Library of teambuilding games & icebreakers

How to play Paranoia

Sitting in a circle, players take turns whispering a question into the ear of the person on their right – the answer to which is someone else playing the game. Whoever’s asked the question then points at whoever they believe is the answer.

For example, you might ask, “who is the best-looking person in the group?” to Alice, who might point at James across the room. But poor James doesn’t know what the question was! Hence the name, Paranoia. The only way for James to find out is to accept a dare/forfeit. If he’s unwilling to do so, then it becomes Alice’s turn to whisper a question to whoever’s next to her.

A word of caution: Paranoia’s a fun and unique question game, but it isn’t without tension! We recommend you only play if everyone on the team is close friends.

Explanation:

Each team member describes themselves using traits from a famous movie or book character, without saying who they are. The rest of the team has to guess the character based on the clues.

This game is perfect for hybrid teams! Whether remote or in the office, everyone gets a chance to participate. Each person describes themselves using personality traits or quirks of a famous character via video call or chat, and everyone else guesses who they are. It’s an easy-going virtual icebreaker that gets people laughing, thinking creatively, and learning more about each other.

Role Reversal is a great team building game, giving employees the chance to swap roles with their colleagues for a select amount of time!

Materials needed:

• Grab those job role descriptions for everyone.
• Dig up documentation or guides related to each role.
• Make a schedule for the big switcheroo.

Instructions on how to play:

1. Before the big day, hand out the job role stuff to each team member.
2. Tell everyone they're swapping roles for the day – meetings, tasks, and all.
3. At the end of the day, get everyone together to spill the beans on their experiences.

Why it's a great team building game:

• Feel the feels: It helps everyone understand what their teammates go through, creating more empathy.
• Break the walls: Opens up communication by smashing those silos and getting people to talk.
• Team Power-up: Makes your team even stronger by finding new ways to work together.

Top tip to help the game run smoothly: Remind everyone it's not about finding faults but about understanding and appreciating each other. Keep an open mind, folks!

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.

Looking for a classic trust building activity that never fails to bring workmates closer together? Try the “trust walk” – another super straightforward exercise that’s reminiscent of the “minefield” exercise we described earlier.

How to play Trust walk

Start by creating a path for people to follow, complete with obstacles, twists, and turns. Next, divide your team into smaller groups of 2 to 3 people and give one of them a blindfold to wear. The sighted individuals then have to guide whoever’s blindfolded along the path as quickly (and safely) as possible.

When they finish, the blindfold passes to one of the others. Repeat this process until each group member has completed the course. The first group to have each member complete the course wins!

As long as you clear enough space, you can do the trust walk in the office. However, we recommend trying it outside at some point too!

The extra room available adds to the fun. Heck, some teams choose to do this exercise as part of a larger hiking activity – on a team-building retreat, for instance, where the entire experience revolves around boosting camaraderie.

Want a slight variation on the trust walk? You could also do an exercise called “the blind trail”. It’s a similar concept, but this time every person on each team is blindfolded. Have them stand in a line, holding onto a rope.

Their task?

Work together to navigate an obstacle course that you’ve laid out (all while holding onto the rope). They’re allowed to talk and use non-verbal communication – enabling them to help and trust each other as they proceed from A to B.

What you need:

• Blindfolds
• Rope (to make the “path”, or to use in the blind trail exercise)
• Items to use as obstacles

The Marshmallow Challenge puts your employees’ engineering, teamwork and communication skills to the test as they attempt to build the highest tower using only dried spaghetti, masking tape and string.

Great for: Teamwork, communication, problem-solving, leadership

Duration: 30 minutes

You’ll need: Marshmallows, dried spaghetti, masking tape, string, scissors, measuring tape

How to play:

• Divide your group into teams of approximately 5–6 players and give each team a package of dried spaghetti, a roll of masking tape, a ball of string and a pair of scissors.
• When the timer starts (approximately 10 minutes), teams will start constructing the highest possible tower using only the materials provided.
• When the time expires, ask each team to present their tower and briefly discuss their thought process.
• Approach one team at a time and measure the height of the tower and record the result.
• Place a marshmallow on top of the tower. The tower must support the weight of the marshmallow for 10 seconds without collapsing.
• Repeat this process with the remaining teams.
• The team whose tower was the highest and successfully withstood the weight of the marshmallow wins.
• Follow up with a debriefing session where employees can discuss what went well and what could be improved next time.

This is a light-hearted team game that’s great for improving communication skills. Before you can start playing, you’ll need to divide the players into small groups, say 2-3 players per team—any more than this and things can become chaotic.

