Top 21 Office Games That Promote Teamwork

When you have a workload, you might feel stressed and pressured and cannot focus on office work. Sometimes, you might want to take a break and move around.

People in many offices don’t know each other, don’t recognize each other’s work, and don’t communicate well. If you work in the same office, you have few or no interactions with your coworkers.

Office games are the best way to increase employee engagement in corporate houses. This leads to better professional relationships. Teamwork and communication are improved.

The researchers found that if there are fun games in the workplace, employees feel like they are 89% more productive.

Employees learn valuable skills like time management, planning, and leadership by playing productive office games. The office can organize these games in a sense of employee training. Playing games always help you develop your professional and personal skills.

Here, I have mentioned some of the categories of fun office games. They are productive, and collaborative which you can play at your office or during office events.

Games for Fostering Communication and Bonding

It is possible to improve communication between the members of your team through various team-building activities, which will enhance team collaboration.

1. Baby Picture Guessing

When To Play – Break time

Another fun office game you can play at the office party is Baby Picture Guessing. In this game, you will learn about your colleagues personally. It would be better if everyone emailed their pictures so that even if they forget to bring a picture, you can download it from the email.

How to Play Baby Picture Guessing Game?

Step 1: Ask everyone to bring their baby pictures to the office event. Every picture should be of when they were one year old or younger. Also, participants should not show their photos to anyone else.
Step 2: Print all participant pictures in the same size (preferably large) on glossy paper.
Step 3: Number each picture and place all the photos on the wall or board
Step 4: Place a card or piece of paper with the name of the people whose pictures are on display.
Step 5: Participants guess and write picture numbers beside the name. 

Time To Play Baby Picture Guessing Game

It can be finished within an hour, depending on the number of players.

In the end, the one with the most correct guesses wins the game, and you can reward them with some gifts.

2. Find 10 Things Common

When To Play – To Communicate Each Other

Finding 10 Things Common is an excellent way of team building and to know about each other in the team. 

If your company has many departments and there is limited communication among coworkers, it is a great way to know all the organization’s members. 

How to play Find 10 Things Common Game?

Step 1:  Divide team members into different groups of 5-6.
Step 2: List ten things in common and compare them with the group members.
Step 3: Once ten things are listed, team members need to share their list with other group members and find common things.
Make sure that participants do not list anything related to work.

Time To Play Find 10 Things Common Game

It takes 30 minutes to over an hour based on the size of the team.

This creates an environment of conversation and laughter and creates a healthy environment.

3. Never Have I Ever

Why To Play – To Build Strong Communication

Never Have I Ever is a fun office game to build communication among coworkers. The game is easy to play and requires the least number of materials. In this game, you will need a list of questions, cups, some drinks and a clue card written “I have” and “I have not.” 

How to Play Never Have I Ever Game?

Step 1: Prepare questions.
Step 2: Competitors ask questions from the question list.
Step 2: Each member is given a chance to answer the question.
The question is asked in turns. The person who answers “I have” has to drink and has to give the reason for saying “I have.” The one who says more “I have” wins the game.

Time To Play Never Have I Ever Game

It is dependent upon the number of participants.

4. Two Truth And One Lie

When To Play – Bored Time

Two Truth And One Lie is a short game that you can play when you are bored at work.

This fun office game is suitable for new employees in the workplace. It helps employees know about each other and open up among the team. 

The game does not require any equipment. All you need is a pen and paper to write down each participant’s score. You can host the game at any place, indoors or outdoors.

How to Play Two Truth and One Lie Game?

Step 1: Arrange five to twelve participants.
Step 2: Sit in a circular arrangement, and each participant states three statements about themselves.
Step 3: Guess which two statements are true and which one is false.
Two statements must be true, and one should be false among the three statements. The statement can be related to their interest, hobbies, life experience, or anything unique. 

You should keep updating the score of participants who guessed correctly. The one who scores the most wins the game. 

Time To Play Two Truth And One Lie Game

It may take 15 to 20 minutes to complete the game.

5. All Aboard

When To Play – Time Pass

All Aboard is a fun office game that encourages employees to improve collaboration and leadership skills. This game also boosts communication skills and increases trust among employees.  

