Library of teambuilding games & icebreakers

How to play the super story

This is another game focused on group wordplay, and one that can be done virtually as well as in person. It’s also really fun, so a great exercise for boosting team morale. To begin, let each person know they’ll take a turn as the story-teller. They should grab an object around them - like a pen or pad of paper - and spend one minute telling the most exaggerated story they can come up with around the object.

For example, if their object is a pen, they might talk about how this was the pen used to sign a deal for the most famous athlete in their city. It’s also a game that puts people on the spot and makes them come up with something under pressure, so it’s an especially helpful activity for management level team members.

This or That questions force your employees to choose between two equally appealing or unappealing scenarios. As each player explains their choice, you’ll gain insight into their values, moral code and priorities.

Great for: Communication, decision-making

Duration: 10 minutes

Players: 6+

You’ll need: Nothing

How to play This or That

Setup: Start by compiling a list of This or That questions that you can ask your employees.

To play: Playing the game is very simple. After hearing the question, players must vote for which option they would prefer. The questions could be serious, funny, thought-provoking or silly—it doesn’t matter, as long as they force the players to think. The best questions split the crowd and cause a debate.

How to play:

Similar to traditional charades, but with a creative twist. Instead of acting out specific words or phrases, participants must convey abstract concepts, emotions, or even entire stories through gestures and expressions.

Example: Team is given a well known, short story that they need to act out without using words.

Materials needed: None

Benefits:

• Emotional intelligence development: Take a deep dive into the vast ocean of human emotions. This game pushes your team's creativity to the limit as they express complex feelings through movement and nonverbal cues, making them emotional intelligence champions.
• Enhanced nonverbal empathy: Unlock the secrets of nonverbal communication and boost your team's ability to empathize with others. As they interpret and respond to their colleagues' charades, bonds will be formed and connections will be strengthened

In What's My Name?, team members use clues to help a participant guess the famous person's name on their forehead.

Instructions on how to play:

1. Write the name of a famous person on a Post-it note for each participant without letting them see it.
2. Place the Post-it note on each participant's forehead.
3. Team members provide verbal clues without saying the actual name, helping each participant guess who they are.
4. Rotate turns until everyone has guessed their famous persona.

Why it's a great team building game:

• Communication and collaboration: Encourages effective communication and collaboration in providing clues.
• Fun and engagement: Adds an element of excitement as participants try to decipher the clues and guess the famous person.
• Icebreaker: Facilitates conversation and laughter in a light-hearted setting.

Top tip to help the game run smoothly: Choose a diverse list of famous people to cater to different interests within the team. Encourage creativity in providing clues and celebrate the humor that arises from the game.

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This game takes a little more precision than the others and needs a steady hand. Cup Tower Jenga can be played in teams or as a solo cup game. You’ll need some medium-sized index cards. If you can’t get index cards, try cutting up some A4 paper. Make sure the paper has a similar weight, around 150gsm. If the paper is too light, it won’t support the cups’ weight. Each sheet needs to be big enough to fit an upside-down paper cup. Now let’s set the game up.

Set-up:

1. Stack up a tower: Each participant needs four cups and a table in front of them. On the table, they need to build a tower of upside-down cups, four cups high. Between each upside-down cup should be placed 1 index card.
2. Carefully deconstruct: One at a time, players need to slide out an index card, so that the cup above neatly falls over and contains the cup beneath it. Precision beats strength here. If the construction is rushed, or cards aren’t pulled perfectly, the whole tower is likely to fall down. If the tower falls before the 4 paper cups are perfectly stacked, they need to rebuild and try again.

Try this one out in pairs, with one person being the builder and one as the demolition expert. They’ll likely strategize together. The first pair to stack 4 wins!

How to play Marshmallow stuff

You’ll need big bags of fluffy marshmallows for this one. Simply have contestants stuff as many marshmallows as they can into their mouth in one minute. Bonus points for asking them to repeat a silly phrase once their mouths are full.

How to play Ranking race

Thinking critically - and quickly - is a highly coveted skill in the professional world. This game calls for creating a ranking system, which is a natural way of thinking through information and categorizing it. It’s a really versatile exercise since no materials and very little prep time are required. Start by getting people into groups of no more than 10. Then, set a timer and give each group a list of items to rank, such as the best local restaurants or top movies of the year.

Task each group with coming up with their own ranking system. When the timer goes off, everyone should present their final rankings. They can describe to the group how they came up with their ranking system and why the items are weighted the way that they are. Have teams make notes if they find a certain ranking system particularly helpful - maybe that’s a matrix that more people can use in the workplace going forward.

How well do your staff know each other? This activity has players use their observation skills to guess who owns each office desk based solely on its contents. Here’s how you go about it:

Set up:

1. Gather your photos. Take a snapshot of each person’s desk. Don’t worry about tidying anything up, the photos are reflections of the day-to-day.
2. Set up teams and display those photos as clearly as you can. Use the biggest TV in the office to share those snapshots (the photo should be the desk of someone on the opposing team to the guesser!)
3. Reveal and cheers. Unveil the desk owners and celebrate the sleuths with the most spot-on guesses. Prizes for the sharpest eyes are a must!

