Library of teambuilding games & icebreakers

How to play “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…

Dabble is another great letter game that combines elements of Scrabble with crossword puzzles. 2 or more players compete to create five unique words. These words must be 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 letters long each, using 20 tiles. Easy to pick up, difficult to master!

How to Play:

1. Each player receives 20 letter tiles
2. Race to create a 2-letter, 3-letter, 4-letter, 5-letter and 6-letter word using your tiles.
3. The first player to finish all five words wins the race, but then scores are counted depending on the value of each letter.

This one is fast, fun, and utterly addictive!

Costume races are fast-paced, hilarious, and ideal for both small and large groups.

To give them a try, you’ll need:

• A briefcase for each team
• Enough old/used clothes for each member of the team to get fully dressed, such as hats, dresses, shirts, skirts, pants, and jackets.

You then fill each briefcase with clothes and mark a track with a start and finish line. Next, put the briefcases at the end and line up the teams (each should have the same number of people, if possible) at the start.

When the whistle blows, one person in each team races to the briefcase opposite them and gets fully dressed as quickly as possible, pulling the clothes over the top of whatever they’re already wearing. They then rush back to the start in their costume, at which point the second person in their team has a turn.

The first team where everyone is dressed in a costume and back at the start line wins! However, if you want to make this game even more memorable, design it so each briefcase follows a certain theme. You could have one team dressing up as pirates, for example, another as famous Disney characters, and so on.

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How to play Living map

This is an enlightening game for companies with geographically scattered teams. If you have people working throughout the country (or world), and you have the opportunity to get everyone together, it can be fun to get a visual of where everyone is from. Buy or create a large paper that you can spread on the ground. Challenge everyone to place themselves on the paper according to their location on a map. This requires some creativity and also geographical knowledge. It’s extra fun to see everyone mill around trying to find their “spot”.

Explanation:

‍Team members switch roles for the day—the accountant becomes the designer, the manager takes on the IT role, and everyone gets to try something totally different. It’s all about experiencing a new side of office life.

In the hybrid version, both in-office and remote employees swap roles, but the twist is they’ll shadow their swapped roles virtually if they’re in a different location. Remote workers can sit in on video calls or collaborate on shared tasks, while in-office workers can hop on a call to learn about the ins and outs of a remote teammate’s role. The key is to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, even if it’s virtually.

It’s a fun way to gain empathy for each other’s daily challenges and maybe even discover hidden talents along the way.

How to play:

‍Set up a Jeopardy-style game board with categories related to workplace safety (e.g., "Fire Safety," "PPE," "First Aid"). Create questions of varying difficulty and assign point values. Divide employees into teams and let them choose questions to answer for points.

Safety jeopardy extravaganza transforms safety training into an exciting game show experience. It’s an effective way to review safety policies and procedures while fostering a competitive spirit. Channeling their inner Alex Trebek, participants can both learn and have fun.

This one is perfect for newcomers to agile practices. It’s quick and interactive, focusing on iterations and adapting to customer feedback. Teams work together to design a chocolate bar to please their “target market” (other team members), iterating each time depending on the feedback they get.

Set up:

Every round, one person is the Product Owner and they give basic instructions for making chocolate (like milk or dark chocolate, fillings, toppings, colors, packaging). They design the product on a whiteboard and then release it to their “customers” for feedback. The product owner takes the feedback to the group to reiterate for the next release. Working within timers for design, the cycle continues until most customers are happy with the end result.

Here is an exercise that will challenge participants and help them to think on the spot. Start by picking a poetry style, like a sonnet, haiku, or limerick.

How to play:

1. Give everyone vocabulary words to use within the poem.

2. Set a timer for five or ten minutes for the groups or individuals to complete their verses. You can also do this online via meeting software by using breakout rooms to work in private.

3. Have your brilliant poets read the masterpieces aloud.

You might want to come up with some extra fun by having judges rate poems, or coming up with awards for the best poem, worst poem, most creative, etc. If you want to enhance the improv component, have players finish each others’ phrases on the spot.

Scavenger Hunt is an excellent opportunity for your team to escape the office while working on essential soft skills like teamwork, communication and problem-solving.

Great for: Teamwork, communication, problem-solving

Duration: 1–2 hours

You’ll need: A list of challenges for teams to complete.

