Icebreaker games for teams that everyone can enjoy

How to choose an icebreaker game

Start with the purpose. Are people meeting for the first time, warming up before a workshop, or reconnecting after the December holidays? A game that is perfect for a strategy day can feel silly at a Monday stand-up. If you would rather open with a good question than a game, our guide to icebreaker questions for work has plenty.

Then think about who is in the room. The same game can delight one person and quietly dread another, and that is mostly about style, not about being a good sport. You will find more ideas for groups in our team guides.

• Direct people enjoy games with a goal, a timer and a winner, and lose patience with anything that feels pointless.
• Inspiring people, such as the Spark, enjoy games with laughter, stories and a bit of performance, and wilt when it is silent or solo.
• Steady people enjoy games in pairs or small groups with clear instructions, and dread being singled out.
• Careful people enjoy games with logic, rules and a puzzle to solve, and dread forced sharing or looking foolish.

Quick games for the start of a meeting

These take five to 15 minutes and need nothing but people. They work well at the start of a workshop or a team meeting.

• Two truths and a lie (10 to 15 minutes, 5 to 15 people, in person or online): each person shares three statements and the group guesses the lie. Inspiring people shine; let others write theirs down first.
• Common ground (10 minutes, any size in groups of 4): each small group finds three things they all have in common, beyond "we work here". Steady people like the small groups.
• One-word story (5 minutes, 6 to 20 people): the group builds a story one word each, round the circle. Light and silly, with no wrong answers.
• Desert island object (10 minutes, up to 15 people): everyone names the one work object they would take to a desert island, and why. A fast, low-risk way to hear each voice.

Games that get people moving

Moving games lift the energy after lunch or a long presentation. Keep them gentle, check the space for anyone with limited mobility, and never make physical contact part of the rules.

• This or that (10 minutes, 10 to 40 people, in person): call out pairs such as "braai or pizza?" or "Joburg or Cape Town?" and people walk to one side of the room. Nobody has to speak, which Careful and Steady people appreciate.
• Line up (10 minutes, 8 to 30 people, in person): the group lines up by birthday or years at the company, without talking. Direct people often take charge; ask afterwards how the group organised itself.
• Human bingo (15 minutes, 15 to 50 people, in person): each person gets a card of traits such as "has been to Kruger" or "still has their matric dance photo", and finds a colleague for each square. Inspiring people love it; Steady people find it easier with a partner.
• Hoop relay (15 minutes, teams of 5 or more, outdoors): teams hop or step through a row of hoops and pass a baton. Make walking allowed, so it is about teamwork, not fitness.

Games for thinking and problem-solving

These take longer and suit workshops and away days. They are often where Careful and Direct people warm up, and the debrief is where the real value is.

• Marshmallow challenge (20 minutes, teams of 4): build the tallest tower from spaghetti, tape and string, with a marshmallow on top. Direct people race ahead, Careful people plan; talk about which worked.
• Survival ranking (30 minutes, teams of 4 to 6): teams rank 12 items for surviving a stranding in the Karoo, first alone, then together. It shows how each style argues, listens and decides.
• Back-to-back drawing (15 minutes, pairs): one person describes a shape, the other draws it without seeing it. Careful describers give precise detail; Inspiring ones describe the feel.

Icebreaker games for online teams

Online games need to be short and clear, because cameras and connections add friction. Have a back-up plan if someone drops off during load-shedding, and never make cameras compulsory.

• Show and tell (10 minutes, up to 12 people): everyone grabs one object within reach and explains it in 30 seconds. Easy for everyone, and Inspiring people often go first.
• Guess the desk (10 minutes, up to 20 people): people send a photo of their workspace beforehand and the group guesses whose is whose. Steady and Careful people like that they prepare in advance.
• Quick quiz (15 minutes, any size): a short, playful quiz about the team, with answers in the chat or a poll. Direct people enjoy the scoreboard.
• Emoji weather report (5 minutes, any size): everyone posts the emoji that sums up their week, then a few volunteers explain theirs.

How to make every game inclusive

An icebreaker should make people feel more welcome, not less.

Icebreakers are a good start, but they work best as part of a longer conversation about how the team works. Our year-end team review questions are a natural next step once people are talking.

• Explain the point first: "This is to help us work together today."
• Always allow a pass, and mean it.
• Use small groups or pairs before anything in front of the whole room.
• Avoid questions about family, money, religion or alcohol.
• Keep games physically gentle and allow walking instead of running.
• Keep it short. Ten good minutes beat thirty awkward ones.
• Debrief lightly: "What did you notice about how we worked?"

Turn your icebreaker into a live style map

If you want an icebreaker game that also shows how your group works, the DISC Test icebreaker pack runs a live session for up to 30 people. Phones join with a code, everyone answers a 12-question style check, and a live map of the room shows on the screen. It costs US$149 and stays open for 30 days, so you can use it at more than one event.