How to play the drawing challenge

To play the drawing challenge, each team must first designate one player to be “the drawer,” while the other players will be “the describers.” The describers will be shown an image which they’ll have to describe to the drawer within a given time limit. The more accurate the description, the more accurate the drawing will be.

The game is guaranteed to spark some laughter among your group while encouraging the players to develop their communication and listening skills.

‍Lightening scavenger hunts are a tried and true favourite for company team building events. The game can be played by both small and large groups using your favourite video chat software. This game gets your team moving and energized for the remainder of the meeting.

How to play Lightening scavenger hunt

Before starting the game, you’ll need to prepare a list of items that your team will need to find in their homes. The items can be completely random, or you can pick a theme such as “items beginning with the letter ‘R’” or “items that are blue.” For an additional incentive, you can offer prizes for the fastest people to return with the objects.

Picture this: a chat where everyone's honest and open. That's open communication! It's like a recipe for trust and harmony, stopping confusion in its tracks and making the team feel like a united front.

Be transparent and open in your communication. Share your thoughts, ideas and concerns honestly and encourage your colleagues to do the same. Clear communication helps prevent misunderstandings and promotes trust.

Open communication activity - Honest feedback board:

• Create a physical or digital board labeled "Honest Feedback."
• Provide sticky notes, pens and markers nearby.
• Encourage colleagues to anonymously share constructive feedback, ideas, or concerns related to work on the sticky notes and attach them to the board.
• Designate regular intervals (e.g., weekly or monthly) for team members to review and discuss the submissions collectively.
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This team building activity promotes transparency, builds trust and establishes a platform for open communication.

Test mathematical agility and strategic thinking! In 21, participants take turns adding 1, 2, or 3 to a running count, with the goal of avoiding reaching the number 21.

Instructions on how to play:

1. Participants sit in a circle.
2. The first person starts with a count of 1, 2, or 3.
3. The next person adds 1, 2, or 3 to the count.
4. Continue in order, with each person adding to the count.
5. The person who reaches the number 21 is out, and the game restarts.

Why it's a great team building game:

• Mathematical agility: Challenges participants to think strategically and make calculated choices.
• Team dynamics: Promotes a sense of competition and camaraderie as participants strategize together.
• Quick thinking: Enhances cognitive skills as individuals make decisions on the fly.

Top tip to help the game run smoothly: Keep the pace quick to maintain engagement. Encourage participants to strategize together subtly and have fun with the challenge. After each round, discuss strategies and celebrate successes.

How to play Red ball game

A group of people pass around an imaginary red ball and must come up with a story about where it has been. You can change the color of the ball or even the imaginary object, the point is to mix up the start and stop of the story and get creative.

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How to play 10 ways to kill a new idea

If you want to be sure everyone really has an open mind and is ready to bring creative ideas to the table, start by having everyone talk about what not to do. You can use a whiteboard or even a poster-size sheet of paper. Ask everyone to share thoughts on the best ways to kill a new idea. Make a comprehensive list and then use discussion to narrow down the top 10.

Then, make a commitment as a group that you will not do these things as you complete the day’s work. This creates an environment where everyone is open to new ideas and ready to work together.

How to play Pass the clap game

Pass applause around the circle! To play, participants should gather in a circle and the leader will start the clap. Other players take turns clapping in a clockwise direction until the leader makes the final clap. There are some other variations, too. For example, the participants can start the clap slowly and then gradually increase the tempo over rounds.

How to play Word crush

There aren’t many people in the world who haven’t heard of the game Candy Crush. Word Crush is a video game crossover that uses a column-stacking system while challenging the player’s word-building skills.

Each person can play individually, or record high scores and go head-to-head with multiplayer. The game is available for Apple and Android, so download and share on a screen for a competitive, word-building challenge!

Remember that game from childhood, “the floor is lava”? The one where you had to make it around the room without touching the floor. Good times. Shrinking vessel is somewhat similar, except you are working with a team. Strategy and Tetris skills will help me excel at this exercise.

How to play:

‍Mark the boundaries of the areas where team members will be placed. Slowly, the edges of the borders are moved and made smaller, and team members must work together to ensure they don’t fall outside the lines. They cannot step out of the line.

Materials you’ll need: Anything temporarily marks the floor, like a string or tape, even a blanket, will do. Enough space to fit a small team of 4-5 people at a time is also needed.

How many people: Mid-size to large teams

How to play Ghost

Ghost is a quirky little letter-building game, where the whole objective is to not be the person who finishes a word. 2 to 4 players work best. Let’s say you have a team of 3. Each person takes a turn saying a letter to begin spelling out a longer word, (e.g. F-L-O-U-). If the next person adds a letter that creates a full word, like R to create FLOUR, that person loses.