How to play:

• Establish the boundaries of play, i.e. the confines of a large park.
• Create a list of things for employees to find, hear, smell or do. For example: Find the leaf of a maple tree.
• Teams will work through the list, ticking off challenges as they complete them.
• The first team that completes all the challenges (or the team that completes the most challenges after the time runs out) wins.

How to play Timeline creation

A collaborative creation is a great way to help teams to bond, and the bonus is that you get something to display and remind your employees of a fun day and group effort. Start by rolling out a large white scroll of paper in a big space or outdoors. Provide plenty of drawing materials and ask the team to work together to create a timeline of the company. In this way, employees will share important milestones that they know about the company - and newer staff will learn them. It’s a great facilitator of discussion around what makes your organization great.

You might have seen companies using the “Caption This” game as a way of driving engagement on their social media feeds. Interestingly, it also works well as a team-building activity because it’s fun, collaborative and creative.

Great for: Creative thinking, collaboration

Duration: 5 minutes

Players: 4+

You’ll need: Various funny/thought-provoking images

How to play Caption This

Setup: Compile various images in a folder on your computer or print them out.

To play: Divide your group into teams or pairs and show them one of the images. Then, give them a few minutes to think of a suitable or funny caption for the image. When the time runs out, ask the groups, one by one, to present their caption. Groups can then vote for the caption they liked the most!

Regardless of how cohesive your team is, at some point, you’re going to encounter disagreements. Online office debates are a playful way of developing public speaking, communication and listening skills that will come in useful during real-life debates.

How to play Online office debates

To organise an online office debate, select two people to go head-to-head in a meaningless debate. The topic could be silly, such as “No one should ever tell a lie” or “Pineapple belongs on pizza.” One person argues “for” the topic while the other argues “against.”

The two presenters can argue their case using any means necessary, they might want to create a PowerPoint presentation and share their screen or back up their points with YouTube videos. After the presentations have been delivered, it’s time for the audience to decide the winner.

This team-building game is perfect for groups that don’t yet know each other very well.

How to play Two truths, one lie

Each person will take a turn at having their colleagues guess which of the three statements is the lie. The more believable the lie, the harder it is for the guessing team!

Not only will the team get to know one another better, but there will certainly be some big laughs and surprising moments along the way.

A water-tight relay is a great game to get everyone active, if a little bit wet! You’ll need 2 or more teams, a cup for each player, and a source for refilling water. The objective is to carry water in a cup to a teammate, creating a relay chain until all water is collected at the end.

Set-up:

1. Carry water carefully: Create teams with an equal number of members, each member should be the same distance away from their teammate. The first person in the line is given a full cup of water. They move to the second person and pour water into their cup. They can only pour water backward over their head!

2. Continue the chain till the end: Each member repeats the action until the last person pours their water into one large container. The first member in the line then gets another full cup and repeats. Put a measurement on the final container (3 or 4 full cups of water), and the first team to reach the line wins.

Speed does not always beat a steady hand in this game. Try this one out as a fun Friday activity. Just make sure you’re away from electrical equipment!

If your group are struggling to come up with team names, this quick team-building activity might help! Classification encourages players to find common ground and get to know one another quickly.

Great for: Interpersonal bonding

Duration: 10 minutes

Players: 8+

You’ll need: Nothing

How to play Classification

Setup: To prepare for Classification, separate your group into even teams. Before the game starts, make it clear that consolidating people into groups or perpetuating stereotypes isn’t useful. Players should avoid classifications based on gender, race, sexual preferences, or any other theme that could be perceived as prejudicial or discriminatory.

To play: After forming teams and explaining the basic rules, you’re ready to start. When you say “Go!” the players can start to exchange basic information about themselves. Perhaps they like to wake up early? Maybe they like to grab a coffee every morning? Based on these preferences and characteristics, the players will attempt to find common ground and classify themselves. You can expect results such as “The Early Birds” or “The Caffeine Addicts.”

Recurring group activities like after-work running clubs are a great way of making team-building a regular feature in your team’s schedule.

What’s more, healthy activities like jogging and yoga boost employee well-being, job satisfaction and company culture while giving employees a chance to bond outside of the office.

Great for: Company culture, job satisfaction, employee well-being, interpersonal relationships

Duration: 30 minutes

You’ll need: N/A

How to start:

• Arrange a regular running schedule for your employees to register. It’s wise to create multiple groups for different fitness levels.
• Pin a running calendar to the staff room wall, detailing the different group times.

