmosphere where sharing the journey, bumps and all, is not just okay but celebrated.
• Create a safe space where the power of putting pen to paper becomes a transformative experience.

The Price is Right is a legendary TV guessing game show where contestants need to guess the price of items to win prizes. But did you know, you can also adapt this for the office space?

How to play:

1. Gather your team in a room
2. Choose names out of a hat for the "contestants"
3. Gather office items or personal items of employees (make sure they are willing to let you handle them)
4. Showcase them on a table
5. Ask the contestants to guess the price of each item.
6. Whoever is closest wins!
7. Rotate contestants

This game is not only a fun way to break up the monotony of the workday, but it also helps strengthen teamwork and collaboration skills.

It can also provide an opportunity for employees to provide backstories on their items further improving presentation skills. You never know; some stories could be fascinating listen!

Ready to take a page from the playbook of the greats? Enter the Role Model Analysis, where participants embark on a journey of inspiration and practical insights. The game plan? Identify role models or mentors who've aced goals similar to the ones you're chasing.

This activity allows for studying the traits and strategies of those who've been there, done that, and applying those lessons to your own goal-setting approach.

Top Tip for Facilitator:

• Encourage diversity in role models. Remind participants that role models can come from various fields and backgrounds. The key is to draw inspiration from a range of sources.
• As the facilitator, guide them to explore traits and strategies that resonate with their unique journey, creating a customized roadmap to success.

When the whole gang's aiming for the same bullseye, see it as though it’s a motivational magnet. Shared goals keep everyone on track, turning coworkers into the dream team who want to see the best in you.

Shared goals activity - Vision board creation:

• Set up a creative station with magazines, newspapers, scissors, glue and large poster boards.
• Instruct colleagues to create individual vision boards by cutting out images, words and phrases that represent their career goals, aspirations and values.
• Encourage participants to share their completed vision boards with the group and explain their choices.
• Discuss common themes and goals that emerge, showcasing the team's shared aspirations.
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This visually engaging activity strengthens the sense of unity and purpose among colleagues.

If you’re trying to amp up the entrepreneurial spirit of your department, this game is perfect. It’s a great tie-in to more professional elements, so team leaders can evaluate business acumen, and public speaking skills.

How to play Business pitch

To start, you’ll want to split people into teams or small groups of 3 or 4, so it’s great for creating cooperation between people who don’t normally work together.  You also need to select a “board” who will judge the ideas presented.

Bonus: you can adjust this game and use some creative materials if you want to ramp up the visual fun. This game is very flexible and you can keep things simple or make it more complex. You can also browse more communication-focused games on our blog. To play this one:  

1. Once you’ve divided everyone into their pair or small team, have the board members (3 maximum) move to the front of the room where they can watch presentations.
2. Give everyone a set amount of time - say 20 minutes - to come up with their best business idea and pitch. If you want to keep the game materials-free, then people shouldn’t use props or anything else - just their own speech. However, as mentioned,  you could also have items on hand so people can create some visual elements like a storyboard or poster.
3. The groups should take turns presenting to the board and sharing their best idea and business plan.
4. The pair or group who comes up with the most compelling or intriguing business idea wins.

Explanation:

‍Office and remote workers team up to match pairs of items. Remote workers describe their items, and office workers try to match them without seeing them.

Remote participants start by picking an item from their home (like a weird-shaped mug or a funky pen), but instead of showing it, they give the office team a detailed description. The in-office team then tries to find a matching item in the office based on that description alone. It’s all about great communication and attention to detail. Once both teams think they’ve found a match, they reveal the items on camera to see if they actually paired them correctly!

It’s a light-hearted, fun way to boost listening skills and teamwork between remote and in-office employees.

This simple game needs little material and is a perfect icebreaker—a perfect in-person game for company retreats and onboarding events.

How to play:  

‍One person from the group, ideally a team leader, calls out the facts or questions that team members just asked one another. Individuals have to make teams as quickly as possible based on the call-outs, like” people with one cat” or “people who play video games.”

Individuals must quickly figure out who meets the criteria and form a team. This exercise can be repeated with as many questions as you like.

Materials you’ll need Just yourselves and some places to sit. If you have a large team, ensure enough space to play.

How many people: Small to large teams (8 to 25+ people)

Some of the simplest trust-building exercises for new teams involve asking good old-fashioned ice-breaker questions. Case and point?

“You Get One Question”.

This super quick and easy game requires minimal preparation, which makes it ideal whenever you want the team to connect and/or unwind. It’s a good way to kick off morning meetings, for instance, or to use when onboarding new employees.