How to Play All Aboard Game?

Step 1: Make a circle using a rope or mat.
Step 2: Make teams of 8-15 people.
Step 3: The team fits themselves in the mat or the circle.
Step 4: After every round, the carpet or circle will get smaller. 

The game continues until the team will no longer fit in the mat, and the team who can fit until last wins. 

You can play the game either inside the office, if the office is spacious, or play it outside the office.

Time To Play All Aboard Game

It takes a few minutes to half an hour to finish, depending upon the number of teams.

Games That Encourage Teamwork

Playing some fun office games can be just as effective as any other method for strengthening your team. 

Connecting with one another through games is an excellent way to strengthen social connections. Moreover, your coworkers will be challenged to think strategically and find creative solutions to problems.

6. The Egg Drop

When To Play – Bored Time

The Egg Drop is a fun and creative office game that you can play in your office. This game improves problem-solving skills among team members and enhances teamwork and time management skills among employees. 

If you’re bored at work, you can play this short game. You can either play this game in a group or can play individually.

How to Play the Egg Drop Game?

Step 1: Create a 3-5 members group and give each team one egg. Along with the egg, you should also provide cloth pen, pencil, tapes, straw, tissues, and other office material to all the groups.
Step 2: Every team builds a container for the egg, from the given supplies, and they have 15 minutes to build it.
After 15 minutes.
Step 3: Each team has to drop their container. The group that prevents their egg from cracking when they drop the container, wins the game.
If more than one group succeeds in making the container and protecting the eggs, then the one who made the structure with the least material is the winner.
Make sure that teams are far from each other while making the container to make the game fair and square.

Time To Play The Egg Drop Game

It would take over an hour to complete the game.

7. Lights, Camera, Action

When To Play – Break Time

Lights, Camera, Action is a fun game that you can play in your leisure time. This game teaches you about time management and boosts your creativity simultaneously.

You need a lot of equipment – a camera, a computer with video editing software, camera tripods, and a projector or TV to play this game. 

How to play Lights, Camera, Action Game?

Step 1: Gather 10- 30 participants.
Step 2: Divide the total participant into a small group of 4-6 people.
Step 3: Write different themes on a small piece of paper.
Step 4: Ask them to pick a piece that contains the theme.
Step 5: Once all the team selects their theme, you can allocate the time for the team to present their short movie. Give them a minimum of 1 hour to create a film.

Finally, all the office staff can gather in the hall and watch the movie made by each team. The judges will decide the winner based on team creativity, acting, camera work, and editing skill.

Time To Play Lights, Camera, Action Game

It takes more than an hour to finish, probably a few hours.

Workplace Games to Make Your Office More Fun 

It’s important to get into a good mood for better productivity. It is possible that you are stressed and burnt out as a result of your workload. You should therefore take breaks and play games to refresh yourself.

Taking part in games will stimulate your mind in a different way and help you solve problems more effectively.

8. Cooking Off

When/Why To Play – To Increase Employee’s Productivity

Cooking off or cooking challenges is a fun way to improve team relations and collaboration. Cooking off is a great way to build relations, bring people closer, and enhance employees’ performance. 

You can organize “cooking off” in different ways for it can be judged based on time, skill, presentation, and, most importantly, taste. You can also organize the challenge based on a theme like Halloween, Christmas, thanksgiving, and more cook-off challenges. 

You can make the challenge more fun by having it between managers and subordinates, managers against managers, marketing versus HR, etc.

How to Play Cooking Off Game?

Step 1: Assign teams to cook specific food items.
Step 2: When the participants are done cooking, non-participants employees should taste the food and rate their cooking skills. 

Time To Play Cooking Off Game

It takes time for all items to be ready, so it takes a few hours to complete this game.

9. Charades

When To Play – Bored Time

Charades is a fun team-building game that you can play with your team when you are bored.

It improves leadership skills among team members, enhances team communication skills, and improves employees’ concentration power. It also helps develop employees’ role-playing skills and encourages their collaboration. 

You need a watch, pen, paper, to write the score, and a basket or container to keep the piece of paper to play this game.

How to Play Charades Game?