Ever thought of completing tasks in a foreign language with your team? The Language Barrier Quest throws you into an international adventure where you'll face language challenges head-on. Teammates support each other as you navigate through linguistic puzzles. It's not just about learning new words; it's a chance to build trust and embrace different cultures. This quest transforms language barriers into bridges, all while strengthening your team's cohesion.

Instructions

• Divide participants into teams.
• Assign tasks or challenges that require communication in a foreign language.
• Provide resources like translation tools or basic language guides.
• Teams work together to complete tasks, overcoming language barriers.
• Encourage assistance within teams.
• Reflect on the experience to promote cultural understanding and teamwork.

How to implement insights (following event)

If you want to go beyond recall, have each person describe how they will implement what they learned in their daily lives and tasks. Hearing important concepts is one thing; knowing how you can practically apply them is something else!

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Few team-building games create equal parts laughter and confusion, but the Human Knot certainly does!

This classic team-building game looks simple on the surface, but it quickly turns into an exercise in communication and patience.

The premise is simple: Teams must untangle themselves from a knot of interlocked arms without letting go, using nothing but cooperation and a bit of flexibility (both physical and mental).

It’s quick to set up, completely equipment-free, and perfect for breaking down barriers in any group, from new hires to long-time teammates.

What you’ll need

The Human Knot is refreshingly low-tech. All you need is people, space, and a sense of humour.

• Open space: An area big enough for everyone to move around safely without bumping into desks or walls. Spaces with a softer floor may be a bit kinder on the knees, too!

• A large group of participants: You’ll be breaking the whole team down into smaller groups. Smaller circles untangle faster, while larger ones create real puzzles (and more laughs).

• Comfortable clothing: You’ll be stretching, twisting, and possibly spinning in quite a few circles. Best leave the tight jeans at home.

• A timer (optional): Consider adding a big timer that everyone can see for a little competitive energy between teams.

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That’s it; no props, no setup, no mess. The only challenge is convincing everyone that it’s not a crazy trust fall or an elaborate escape room.

How you can do it (step-by-step instructions)

Getting started is simple. Follow these steps to form your knot, untangle it, and hopefully come out stronger (and still friends).

1. Split the group into teams

If you’ve got a large group, divide everyone into smaller circles of around six to eight people. Smaller teams make for faster, more focused gameplay, and fewer elbow-related accidents.

2. Form the circle

Each team stands shoulder to shoulder in its own circle. Everyone extends their right hand into the centre and grabs someone else’s hand. However, you have to tell your teams that they cannot hold the hand of the person standing directly next to them.

3. Complete the knot

Now teams need to do the same with their left hand, grabbing a different person’s hand this time. When every hand is connected, you’ve officially formed the “human knot,” a super-tangled web of arms that needs teamwork to be solved.

4. Start untangling

Without letting go of anyone’s hands, teams must work together to unravel back into a circle. Participants can twist, step over, duck under, or rotate carefully. Whatever it takes to break free, they can use it, as long as they never let go of a person’s hand, as this would break the chain.

5. Add a timer (optional)

If you wanted to make this a bit more challenging, or if you’ve got a team who have done this before, you could add a countdown timer to see which team untangles itself first. Just make sure everyone’s focused on synchronized movements; otherwise, you might see a few accidental wrestling moves come out.

6. Celebrate your victors

If your group forms one perfect circle, give them a round of applause. If you end up with two smaller circles instead, that still counts as success (because taking part is as important as winning, right?). The aim is communication and cooperation; you don’t always need perfect results to learn from an exercise.

Facilitator tip:

Encourage teams to talk through their ideas and move slowly. Rushing only tightens the knot (both literally and figuratively). If teams get stuck, let them pause, communicate, and rethink their approach. The real “win” will be found in how they solve the problem as a group.

Variations and twists

Once everyone’s mastered the basic Human Knot, you could get a bit devilish by adding a few creative twists:

• Silent knot: No talking allowed. Teams must rely entirely on gestures, eye contact and intuition to untangle, which usually leads to equal parts frustration and laughter.

• Double knot: Two smaller circles join hands and intertwine to form one giant mega-knot. The goal here is to separate back into two circles, still without letting go.

• Reverse knot: Start untangled in a perfect circle and challenge teams to intentionally tie themselves into a knot as quickly as possible, then untangle again. You might find some interesting reverse engineering at play with this one.