If you lose a round, you are given one letter of the word GHOST (just like the basketball game HORSE). The first person to get all 5 letters G-H-O-S-T loses the game!

How to play Sell me this pen

One of the most popular sales training activities and a simple workplace competition, in this game you simply hand each person a pen and have them take a turn selling it to the larger group. What is the sales pitch? What are the questions and objections? Who has the best selling points? After the activity, have a discussion about what stuck out to everyone - what worked and what didn’t. Not only does this force people to get more comfortable with public speaking, but everyone can learn some new tricks, too.

How to play Six thinking hats

If you want your team to focus on coming up with more creative solutions, this activity can help. You’ll need to organize people into groups of no more than 10, and have several different color paper hats. Each hat represents a different perspective. Here are some sample colors and what they correlate to:

• White: Facts and information
• Red: Emotions and feelings
• Black: Critical analysis
• Yellow: Benefits and positives
• Green: Creativity and alternatives
• Blue: Big picture thinking

Give each group a problem to solve and tell them to approach the issue from their unique “hat” perspective. Using these different philosophies, the group should come up with a solution that works for everyone and takes all of these positions into account. You can have a debrief where everyone discusses the process and what they found most challenging. If you have time, you can always add a second or even third round where people switch their hats and approach a new issue from a different perspective. This is also a great exercise for managers to observe closely. It’s a great way of seeing how people think and where their strengths lie.

This activity tests the strength of every link in the chain. In paperclip chain relay, teams compete to craft the longest paperclip chain within a time limit.

‍Set up:

1. Split everyone into teams of 4 to 6. Enough brains to brainstorm, but not too many cooks to spoil the broth.
2. Hand out equal piles of paper clips to each team. Ready, set, clip!
3. Decide on a time limit. 5 to 10 minutes should do the trick. Start your timer and keep it viewable.
4. Roam the room and cheer teams on as they make the longest chain possible. When time’s up, measure each chain to find the longest.

Keep your team moving with healthy hustle challenge! Teams work together on daily wellness goals—whether it’s step counts, hydration, or stretching breaks—and track their progress in a shared spreadsheet. It's a fun way to keep each other accountable and celebrate small wins.

This challenge is a great motivator to stay healthy while working remotely, with a little team spirit and friendly competition sprinkled in.

How to play:

• Set daily wellness goals (e.g., steps, hydration, or workouts).
• Teams track their progress in a shared spreadsheet.
• Celebrate the team with the best overall progress at the end!

How to play Pirate ship exercise

This icebreaker is a unique way to learn everyone’s different perceptions and what they bring to the table. Start by drawing a large pirate ship on a chalk or white board. Then go around the room and have each person describe who they would be on the ship, and why. For example, someone might say they would be the cook, because they love to provide for others.

Someone else might say they would be the first mate, because they like to be in charge without being an authority figure. This is a fun way to learn about how people see themselves, which can help you to work with them better in the future.

This game isn’t just a different name for “lunch,” It could be the perfect one to play just before you and your team sit down for a meal.

How to play:

‍One leader will gather everyone in a circle and give them two cues; one is “sandwiches” and the other “hamburgers.” Depending on their title, each person is also given a corresponding movement to go with their category.

For example, Sandwiches raise their left hand, and Hamburgers do a little jump.

For the first round, every time the leader says the word, they will do their assigned action as well, but after a few plays, they will start switching the steps up to create confusion. See how many team members can catch on to changing commands and keep up!

Materials you’ll need: Just your team and space to the lineup, or sit in a circle.

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

How to play What If?

Want to inject some energy into proceedings and trigger some silly, serious, and generally scintillating discussions at the same time? Play What If. A super straightforward question game, you simply take turns asking “what if” questions for your teammates to answer.

You may find that the best discussions come from questions people make up on the fly. Nevertheless, here are some great “What If” questions to get things started:

• What if you could travel back in time?
• What if the power went out for a month?
• What it there was no internet anywhere in the world?
• What if your high-school crush contacted you out of the blue?
• What if you stopped drinking coffee for a week?
• What if a famous director asked you to star in their next movie?
• What if you had 24 hours left to live?

How to play Jenga unstack

Try a condensed take on the popular game Jenga. Start by building the tower according to game instructions. Then see who can remove the most pieces in one minute without knocking everything down. You can do this as a large group and simply set the timer for a minute and see how far you can get, or you can have a Jenga tower prepared for smaller groups or pairs and have them compete to see who can remove the most. Either way, watch out for the falling pieces!