Step 1: Select themes like food items, movies, music, or even office themes.
Step 2: Teams write names or phrases related to the theme. The team should not write phrases more than seven words, and at least three members in the team should know the word or the phrase.
Step 3: Each team member from both groups picks the slip in turn, and mimes the words before their team.
The team who can guess the exact word more than others wins the game. 

Time To Play Charades Game

It takes more than an hour depending upon the number of players.

10. Googly Eyes

When To Play – Stress Time

Googly eyes help to lighten the mood and release stress in employees. It’s a short game that you can play at lunchtime or any other leisure time. 

How to Play Googly Eyes Game?

Step 1: Prepare objects for the game – a pair of goggles, a board or paper, and a marker.
Step 2: Put the goggles over the borrowed power spectacles of some employees.
Step 3: A player will put on the spectacles with mounted goggles.
Step 4: Other players will draw some random pictures.
Step 5: The player wearing the spectacles will try to identify the pictures.

It is played with a minimum of 4 participants. The player who guesses more drawing correctly wins the game.

Time To Play Googly Eyes Game

It finishes quickly within a few minutes.

11. Would You Rather

When To Play – Bored At Work

Would You Rather game helps to improve communication skills and encourages employees to freely put their points of view. 

The game requires 3 to 10 people to make it exciting and fun. 

How to Play Would You Rather Game?

Step 1: Prepare a list of questions.
Step 2: Teammates ask slightly difficult questions to everyone in turn.

The purpose is to put teammates in a dilemma. Basic questions like “Choose between time and money?” can be boring. The game is for fun and refreshment. 

Time To Play Would You Rather Game

It takes only 10 minutes. 

12. PowerPoint Karaoke

When To Play – Any Time

PowerPoint Karaoke is also known as Battle Deck, which helps lighten employees’ moods. It also helps to improve employees’ presentation skills and creates a fun environment. 

How to Play PowerPoint karaoke Game?

Step 1: Prepare presentation slides that participants have not seen before.
Step 2: Each participant is given some presentation slides, and they have three minutes to present the slide.
Game winner is the one who presents the slide better and gets the most votes. Voting can be done by raising hands or cheering for the person. Participants are judged based on their confidence, their flow of presenting the slides, and audience response.

The total number of participants for the game is 3 to 10

When employees present the presentation, they cannot skip any slides and cannot view them in advance. 

Time To Play PowerPoint Karaoke Game

It may take hours to finish depending on the number of players.

13. No Smiling

When To Play – Stress Time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khmzuIF–gs&ab_channel=Spyder

One of the best ways to lighten the mood of employees is to reduce employees’ tension and stress. The game lightens the mood of employees. 

You need a minimum of three-four people to play this game. This game does not require any equipment, and you can play the game anywhere, no ample space is needed.  

How to Play No Smiling Game?

The game rule is straightforward, as the name implies. All you have to do is not smile.

Step 1: Players sit in a circular space, and a volunteer is assigned.
Step 2: Volunteers will monitor employees and see who smiled and who did not. The volunteer can tell some jokes and try to make participants laugh to make it more interesting.

In this game, the one who didn’t smile at all or the one who smiled at last wins. 

Time To Play No Smiling Game

It takes a few minutes to finish.

Events that Encourage Employee Engagement in the Workplace

Celebrating Big and small wins in the workplace boost engagement. Having fun events at the weekend, celebrating birthdays, and having parties are great ways to improve employee engagement, recognition, retention, and belonging.

14. Secret Santa

When To Play – Festival season, Office Events

One of the fun office games to play when Christmas is around is Secret Santa. It is one of the most popular games during the festival season. This game helps you know your colleague’s choices and helps you to establish better communication.

How to Play Secret Santa Game?

In the game, you must randomly assign people to give gifts, and the giver’s identity should be secret. 

Step 1:  Write each participant’s name on a small paper.
Players can even write down the gifts they want, making sure everyone gets what they want. You can even set a price limit for the present so there is no financial burden.
Step 2: Each player draws a piece of paper and later buys the gift for the person whose name they have picked.
Step 3: Pick a date when you want to do a gift exchange and make sure all the participants are available on that day. Usually, it happens when the office closes before the holidays or at the Christmas party.