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Debrief: What teams picked up in the activity

Sure, The Human Know is a tangle of limbs and a barrel of laughter, but inside the activity are some powerful lessons about teamwork in motion. Once the knots are undone (and everyone’s regained feeling in their arms), gather the group to reflect on what just happened:

• Patience and flexibility: The fastest way out isn’t always the most direct. Sometimes you need to pause, breathe, and rethink your next move.

• Communication under pressure: Success rests on the back of clear communication, listening actively, and making sure everyone’s voice is heard.

• Collaborative problem-solving: There’s no single leader in the knot; progress comes from coordination and relying on the others in your group.

• Humour and resilience: Laughter keeps frustration at bay, and it’s often what brings people closer together in the face of real challenges.

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Use the wind-down moment to link back to the teamwork they use every day. The same qualities of communication, adaptability and persistence are needed as much in untangling as they are in the office!

FAQs:

How many people do you need for the Human Knot?

Ideally, each team should have around six to eight members. Smaller groups can untangle faster, while larger ones make the challenge more complex, but also more entertaining.

What does the Human Knot teach teams?

It’s a simple, low-pressure way to practise teamwork, communication, patience, and creative problem-solving. It’s a great way to break the ice for unfamiliar team members, and it encourages focus, while not taking oneself too seriously!

What are the rules of the Human Knot?

Each person must hold hands with two different people who aren’t standing next to them. Once the knot is formed, the group must untangle, without ever letting go of a hand (breaking the chain).

Pictionary is a game of charades where players draw words instead of acting them out.

To get started, follow these steps:

1. Split the group into teams.
2. For every round, pick one team member to draw.
3. Provide the drawing team member a word.
4. Set a timer for up to sixty seconds for teammates to guess.
5. Use a point system where if the team guesses correctly, they get one point.

You can make things more challenging by giving teams the opportunity to steal or move onto the next team’s turn. This game is not only a good way to learn new vocabulary, but to help with visual skills as players connect a word with an image. You can also play this game virtually, so it’s perfect for almost any gathering.

Skill swap workshops are all about sharing talents. Team members vote on what skills they’d like to learn—from cooking to dancing—and then someone hosts an online workshop. It’s a fun way to mix up the workday and learn something new together.

Whether it's mastering a new recipe or trying out salsa moves, it’s a great way to bond, have a laugh, and pick up a fresh skill along the way.

How to play:

• Team votes on a skill they'd like to learn.
• A team member (or outside expert) hosts an online workshop.
• Everyone joins in and tries out the new skill together!

You can find even more team-building activity ideas to keep your team learning and connecting in our full guide.

How to play Something in common

‘Something In Common’ is a no-prep game that can be run on the spot in your next virtual get-together. Create some breakout rooms of 4 or 5 people, giving them a 3-minute timer. Set a task of finding the most unique fact they have in common.

One point is awarded at the end to the team with the most interesting example. Tell them to emphasize uniqueness, as ‘we all use phones’ is a bit dull, while something like ‘we have all read a book by the same author’ sparks interest.

Perhaps you got some practice at this game whilst procrastinating in school.

How to play the Wiki-relay race

The team will be divided into two teams. The two teams will be racing each other to land on the ‘destination topic’ fastest.

For example, a member from each team both need to load the same Wikipedia page, let’s take “The Grand Canyon” for example. When the starter pistol fires, the two competitors need to race each other to land on the page ‘Manicure’ by clicking through links on Wikipedia. The first person to reach the ‘destination page’ is the winner.

How to play Online werewolf

Werewolf is a great popular party game that can run perfectly well in a virtual setting. Zoom, Google Meet, or any platform will do. Make sure all cameras and microphones are on, as seeing each other’s reactions is half the fun!

One person is the ‘moderator,’ who guides the game and assigns roles to 2 werewolves, 1 seer, and 1 doctor, while the rest are villagers. The moderator announces that ‘night has fallen, close your eyes’. Werewolves open their eyes and choose one villager to kill, while the seer can try to guess who is a werewolf, and the doctor can choose to save one person.

The day phase starts and the moderator reveals if any villagers died. Repeat night and day phases until the werewolves are eliminated or outnumber the villagers. It takes a little setup, but try this one out with some useful online werewolf apps to smoothen the gameplay. Get spooky!