Good office party games help coworkers relax, meet people from other teams and share a laugh without anyone feeling put on the spot. Here are 22 tried and tested ideas, including icebreakers, team challenges for large groups, and seasonal office games for Christmas and Halloween parties. Each game lists players, what you need and how to play, and every one is safe for work.
A note before you start: keep games voluntary and inclusive. Offer roles such as scorekeeper or judge for anyone who would rather watch than play.
Office icebreaker games
Two Truths and a Lie
Players: 4 to 20 per group
You need: Nothing
Each person shares two true facts about themselves and one false one. Colleagues guess the lie. Keep facts work appropriate, such as hobbies, travel or first jobs. Full guide on our two truths and a lie page.
Who Is It? Fun Facts Quiz
Players: 10 to 200
You need: A fun fact collected from each employee in advance
Collect one surprising fact from each person, such as "I once met a penguin" or "I can juggle". Read them out or show them on screen, and teams guess who each fact belongs to.
Desk Photo Guess
Players: 10 to 100
You need: Photos of each person's desk or mug
Snap a photo of everyone's desk, mug or workspace before the party. Show them one at a time and teams guess whose it is.
Would You Rather, Work Edition
Players: 4 to 50
You need: A list of light questions
Ask questions like "would you rather have a four day week or a two hour lunch every day". People move to one side of the room to choose. Find more in our would you rather questions.
Human Bingo
Players: 15 to 200
You need: Printed bingo cards with prompts, pens
Each square has a prompt such as "has worked here more than five years" or "speaks three languages". Guests mingle and collect a different name for each square. First full line wins.
Office party games for large groups
Office Trivia
Players: 10 to 300, teams of 5 to 8
You need: A quiz with rounds on the company, general knowledge and pop culture
Run four rounds of ten questions, with one round about the office itself, such as "what year did we open the second floor". Teams write answers and swap for marking. It is the most reliable game for large office parties.
Office Survey Game
Players: 10 to 100, two teams
You need: Survey questions answered by staff beforehand
Send a short anonymous survey, such as "name something you always find in the office fridge". At the party, two teams guess the most popular answers. The team with the most points wins.
Charades
Players: 8 to 50, teams
You need: Slips with work or holiday themed words, a timer
Teams act out words like "reply all", "printer jam" or "coffee break" in one minute each. Follow the standard charades rules.
Cup Stacking Relay
Players: 8 to 100, teams of 4 to 6
You need: Paper or plastic cups, a table per team
Teams race to build a pyramid of cups, then stack them down again, passing the task to the next teammate each round. First team to finish all rounds wins.
Paper Airplane Contest
Players: 6 to 100
You need: Paper, markers, tape for a target line
Everyone folds a plane in five minutes. Award prizes for furthest flight, best design and closest to a target. It is quick, cheap and perfect for a large group.
Office Scavenger Hunt
Players: 10 to 100, teams
You need: A list of items or photo tasks around the office
Teams find or photograph items such as "the oldest calendar in the building" or "a selfie with someone from finance". Most points in 30 minutes wins. Get more ideas from our scavenger hunt ideas.
Hidden Role Game
Players: 8 to 20 per table
You need: Role cards
Run a game of mafia at an after work event. A few secret players try to stay hidden while the group discusses and votes. It builds a lot of laughter and conversation. Full mafia game rules.
Guess the Coworker Baby Photo
Players: 10 to 100
You need: Volunteered baby photos, a slideshow
Ask for baby photos ahead of time from those who want to join. Show them on screen and teams guess who is who. The reveal is always a highlight.
Quick desk and table challenges
Rubber Band Ball Race
Players: 4 to 20
You need: Rubber bands, a timer
Players race to build the biggest rubber band ball in one minute. Measure by weight or size.
Pen Flip
Players: 4 to 30
You need: Pens, a desk
Flip a pen off the edge of the desk so it lands standing on its end in a cup or upright on a target. Most successful flips in one minute wins.
Stapler Stack
Players: 4 to 20
You need: Staplers, tape dispensers and other desk items
Players stack desk items into the tallest tower they can in one minute. The tower must stand for three seconds to count.
Sticky Note Tower
Players: 4 to 30, teams
You need: Sticky note pads, a timer
Teams build a free standing tower using only sticky note pads and paper clips in five minutes. Tallest tower wins.
Christmas and Halloween office games
White Elephant Gift Swap
Players: 8 to 50
You need: One wrapped gift per person with a price limit
Players draw numbers. On their turn they open a new gift or steal one already opened. A gift can only be stolen three times. It is the classic Christmas office party game.
Ugly Sweater or Desk Decorating Contest
Players: Any number
You need: Voting slips
Staff vote for the best holiday sweater or the most festive desk. Give prizes in categories such as most creative and most homemade. See our Christmas party games for more ideas.
Costume Contest
Players: Any number
You need: Voting slips, prizes
For a Halloween office party, run categories like scariest, funniest, best team costume and best costume made from office supplies. Announce winners at the end of the day.
Pumpkin Decorating Race
Players: 4 to 50, teams
You need: Small pumpkins, office supplies, markers
Teams decorate a pumpkin using only office supplies like sticky notes, clips and highlighters. Everyone votes for the winner. It is an easy Halloween office game with no carving needed.
Holiday Trivia Lunch
Players: 10 to 100
You need: A short quiz on holiday traditions around the world
Run a 20 question quiz at the team lunch with a round about holidays your colleagues celebrate. It is inclusive and a nice way to learn about each other.
Planning tips for office party games
- Keep it inclusive. Avoid games that need heavy physical contact, personal secrets or embarrassing forfeits. Offer judge and scorekeeper roles.
- Large groups: trivia, human bingo, survey games and team relays work for 50 to 300 people. Split teams fairly with the random team generator so departments mix.
- Short slots: during a lunch break, choose one icebreaker and one quick challenge.
- Remote staff: trivia, Two Truths and a Lie and baby photo guessing all work on a video call.
- Prizes: extra break time, a coffee card, desk plants or a trophy that moves from winner to winner keep it fun.
Questions people ask
What are good office party games for large groups?
Office trivia, human bingo, survey games, the cup stacking relay and paper airplane contests all scale well. Split people into mixed teams of five to eight so everyone gets a turn.
What are fun Christmas office party games?
White Elephant, an ugly sweater or desk decorating contest, holiday trivia and Christmas charades are favorites. Set a gift price limit so everyone feels comfortable.
What Halloween games can you play at the office?
A costume contest, pumpkin decorating with office supplies, Halloween trivia and a spooky office scavenger hunt are all easy to run. None need carving tools or a big budget.
What are quick office games for a lunch break?
Two Truths and a Lie, Would You Rather, the pen flip and stapler stack challenges take five to ten minutes. They need only items already on your desk.
How do you make office games inclusive?
Choose games that do not depend on physical ability, personal disclosure or embarrassing forfeits. Make every game voluntary, mix teams across departments and give non players a role such as judge.