Planning an office party for a small group of coworkers? Looking for some fun games that will liven up the event, break the ice, and bring your team together? This ultimate list has you covered with 25 office party games for small groups.
The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive list of the best party games to play at a small office gathering. These games are designed to get coworkers mingling, laughing, and getting to know each other better in a casual, fun way outside of the usual work environment.
Whether you’re organizing a holiday party or team building event, or just want to add some activities to a milestone celebration, these office party game ideas will transform your small office party into an engaging and memorable event. The games range from quick and simple icebreakers to more involved team competitions, with options for all sizes of groups.
Get ready to find tons of office party inspiration with this ultimate list! Let’s jump right into the top office party game ideas for small groups and teams:
Icebreaker Games
Icebreaker games are a great way to get coworkers mingling and learning more about each other in a fun, low-pressure environment. Here are some of the best icebreaker games to play at an office party:
Two Truths and a Lie
Two Truths and a Lie is a classic icebreaker game that works for any size group. Each player makes three statements about themselves – two true statements and one lie. The rest of the group takes turns guessing which statement is the lie. This game helps coworkers get to know interesting facts about each other and can spark some hilarious debates as players try to guess the lies.
To play, have each player write down two truths and one lie about themselves on a slip of paper. Go around and have each person read their three statements aloud. The group discusses and votes on which one they think is the lie. Reveal the real lie at the end!
Never Have I Ever
Never Have I Ever is a simple game that helps coworkers find common ground. Players take turns making a statement starting with “Never have I ever…” that is true for them. Everyone who HAS done that thing must take a drink. Statements can reveal funny stories or shared experiences between coworkers.
Some example prompts:
- Never have I ever showed up late to work with a crazy excuse
- Never have I ever fallen asleep at my desk
- Never have I ever had an office crush
Keep it lighthearted and work-appropriate! The player who has “never” done the most things at the end wins.
Common Ground
Common Ground is an easy icebreaker game that highlights how we’re all more alike than different. Form small groups and give each team a timer (60 seconds works well). The challenge is for the group to find something they all have in common – whether they’re all left-handed, love spicy food, have a sweet tooth, etc. Set a few rounds and see what interesting commonalities emerge!
Name Game
Learning coworkers’ names helps everyone feel welcome. Have the group stand in a circle. The first player introduces themselves with an adjective that starts with the same first letter as their name, e.g. “Dynamic Dani.” Go around the circle with each person saying their name and the previous players’ names/adjectives. The last player must recite everyone’s name!
Trivia Games
Trivia games are a fun way to engage coworkers and get people mingling at an office party. They encourage friendly competition and allow coworkers to showcase their random knowledge. Here are some great trivia game ideas for office parties:
Pop Culture Trivia
Test your coworkers’ knowledge of music, movies, TV shows, and celebrities with pop culture trivia questions. Make different rounds focused on different decades or genres. Give points for correct answers and bonus points for naming the year or other details. To add some extra fun, encourage people to dress up in outfits inspired by their favorite pop culture icons or decades.
Company Trivia
Company trivia is a great way for coworkers to learn more about their organization and each other. Make questions about company history, products/services, office locations, executives, employee tenure, etc. Consider giving small prizes for those who get the top scores. This is also a good team building activity if you divide people into teams and have them work together to answer questions.
Holiday Trivia
Around the holidays, make trivia focused on holiday movies, songs, traditions, food, and more. Tailor it to whatever holidays your office celebrates – Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s, etc. Give fun prizes like small stocking stuffers, candy, or holiday-themed office supplies to the winners. You can even have some questions related to your company’s holiday traditions and parties from past years.
Trivia games get everyone engaged in a fun, low-pressure way. Cater your questions to things your coworkers will find interesting and relatable. Keep the mood light by mixing easy and difficult questions, and consider having prizes or rewards for participation, not just winning. Trivia is a classic game format that works for any office party.
Active Games
Active games are a great way to get people moving and interacting at an office party. They help break up the monotony of just eating, drinking and mingling.
Office Olympics
Create your own “Office Olympics” with mini games and contests. Have relay races by getting teams to run with objects on spoons or stack cups and run across the room. Set up a mini obstacle course with objects around the office. Have tricycle or office chair races. Get creative with games using office supplies! Award medals or small prizes to the winning team.
Scavenger Hunt
Send teams off around the office with a list of objects or tasks they have to find/accomplish and take pictures of. Great for new employees to explore the office. Examples: Take a selfie with the CEO, find the oldest office relic, recreate the company logo with office supplies. The team who completes the scavenger hunt first wins!
Balloon Stomp
Blow up balloons and scatter them around the office. Have everyone put balloons inside their shirts and the goal is to pop other people’s balloons while protecting your own. No hands allowed! The last person with an intact balloon wins. This game encourages silliness and interaction. Just be prepared to clean up all the balloon pieces after!
Guessing Games
Guessing games are a fun way to get people mingling and interacting at an office party. Here are some of the best guessing games to play:
Heads Up
This is a simple guessing game that only requires a smartphone. One person holds the phone against their forehead so they can’t see the word displayed. The rest of the group gives clues to try to get them to guess the word. Take turns so everyone gets a chance. Make it work appropriate by only using office related words.
Charades
Break into teams and have players take turns acting out different office related words or phrases without speaking. The rest of the team has to guess what they are acting out. Set a time limit for each round. The team with the most points at the end wins!
Draw It
Give each player several slips of paper and have them write down office-related words or phrases. Collect all the slips in a bowl. Take turns selecting a slip and drawing the word on a whiteboard for your team to guess. You can only draw simple stick figures and shapes – no letters or numbers allowed. The team that guesses the most drawings correctly wins. This guessing game is hilarious when people try to draw complex items in simple ways.
Team Building Games
Team building games are a fun way to bring your office together and get to know your coworkers better. Here are some of the best team games to play at your next office party:
Minefield
This game requires some setup but is worth it for the laughs! Tape pieces of paper with instructions like “Hop on one foot” or “Talk in a funny accent” on the floor throughout an open area. Split people into teams of 2-3, blindfold one team member, and have their teammates verbally guide them through the “minefield” without stepping on any papers. Hitting a paper means they have to do whatever silly task is written on it. The team that makes it through the fastest wins!
Paper Airplane Contest
Hand out sheets of paper and challenge teams to create the best paper airplane they can in 5 minutes. Mark a start and finish line and have teams take turns throwing their planes. The team whose plane flies the farthest wins! For extra fun, create awards for categories like “Most Unique Design” or “Shortest Flight.”
Marshmallow Challenge
Give each team 20 sticks of spaghetti, one yard of tape, one yard of string, and one marshmallow. Their challenge is to build the tallest freestanding structure possible that will support the marshmallow on top. Set a time limit then measure each structure. The tallest one wins! This activity encourages teamwork and problem-solving.
Holiday Games
Holiday parties are a great time to play some festive and seasonal games. Here are some of the best holiday games to liven up your office party:
White Elephant
A white elephant gift exchange is a popular and hilarious game for holiday office parties. To play, have everyone bring a wrapped gift to contribute, with a price limit like $10-20. Sit in a circle and take turns choosing a random gift from the pile or “stealing” a previously opened gift. Set a limit on how many times a gift can be stolen to keep the game moving. This game always leads to laughter as people unwrap silly, tacky, or downright strange white elephant gifts.
Holiday Bingo
Get some inexpensive bingo cards and give one to each guest. Replace the traditional bingo column headers with holiday themes like “Santa Claus”, “Reindeer”, “Snowman”, etc. As the game host, randomly draw and call out holiday words like “stocking”, “wreath”, “gingerbread”, etc. The first player to complete a row and yell “Bingo!” wins a small prize. To add more holiday spirit, use candy canes as bingo markers.
Ornament Exchange
Ask everyone to bring 1-2 inexpensive holiday ornament gifts. Sit in a circle and give each person a number. Draw numbers one at a time and have each person choose an ornament and unwrap it for all to see. The next number drawn can choose to unwrap a new ornament or “steal” any previous ornament. Set a steal limit to keep the game moving. This is another lively game that creates laughs and friendly competition.
Holiday games are a fun way to spread seasonal cheer and bring some friendly competition to your office party. Games like these are sure to get people smiling, laughing, and feeling the holiday spirit. What are your favorite holiday party games?
Minute to Win Games
Minute to Win Games are a fun way to add some friendly competition and excitement to your office party. They involve simple challenges that must be completed within a short time limit, usually 1 minute. These fast-paced games are great for getting people moving and laughing.
One popular Minute to Win Game is the Stack Up Challenge. Break people into teams of 2-4 players. Give each team 20 plastic cups and challenge them to build the tallest freestanding tower in 1 minute. They can stack the cups any way they want, but the tower must stand on its own when time is up. Set a timer and watch the towers rise! The team with the tallest standing tower wins.
Another fun one is the Marshmallow and Spaghetti Tower. Give each team a pack of spaghetti, a pack of mini marshmallows, tape and string. Their challenge is to build the tallest freestanding tower they can in just 1 minute using only those materials. The marshmallows can act as connectors between dry spaghetti noodles to build upwards. This activity encourages creativity and problem solving. The team with the tallest tower wins!
For a more active game, try the Paper Airplane Distance Contest. Give each person a sheet of paper and challenge them to fold and throw a paper airplane as far as they can within 1 minute. Mark each player’s landing spot. The person whose plane travels the farthest wins a prize. This simple game never fails to bring out people’s competitive spirit!
Minute to Win Games add suspense and excitement to any office party. They encourage collaboration and creativity under the pressure of a ticking timer. Consider adding a few of these lively challenges to energize your event!
Prize Games
Prize games are a fun way to add some friendly competition and excitement to your office party. They offer a chance to win fun prizes while getting everyone engaged.
One popular prize game is a jelly bean counting contest. Fill a clear jar with jelly beans and have each person submit a guess for how many beans are in the jar. The person with the closest guess wins the jar of candy! To up the stakes, consider giving the winner a gift card or other fun prize.
How many in the jar? is another guessing game where you fill any container with small items like candy, pennies, marbles etc. Have each person write down a guess for how many are inside. Reveal the actual count and the closest guess wins.
For a skill-based prize game, set up a miniature closest to the pin putt putt course around the office or party room. Give each person a putter and golf ball and let them take turns trying to get closest to the “pin” target you set up. The closest putt wins a prize.
Prize games add some friendly competition and give people a chance to win fun prizes. They can be simple to set up but make your office party more engaging and memorable.
Conclusion
Planning an office party doesn’t have to be stressful or expensive. The key is focusing on fun and creative games that encourage coworkers to mingle and get to know each other better. An office party should ultimately strengthen company culture, boost morale, and bring everyone together in a relaxed environment outside of day-to-day work.
The games in this list highlight some unique ideas that can transform your office party into an engaging and memorable event. From trivia and guessing games, to minute-to-win challenges and team building activities, there are options suitable for any size gathering.
The best office party games are simple to explain, easy to set up, and accommodate both small and large groups. They often require just basic supplies like paper, pens, a timer, and a bit of creativity. Most importantly, they get everyone participating and interacting in fun new ways.
So don’t be afraid to think outside the box for your next office party. The more creative and lively the games, the more people will enjoy themselves and feel a renewed sense of energy and team spirit. The right office party games can bring out everyone’s silly side, create lasting memories, and remind coworkers that work can actually be fun!
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