How to play 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.

Think you know your coworkers' texting habits? In emoji detective, you’ll have to guess which team member’s recently used emoji board is being shown. It's a fun, lighthearted way to test your knowledge of your teammates’ messaging style.

It’s an easy, amusing game to throw into a virtual meeting, and it’s always fun to see who’s been overusing the laughing-crying face.

How to play:

• One team member’s recently used emoji board is shown.
• The group guesses which team member it belongs to.
• Whoever guesses correctly wins the round!

Ready for another improv activity that’s a) great for beginners and b) brings colleagues together in a fun, light-hearted way? It’s time for one of our favorites: the 3-Headed Expert. We like this game because it forces people to think creatively and enter the same mindset as their peers, without singling anyone out.

All the game involves is a trio of teammates working together to answer certain questions. Let’s dive into the details…

How to play the 3-headed expert

To play this improv game, start by dividing your team into groups of 3. Each trio is known as a 3-headed expert! The audience (i.e. everyone else in the room) then takes turns to ask this expert random questions, such as:

• “How do I make the perfect sandwich?”
• “Why don’t I sleep well at night?”
• “What’s the best book ever written?”
• “What’s it like to live in space?”
• “How do I sell my house for the most possible money?”

The expert’s job is to answer these questions. However, each “head” can only say one word at a time. When the trio’s satisfied that they’ve answered the question, each member of it has to wave their hands to signal it’s finished. The audience offers rapturous applause, before asking something else.

Each trio should answer around 2 to 3 questions, at which point you move on to the next 3-headed expert. FYI, it’s totally normal for people to struggle in the beginning!

To get them into the swing of talking word by word, tell each “expert” to repeat the question back to the audience first. For example, “The – way – to – make – the – perfect – sandwich – is…” It should help get the ball rolling.

How to play Pitch tournament

An important part of selling is understanding customer needs: what they want or what drives them to buy something. Help your team to hone these skills by pitching items to you or another panel of judges. Pick a few regular objects, such as things from around the office. Then, pair people up (or work as individuals if your group is already small) and have them take turns pitching the item to your judges. Give everyone a few minutes to come up with a unique presentation and make sure they understand the product. Add a prize for the winner to up the ante a bit.

This game doesn’t take very long, but it’s a great warm-up for the beginning of your meeting. It’s a great ice-breaker, especially for teams who already know each other a little.

How to play Guess the emoji board

To play guess the emoji board, you’ll need to ask each participant to send you a screenshot of their “most recent” emoji board on their phone. Once you’ve gathered all the screenshots, you can share your screen and display them one by one to the group.

It’s now the participant’s job to try and guess who’s board it is based on the emojis they see. Some will be easy, while others will test your team’s powers of deduction.

How to play Name that product

Remember the memory games that you used to play as a child? A variation of this activity can help new hires to learn about your product offerings. You don’t need anything besides a pen and paper! Begin by making a list of the products that your company sells. On the same page, list product features and price points. Then, on separate papers, write a short product description for each of the items. Have sales reps match the products with the short descriptions. Or, as another variation, instead of descriptions you can use customer needs or wants, or another indicator that would help people to better understand your product breadth and keep them straight.

Remember the “3-headed expert” game we talked about before? One-word stories is similar in the sense that participants can only contribute a word at a time. Rather than answering questions, though, their goal is to tell a story.

How to play One word stories

Start by gathering the team together and sitting in a circle.

Next, decide on a general topic to help guide the conversation. It can be anything you like – what you’re having for dinner, for instance, where you’re going on vacation next, or what you’re planning to do at the weekend.

From there, invite someone in the group to say the first word of a sentence. The person next to them then contributes the second word, and so on until the sentence is complete. Keep going until you’ve told a mini-story or it reaches a natural conclusion. You can then play again with a new topic/situation.

FYI, this game works best when you encourage everyone to be creative, spontaneous, and articulate. You can make it more interesting by adding a time constraint. If someone doesn’t say a word (that makes sense and adds to the story) in a given time frame, they’re out!

Feel free to put your own spin on this game to make it more work-related. For example, why not turn your team’s “story” into a pitch? Word by word, their task is to build a persuasive argument to win a new client for the business!

Take this approach – or anything like it – and you can improve team collaboration while simultaneously honing another vital operational element.

Ever feel like time is running faster than you can list your goals? Well, brace yourself for the whirlwind excitement of Speed Goal Sharing! Participants team up, and they've got a mere minute to spill the beans on their current goals to a partner. It's like goal-setting on fast-forward. Why? Because sometimes, brevity is the key.

This quick teambuilding activity isn't just a time crunch; it's a crash course in concise communication and prioritization. So, get ready to share your aspirations at lightning speed – clarity and alignment within the team await!

Top Tip for Facilitators:

• Keep the vibe upbeat and the clock ticking. Encourage everyone to channel their inner auctioneer – goals on the fly, people!
• Guide the conversations to make sure it's not just a blur of words but a meaningful exchange.
• This activity is like a goal-driven race, so set the pace, cheer them on, and let the concise communication marathon begin!

Sneak-a-peak is a fabulous game for getting everyone involved. The aim of the game is rapid-fire copying of a Lego structure you make. The only prep needed beforehand is to get your Lego set and have a structure in mind that isn’t too easy to replicate.

Set up:

1. Build a simple structure out of Lego pieces. Something not too easily guessable, and keep it hidden!
2. Split everyone into small teams, with one ‘viewer.’
3. Allow the ‘viewer’ a short time (about 30 seconds) to come and observe your hidden structure.
4. Get them to go back to their teams and describe it, in as much detail as they can.
5. Teams are given a 10-minute timer to build the structure. Once complete, compare each team’s attempts.

How to play Sinking ship

This is a fun, physical game for people who aren’t afraid to get close. It works best for about 10 - 20 people. Create a boundary on the floor with tape, and have everyone step inside it. Make sure they are standing close, but not totally on top of each other. Then, each minute, pick up one side of the tape and move it further inside the boundary. The idea is that it gets smaller and smaller, just like a ship that is gradually filling with water. The group will likely get into funnier and more creative configurations as the space gets smaller. Again, please be aware of the comfort of your team in close physical proximity before executing.

Of all the trust-building exercises on this list, Blind Wine Waiter’s almost guaranteed to go down well with your employees – assuming they’re aged 21 or older! Why?

Firstly, because it’s a fun, light-hearted game that’ll have you crying with laughter. And secondly, because it involves drinking wine.

Make no mistake though. As breezy and irreverent as this may sound, Blind Wine Waiter’s a powerful exercise that cultivates trust, develops teamwork, rewards strong communication, and helps foster leadership skills.

Here’s how to play:

1. Divide your employees into teams of 6 people
2. Ask each team to designate a leader
3. Blindfold everyone but the leader of each team
4. Instruct the leader to sit close to their team and on their hands (they’re not allowed to move or use their hands)
5. For each team, place one bottle of wine, a corkscrew, and enough wineglasses for each person at various points around the room (ensuring nothing fragile is positioned where it might fall or break easily)
6. Each team then has to follow directions from their leader to find each item and return them to their base (i.e. where the leader’s sitting)
7. They then have to open the wine bottle with the corkscrew and pour themselves a glass of wine each
8. Finally, they have to drink the wine and help the leader (who still can’t use their hands!) do the same.
9. Importantly, each member of the team must perform exactly one task.

The first team to finish their bottle of wine is the winner! Feel free to set a time limit and award prizes if it seems appropriate.

What you need:

• Blindfolds
• A bottle of wine, wineglasses, and a corkscrew for each team

How to host Virtual hackathon

This is a great option for remote teams or teams who are spread out geographically. Online hackathons are one of the most popular and effective team competition ideas.  A hackathon is a marathon competition where teams compete to sketch or design a new product over the course of a few days. To host one, pick a theme (like sustainability or pop culture) and announce it at the beginning of the competition. Make sure to announce the contest in advance of starting it so that teams have time to gather supplies, implement the right collaboration tools, etc.

Divide your group into teams and let them get started! Then, at the end of the allotted time, wrap up the competition and set a time for everyone to present their finished products. Then judges will pick a winner and award a prize. Maybe the product ideas could even be implemented someday!

How to play Nerf ball break

If you need a break that’s a little more physical, set up some buckets of nerf balls in an outdoor space at your venue. Have everyone stand in a circle and choose one person to have the ball initially. When they have the ball, they answer the question that you chose for an icebreaker. For example, “What are you excited to do or learn about today?” They answer, and then throw the ball to someone else, who also answers. Once everyone has had a turn to share, you can head back inside.

How to play Pick an accomplishment

For most people, it feels really awkward to share their successes. For your next meeting, break the ice by having everyone on the call share their latest accomplishment. Whether that’s a work related achievement or a personal goal like their best time in a 10k, you can create a safe space for people to brag and learn more about what their co-workers care about.

Explanation:

‍Office workers create physical art while remote team members work on digital designs. Then, both pieces are merged into a single, collaborative masterpiece.

In the hybrid version, office workers can get hands-on with paints, paper, or any materials lying around the office to create their part of the art piece. Meanwhile, remote team members work their digital magic—whether it’s on Photoshop, Canva, or even just a doodle on Paint. The real fun comes when both pieces are combined and displayed on a shared platform like Teams or Slack. The end result is a cool, hybrid art collage that blends physical and digital creativity. It's a fun way to bring both worlds together and see how different styles come together!

If you’re in a big team and want a fun and speedy energizer to lift the mood in record time, try Shock Wave.

How to play Shock wave

To play, clear a space and ask the whole team (except you, the moderator) to form a circle. Colleagues then have to join hands with the people next to them and shut their eyes. Next, quietly touch the shoulder of one person in the circle.

When they feel your touch, it’s their job to begin the “shockwave” – moving both their arms up and down in a wave-like motion, thus sending it to whoever’s on their left and right-hand side. Those people then continue the wave, taking the “shock” in one arm and replicating it in the other.

This continues around the entire circle until someone on the opposite side feels the movement in both arms simultaneously. At that point, they yell “KABOOM”, and everyone can re-open their eyes. Repeat as many times as you want to!