At last, you should guess who your Secret Santa is.

Time To Play Secret Santa Game

It depends on the office rule. It can be from a week to a month. It takes time for everyone to buy and present their gifts. 

15. Trivia Night 

When To Play – Friday

Trivia Night is a fun game that you can play at the office during lunch break, recreational time, or on Friday. Trivia Night is a popular game known as Pub Quiz, Quiz Night, or Bar Trivia.

This game helps test employees’ general knowledge and concentration power and lighten their moods.

How to Play Trivia Night Game?

Step 1: Select a theme you want for the quiz.
For example, If you choose a building for a theme, you need to ask questions related to popular architectural structures. A quiz is available to anyone having an interest in or knowledge of the theme you choose.
Step 2: Create teams; usually, team members can be 2-8 people.
Step 3: Create questions. Different types of questions in different rounds.
To make the game more fun you can select a theme that is understood by more, like an office, where you ask questions about your workplace. It can improve the relations among team members and identify any issues in the office. 

You can have 3-5 rounds, and each round can have 5-7 questions. You may have to ask some additional questions for the tiebreaker. 

Time To Play Trivia Night Game

It may take 2-3 hours to complete.

In order to keep your crowd entertained, you can keep updating the score to the crowd when a team gives the correct answer. The team that gives most of the answers correctly wins the game and is awarded some gifts.

16. The Hot Seat

When To Play – During Office Events

The Hot Seat is a fun way to learn new things and get to know teammates simultaneously. It helps to increase leadership skills and build relationships among team members. It can be played during lunch breaks or office events.

How to Play the Hot Seat Game?

Step 1: A person is seated on a seat.
Step 2: Everyone asks the person a question.
In this game, one person needs to get into the hot seat, and one by one, each team member needs to ask questions. You can ask questions related to anything from general knowledge to personal questions. 

Make sure teammates aren’t asking too personal questions, which might be uncomfortable or irrelevant for the game.

The one who answers most of the questions wins the game.

Time To Play The Hot Seat Game

It takes half an hour or more.

17. Office Scavenger Hunt

When To Play – Office Events/Employee Birthday Celebration

Scavenger Hunt, known as Treasure Hunt, is a fun game that you can play at your office when you have some time like at an office party. The best part of this game is that you can play this game anywhere.

This game also improves problem-solving skills, time management skills, and encourages employees to collaborate with their team members. 

How to Play Office Scavenger Hunt Game?

You can play the game individually or in groups. If you play the game in a group, you can create a group of three to five people. 

Step 1: Hide some specific items in different places.
Step 2: The participants search and gather all the hidden objects.
The team that collects more items wins more points and is the winner of the game. 

You can even separate the points based on the game’s difficulty level. Items that are easy to find score fewer points and difficult items to find score more points. 

Time To Play Office Scavenger Hunt Game

The game requires a minimum of 30 minutes.

18. Laser Tag

When To Play – Weekend

Laser Tag is a fun team-building office game that you can play during the weekend with your colleagues. 

This game helps to improve employees’ communication and collaboration. It also helps to improve the planning ability and team-building capability of employees. 

How to Play Laser Tag Game?

Step 1: Go to a Laser Tag arena.
Step 2: Make two teams minimum of 1 player each.
Step 3: Wear the gears and enter the arena.
Step 4: Try to tag the players of the opposite team with a paintball gun.

All the required equipment will be provided to you there. The team that hits the most wins the game. 

This game improves employees’ decision-making capacity and enhances employees’ leadership skills.

Time To Play Laser Tag Game

Normally, it will take 15 minutes to finish.

19. Body of Word

When To Play – Office Party
Body of word is a fun game that you can play at your office party or office events. This game improves employees’ teamwork. It teaches employees how to plan, and collaborate. The game also helps employees to be creative.

How to Play Body of Word Game?

Step 1: Divide your team into 4 to 8 members, and assign each member a leader.
Step 2:  Think of a word having fewer letters than the number of team members. Then, write the word on a card.
Step 3: Each team picks a word card randomly. 