How to play You get one question

To play, you need to create or acquire some cards with different scenarios or roles written on the back. Examples might include “starting a company”, “babysitting your nephew”, or “being a world leader”.

You’d then split your team into pairs and let them choose a card from the deck. Their task is to come up with one perfect question to determine if the other person would be a good fit for that specific role.

After a few minutes of thinking and talking, you can then reconvene and discuss the questions and the process of creating them as a group. By the end, your team will have had a stimulating chat in which they learned more about each other.

What you need:

• Pre-written cards with different scenarios on them

Ever heard of the drinking game 'Categories'? Ever thought it could be adapted to a game that helps with active listening? Well, take a seat, my sober friend, and let's get into this! This version of the game will help promote better communication and listening skills among colleagues.

How to play

1. Find a conference room or suitable meeting space to bring your team together.
2. Designate one person to kick off the game as the "Category Caller." This role will rotate as the game progresses.
3. Compile a list of work-related categories. These could range from types of project management software to company department names—whatever suits your workplace.
4. The Category Caller selects a category from the list and announces it to the group. Make sure the chosen category relates to your office environment.
5. Using a timer or smartphone, set a specific time limit (e.g., 15 seconds).
6. The Category Caller begins by naming an item from the chosen category. For instance, if the category is "Types of project management software," they might say "Trello."
7. The person to the right of the Category Caller takes the next turn. They must listen carefully to the previous response and provide another item from the category within the time limit.
8. The game proceeds clockwise. Each participant must actively listen to the previous response and contribute a new item to the category before the timer runs out. If someone repeats an item or fails to provide an appropriate one, they are temporarily out of the round.

It’s one small drop for an egg, one giant leap for team creativity.

The premise of an Egg Drop Challenge is to build a structure that stops a raw egg from cracking when dropped from a height.

In a large group, it feels like part science experiment, part creative brainstorm (while being fully entertaining to watch). This simple but surprisingly strategic team activity is perfect for developing some of the key skills you need in the office. 

It’s a fast and creative way to watch teams plan, test, and occasionally mourn their brave little eggs in the name of innovation. 

Let’s break down the challenge for you:

What you’ll need

The Egg Drop Challenge doesn’t require any fancy equipment, just a few common materials and the courage to watch your creation fall from the sky.

• Raw eggs: One per team for the main challenge, but 2 to 4 eggs should be used for design iterations

• Plastic straws: These will be the main frame for the protective shell

• Tape (masking or duct): This is the glue that holds the fate of the raw egg

• Scissors: Needed for trimming straws down into the perfect shape

• A timer: Teams should be working to a set time (20 minutes design time works best)

• Paper or card: Optional, but great for cushioning and creativity

• Measuring tape: Well, you need to make sure the drop height is fair, don’t you?

• Step ladder or balcony: Your official drop zone

• Tarp or sheet: This will save your floors from looking like hell’s kitchen

How to play (step-by-step instructions)

Follow these steps to set up the challenge, brief your teams, and watch as their creativity takes flight:

1. Introduce the challenge and set the scene

Announce the mission loud and clear: each team must design a device that will protect their raw egg from cracking when dropped from a set height. Tell them they’ll need to combine planning and construction, both against the clock, as they’re working to a countdown. The 

2. Form teams and give out materials

Depending on the number of people, create your teams of equal size. We tend to find four to five works best. Give each team the same supplies, so the playing field is completely even (no last-minute swap-outs or sneaky bubble wrap here!)

3. Build the best egg-protection device

Tell your teams they have 20 minutes to plan, test and build their structure. You could encourage teams to quickly sketch their designs first, before getting hands-on. Any method is allowed; wrapping, suspending, cushioning, just as long as it's made with the given materials (you’ll probably hear a few debates on gravity and air resistance here)

4. The drop test

Now comes the fated drop test. Choose your drop zone; a stairwell, balcony or step ladder will do the trick. Get everyone around and start the countdown. Each team gets just one shot to drop their creation. Here you could add a drumroll, or mock space-launch music if you want to turn up the tension.

5. Check for survivors

Once every egg has made its descent, it’s time for the grand reveal. Unwrap each structure carefully to see which designs survived and which ones got scrambled. Applaud the survivors, console the fallen, and don’t forget to take a photo of the mess (thankfully on the top of your tarp sheet).

Facilitator tip:

Make a point for teams to test early and adapt quickly. The most successful designs usually come from trial and error, not from overthinking. 

And one pro move could be: don’t reveal the exact drop height until the building time is over. A slight surprise element means designs need to be a bit flexible, and you’ll add a touch of suspense, too.

Variations and twists

Once your teams have mastered the standard version, try mixing things up with a few fun twists:

• Limit team materials: Reduce the number of straws or the amount of tape to force creative problem-solving under pressure.

• Higher stakes: Use multiple rounds, and increase the drop height for each round to raise the tension.

• Blindfold build: One teammate can’t see, relying entirely on verbal guidance from others.

• Remote/virtual adaptation: If you’re working with remote or hybrid teams, you can still run it online. Each person can build their design at home and record their drop for a team reveal.

Debrief: What was learned through the game?

On the surface, the Egg Drop Challenge looks like a lighthearted game, but beneath the laughter and flying tape is a perfect snapshot of teamwork in motion. After the cleanup (and any tears for fallen eggs), take a few minutes to reflect on what teams practiced:

• Collaboration under pressure: With time and materials limited, success will hinge on clear communication and shared decision-making.

• Creative problem-solving: Teams get to practice experimentation and are encouraged to think outside the box.

• Iteration: Trial and error will beat overplanning, as every cracked egg offers feedback for the next.

• Celebrating as a team: No matter if the landing was smooth or scrambled, the game is built on the foundation of teamwork, humour and collective pride.

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Wrap up by asking teams how these lessons mirror their day-to-day projects (because, much like the egg, good ideas also need careful handling).

FAQs:

What are the rules for the Egg Drop Challenge?

Teams must use only the provided materials to build a device that protects a raw egg from breaking when dropped from a height. Each team gets one attempt, and a surviving egg means victory.

What’s the best way to protect the egg for the drop?

Generally, soft padding will best absorb impact. On top of that, a structure that is designed to slow the fall can help, meaning you could try folding card as a material, too.

How high should you drop the egg?

Start with a moderate height (around 1.5 metres) and raise it after each round for more challenge. Outdoors or high ceilings give you more flexibility (and less chance of keeping the egg in one piece!).

Can you run the challenge indoors?

You absolutely can. You just need to make sure you’ve got enough space and protective sheets (for the inevitable eggsplosions). If you’re limited for space, go for lower drops or use a stairwell.

How to play Online (useless) talent show

Here’s a game that aims to draw out hidden talents among your teams. Ask each person in the next virtual meeting to showcase a talent they have. The only thing is, a lot of people might feel they have no hidden talents to show, so by calling it a ‘useless’ talent show, you might help reduce any pressure that is felt.

Allow them to be as random and creative as they wish. Older talent videos from the 2000s had some creative gems, like the famous Daft Hands. Simplicity is key for a talent show, as well as an atmosphere of zero pressure, so give a (useless) talent show a shot in your next virtual happy hour.

Our next game involves drinking, so make adjustments according to the workday! There are a lot of videos for this game involving beer, but water and soda work just as well. The game works best with two teams facing each other on opposite sides of the table. The first member needs to successfully flip before the second member can go. It’s a race to the finish line!

Set-up:

1. Get your teams ready: Organize teams on either side of the table. In front of each player place a cup filled with any liquid (beer is optional!). Tell them the first player needs to down the liquid, then successfully flip their empty cup from the edge of the table, so that it lands upside-down.

2. Get flipping crazy!: Let the two players face-off. Once a team member lands a perfect flip, the next teammate downs their drink and races to do the same. Continue with each team member until the last player flips their cup at the finish line.

You’ll likely be creating a bit of a chaotic mess with this one, so whatever you choose as your drink, make sure it’s easy to clean up, and it doesn’t affect your work performance!

Strengthen team bonds by visually representing shared memories and achievements.

Materials needed:

• Large sheets of paper or a designated wall space
• Markers, colored pens, and any decorative materials

Instructions on how to play:

1. Assign each team the task of creating a visual representation of their shared memories and achievements on a wall or large sheets of paper.
2. Encourage creativity in showcasing significant moments, accomplishments, and team milestones.
3. After completion, each team presents their Memory Wall to the entire group, sharing stories and reflections.

Why it's a great team building game:

• Memory lane stroll: Encourages reflection on shared experiences, fostering a sense of nostalgia and unity.
• Visual storytelling: Promotes creativity and collaboration in visually expressing the team's journey.
• Celebration of success: Recognizes and celebrates achievements, boosting team morale.

Top tip to help the game run smoothly: Provide a variety of materials to spark creativity. Encourage teams to use drawings, quotes, or any artistic elements that resonate with the memories they want to capture.

Explore more office team building activities to strengthen connection and morale within your workplace.