Got a whiteboard gathering dust in your meeting room? Let's put it to work!
Whiteboard games are the perfect way to inject some energy into any workplace. Whether you’re warming up for a big brainstorming session or just giving everyone a much-needed break from screen fatigue, these quick, engaging games will soon become office favorites.
Ready to erase boredom? Grab a marker and let’s get doodling!
What exactly are “whiteboard games”?
Whiteboard games are quick, interactive activities designed to engage teams using just a whiteboard and markers. They're simple but effective, turning your office whiteboard into the centerpiece of team collaboration and problem-solving.
Unlike traditional team-building methods, whiteboard games are much better suited for spontaneous interaction and a bit of friendly competition. They’re ideal for breaking the ice with fun conversations and keeping energy levels sky-high.
With no special equipment or complex setup needed, whiteboard games provide an accessible way to shake up team morale and sharpen workplace skills, all while keeping things genuinely fun!
14 of the best whiteboard games to bring your teams together
So here are 14 of the best whiteboard games that will bring your teams closer together:
Unique and creative whiteboard games
Our first category brings together some of the most unique and quirky whiteboard games available. With a bit of careful explaining and planning, try these games out to brighten up a team meeting:
1. Brand blitz
Sometimes you just want to get the ball rolling in the most chaotic way possible. That’s fine, we all want to get loose sometimes. The Brand Blitz challenge gives teams a crash course in collaborative branding. Start by splitting everyone into groups, then give each a random combination of a product and an unlikely target audience. Think along the lines of 'luxury dog treats for tech CEOs' or 'eco-friendly snacks for ninjas'.
Set a short timer and watch teams scramble to sketch out brand names, complete with logos and snappy slogans on the whiteboard. Afterwards, each group presents their brilliantly absurd branding ideas. Expect lots of laughs, a burst of creative energy, and possibly even inspiration for your next viral marketing campaign.
2. Reverse brainstorm
Flip the typical brainstorming session on its head—literally. In this whiteboard game, teams start by listing ways to spectacularly fail at solving a given challenge. Whether it's "how to annoy our customers," "ensure our meetings are unbearably boring," or "guarantee the office juicer never works," let your team dive into creative chaos and outrageous ideas.
Once you've got a whiteboard filled with hilariously disastrous strategies, it's time to shake things up: teams now reverse those ideas into smart, practical solutions. It's an engaging method that shakes loose fresh thinking, boosts problem-solving skills, and guarantees a lot of laughs along the way. Who knew failing could be so productive?
3. Drawing our future
Forget crystal balls and magic potions. This game lets teams sketch out their visions of the future. Have your team gather around the whiteboard to illustrate their vision of your company’s future, whether that’s next year’s groundbreaking product, the office of 2030, or even just what Friday’s happy hour might look like.
Encourage everyone to be imaginative: stick figures with jetpacks? Honestly, why not? Flying desks or hologram meetings? Perfect. After the drawings are complete, have each team member explain their vision, kickstarting conversations about shared goals and inspiring fresh ideas. It’s a fun, visual way to align your team’s dreams with your business ambitions, keeping everyone motivated and forward-thinking.
4. Logo mash-up
Logo mash-up is the whiteboard game you never knew your team needed. The goal here is simple (and hilarious): each participant picks two famous brands from a hat, and their challenge is to combine them into one bizarre but recognisable logo on the whiteboard.
You could get a crossover of Starbucks meeting Nike, and sketch out a mermaid mid-sprint wearing sneakers. Apple and Domino’s could create a techy pizza box. The weirder, the better! After the logos are drawn, teams guess the mash-ups and have a laugh over the strange creations.
It's a fantastic exercise for boosting innovative thinking and letting your team's creative juices flow. Plus, this kind of creative whiteboard game brings plenty of laughter and encourages your team to think outside the box - quite literally!
5. Emoji story challenge
If your team thinks they’re fluent in emoji, now’s their chance to prove it. The Emoji Story Challenge is a fantastic whiteboard game to get creative juices flowing. Here’s how it works: one person writes a short story or sentence using only emojis on the whiteboard, and the rest of the team has to decode it into words.
It sounds easy until you realize you’re trying to summarise your company's latest strategy update or describe last week's team-building retreat using smileys and food emojis. The guessing stage sparks hilarious misinterpretations and lively discussions.
This engaging and creative whiteboard activity strengthens communication skills and brings teams together by turning work topics into a playful puzzle. Ready, set, emoji!
Collaboration and communication whiteboard games
These games will have your teams collaborating closely, ensuring everyone's voice gets heard (sometimes without even saying a word!). They keep a common goal and are useful as agile games for driving teams forward together.
6. Silent doodles
Think your team communicates clearly? Put that to the test with Silent Doodles. One person sketches a simple image on the whiteboard, hidden from everyone else. They then describe the drawing to their teammates using only shapes, directions, and vague hints. No naming objects allowed! It’s up to the listeners to recreate the drawing based purely on verbal clues.
The big reveal at the end always gets some laughs, and you'll learn quickly who the clear communicators (or cryptic describers) are. Perfect for sharpening your team's listening and descriptive skills, this is a team-building exercise that keeps everyone guessing!
7. Draw your role
Does your team truly understand each other's roles? This whiteboard game will reveal all. Each team member sketches their daily responsibilities and tasks, without using any words. Everyone else guesses which role or position is being illustrated.
Once everyone guesses, let the illustrator explain their drawing. You’ll likely uncover hidden talents, surprise insights, and perhaps even a few hilarious misconceptions. It's great for breaking down silos and helps team members appreciate the importance of everyone’s contributions. Plus, it adds a light-hearted touch to the serious topic of team dynamics.
8. Values scribble race
Want to reinforce your company culture creatively? Use your company’s core values as the basis for a competitive whiteboard scribble race. Write each company value on small pieces of paper and put them into a bowl. Split your team into pairs. Each pair picks a value from the bowl and races to illustrate it on the whiteboard, trying to beat other pairs in both speed and clarity.
The first team to finish clearly illustrating their value (and having it correctly guessed by the others) wins the round. This activity not only helps with team collaboration but also embeds your core values in a fun, memorable way.
9. Whiteboard hot potato
Want a high-energy, laugh-inducing whiteboard game to shake things up? Whiteboard Hot Potato fits the bill perfectly. The team gathers around a whiteboard, and one person starts by drawing a simple object (like a tree, cat, or rocket). After 10 seconds, they hand off the marker to the next person, who adds another part or detail to the drawing—also in just 10 seconds.
As the marker gets passed around rapidly, the illustration inevitably veers into hilarious territory. This activity boosts team creativity, quick thinking, and adaptability, and it's bound to become a team favorite for those short, energizing breaks.
Quick logic and strategy whiteboard challenges
Time to switch gears! These next whiteboard games focus on sharpening your team's logic, vocabulary and quick thinking. They're ideal for giving everyone's minds a stimulating workout.
10. Memory grid
Ready to test your team's short-term memory and attention to detail? Draw a grid on your whiteboard (typically 5x5 or 6x6) and fill it with random shapes, symbols, or words. Let your team study it for one minute, then erase the grid entirely. Now comes the challenge: ask everyone to recreate the grid from memory, either individually or in small teams.
It's surprising how much or how little people remember. Memory Grid is fantastic for enhancing cognitive abilities, attention, and visual recall, making it both fun and beneficial for workplace productivity.
11. Tic-tac-twist
Ready for a fresh spin on a classic favorite? Tic-tac-twist takes the standard tic-tac-toe game and gives it a clever, strategic upgrade. Draw a larger 3x3 grid where each square itself contains a mini 3x3 tic-tac-toe board. Players take turns placing their marks in the smaller grids, aiming to win individual mini-games to capture the larger squares.
Strategy deepens quickly as players must think ahead, juggle multiple outcomes, and block opponents' plans. It’s an engaging way to boost strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, making it one of the most effective quick logic whiteboard games out there.
12. Code cracker
If your team loves puzzles, they'll get hooked on Code Cracker. One person creates a secret numerical or alphabetical code on the whiteboard (think a simple cipher or a number puzzle). The team then collaborates to decode the message, discussing, testing theories, and refining strategies along the way. It encourages teamwork, quick logical deduction, and critical thinking skills. This whiteboard game is ideal for short bursts of brain-boosting fun during meetings or as an icebreaker for strategy sessions.
13. Whiteboard sudoku
Bring the popular logic puzzle Sudoku off the pages and onto your whiteboard for a collaborative twist. Draw a large Sudoku grid on the board with some starter numbers filled in. Teams or individuals then take turns adding numbers, solving the puzzle together as quickly and accurately as possible. It’s a fantastic brain workout that sharpens analytical skills, teamwork, and problem-solving ability. As your team races against the clock, watch them cheer each other on, raising teamwork levels along with their logical skills.
14. Word ladder duel
Want to test your team's linguistic agility? Word ladder duel is a competitive game perfect for teams that enjoy word challenges. Start by writing a word at the top of the whiteboard and another (completely different) word at the bottom. Teams race against each other to transform the first word into the second by changing only one letter at a time. Each intermediate step must form a valid word. This game enhances quick thinking, vocabulary, and creative problem-solving skills, and it's guaranteed to add a fun, competitive spark to your team's day.
Here are some examples to start you off:
- CAT → DOG: CAT → COT → DOT → DOG
- GAME → PLAY: GAME → GATE → PATE → PALE → PALY → PLAY
- HEAD → TAIL: HEAD → HEAL → TEAL → TELL → TALL → TAIL
Ready to elevate teamwork on an unforgettable retreat?
Whiteboard games are a great way to get the creative juices flowing, but if you really want to get team bonds to the next level, nothing beats a change of scenery.
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