The team that guesses the word faster wins the game in this game. 

You need 4-24 people to play “body of word”. 

Time To Play Body Of Word Game

It depends on the number of players and lasts from a few minutes to an hour.

20. Capture The Flag

When To Play – Office Outside Event

Capture the flag is a traditional fun game that you can play outside your office at some events. This game helps to enhance employees’ communication, leadership, collaboration, and planning skills. 

How to Play Capture The Flag Game?

Step 1: Maintain two or more flags and adequate space for employees to play.
Step 2: Find the other team’s flag.
Step 3: Try to steal and bring it to your territory.
Step 4: Tag the other team’s players during the game and keep them in jail.

The number of participants can vary from a minimum of 8 people. Any number of teams is allowed and each team will have 4-5 people.

The game has very simple rules. You should try to protect the flag and ensure that no team members get tagged. 

If you go to other teams’ territory and get tagged, you will be kept in jail. You can get out of jail only when your team member who is not tagged will tag you. 

The team who can capture the other team’s flag or tag all the players to jail will win the game. 

Time To Play Capture The Flag Game

It can take up to half an hour to finish the game.

21. Pyramid Solitaire

When To Play – Leisurely Time With Group

Pyramid Solitaire is an extremely popular variant of the classic card game Solitaire, and is a great strategy game to solve together with your team.

How to Play Pyramid Solitaire?

Step 1: A pyramid of cards is dealt, face up, with each row having one more card than the row above it.

Step 2: The remaining cards are placed in a draw pile.

Step 3: The player must try to remove pairs of cards that add up to a total of 13.

Step 4: Kings are worth 13 points and can be removed on their own.

Step 5: Cards can only be removed if they are not covered by another card. If no pairs can be made, the player can draw a card from the draw pile.

Step 6: The game is won if all cards in the pyramid are removed or paired up to a total of 13.The game is lost if there are no more cards in the draw pile and no pairs can be made from the pyramid.

The number of participants can range from a single person to multiple groups.

Time To Play Pyramid Solitaire

The game can vary from 15-30 minutes

At Gamblizard, fostering teamwork and collaboration is at the core of our success, and we love incorporating fun into our work environment. One game that has resonated with our team is ‘Casino Heist.’ Divided into groups, we take on roles of casino operators, strategists, and players, working together to ‘plan’ a hypothetical heist. Each team must utilize their unique skills and communicate effectively to strategize a successful ‘heist’ within a set time. The game encourages critical thinking, teamwork, and of course, ties in with our passion for casino analysis. It’s not just an engaging way to break from our daily routine but a metaphorical reflection of how we must work together to achieve common goals. This exercise has notably enhanced our collaborative spirit and inspired innovative thinking in our workplace.

Jamie Wall, Casino Analyst, Gamblizard

Benefits of Performing Fun Games and Activities at the Workplace

Playing games that are not related to work can have a number of benefits for employees, which are listed below.

• Enhance greater collaboration between employees
• Improved communication among employees
• Minimizes stress and anxiety
• Boost innovation and productivity
• Increases confidence level
• Stimulate creativity and empower new ideas
• Get to know colleagues better
• Become better problem-solvers

Possible Drawbacks of Organizing Games in Office

Fun games in the workplace have some drawbacks. They are listed below:

• Team building activities are time-consuming.  Employees will be distracted and there will be a loss of time. 
• The fun games can be a headache to the employer, if not managed properly.
• Team building activities can be very expensive
• Addiction comes in different forms in our life. One day we are introduced to it and the next, we can get used to it, we never know.

To overcome this addiction habit, we recommend business owners use timeTracko to monitor and measure daily employee performance activity.

It sounds lame, but it works. Give it a try.

Conclusion

It is always good to organize fun office games and events in the organization, once or twice a month. Whether you play the game to train employees’ skills or lighten employees’ moods, such events are necessary. 

Organizing fun games frequently enhances productivity in the participants, creates a positive work environment, and boosts their morale.

Here I have tried to mention some of the fun office games for employees. I would like to know your favorite fun office games you play at your office. 

Please do not forget to mention them in the comment section below.

FAQs Regarding Fun Games At Office: