How many times have you participated in ice breakers at school, camps, or at work?
I am sure more times than you can count.
Do they work though?
According to the article, Icebreakers Are Terrible. They Also, Unfortunately, Work Really Well, By Cari Romm; “Psychologist Anton Villado is adamant that the answer is yes, and that icebreakers don’t have to be pleasant to be effective.”
With that being said, why not try and have them be!?
From personal experience I have found that some ice breakers such as asking random questions can be over the top awkward at points. Take for instance, “What is your favorite childhood memory?”
The willingness to answer that honestly, is hard to measure.
In addition, competitions with team building like constructing a card house, appear on the surface like they are making good progress. In reality however, the extroverted people in the group tend to dominate the exercise.
Games are the best way to create real teamwork and connection in the quickest way possible.
Games can be competitive, funny, and most of all, inclusive.
So take a dive with me into some great ice breaker games you can introduce to your own office!
5. Double Trouble
Double Trouble is a great game for the creative brains. While the name makes it sounds like Thing 1 and Thing 2 from the Cat in the Hat are going to rush onto the scene, it is much calmer than that, and makes it great for an office setting!
Goal of the Game
The game is simply to make rules and have fun!
Players will work together to write down 36 total rules. Players will then roll a dice 2 times to see what rule they have to abide by.
Setup
First off, you need some people. The game calls 2–10 players, and I think that range is about as big as it can go for a new work team.
You can add more players, but it might make sense to do 2 separate groups if you have more than 10 players.
In addition to players, you need:
1 dice
1 Piece of paper / or White Board
1 Writing Utensil
Once you have all of your materials, you will create a 6x6 data table with squares big enough, so that you can write rules inside of them, and label 1–6 horizontally and vertically.
The best way is to have people take turns writing their own rule into one of the boxes. It allows everyone to be involved, and is usually easier than having one person make all of the rules.
Some examples of rules can be “do 10 jumping jacks” or “act out an animal for everyone to guess”
Once all of the rules are filled out, you can get playing!
Game Play
Playing Double Trouble is the easiest part!
Once you have all of the rules, you simply have players go around and roll the dice.
The first roll corresponds with the horizontal number, and the second roll corresponds with the vertical number. Which ever rule corresponds to the 2 rolls is the rule the player abides by!
I think it makes the most sense to have a maximum on the amount of rolls. So you can play 3–5 rounds (ie. players get to take 3 full turns).
For the full instructions and rules visit
https://www.lowershelfgames.com/games/double_trouble
Why it’s Great for Work Teams?
Double Trouble is great for work teams because it allows you to see the workers’ creativity. Coming up with engaging and unique rules can be very difficult. Giving everyone the ability to showcase their own rule(s) and then have team members actually abide by them can create some great memories!
Why it’s not Great for Work Teams?
Double Trouble can be a little slow paced. That is why I think the game is better used with a maximum amount of turns for each player. Coming up with rules is also not very easy, so make sure not to rush players as it could put some unneeded pressure on them!
4. Cheers Governor
Ever remember that game telephone? For those that don’t, you would whisper a secret message that had to try and be repeated all the way around the circle. Well, Cheers Governor is kind of a more fun, vocal, version of that game, with a little more teamwork!
Goal of the Game
You and all of the other players will work as a team to try and make a rule for every number!
All players will be working towards the same goal. Players within the group will be counting to 21. When the group counts to 21 they will choose a number without a rule and change its value. Once all of the numbers have been given a new value/rule, the group will complete the game!
Setup
One of the best parts about this game is that there are no materials needed!
You will need 8–10 players for the game, to be successful in my opinion. Having less is okay, but ideally 8–10 or even more players would be best.
You can have everyone sit around in a circle with chairs, or on the floor, or even standing, but chairs in an office setting likely make the most sense!
Game Play
Before you start trying to count to 21, the number ‘7’ is changed to ‘11’ and vice versa
(ie. 3–4–5–6-“11”-8–9–10-“7”-12–13-etc.)
One person in the group will start by saying the number 1.
Then person to their left (clockwise) will then say the number 2. And so on.
If a person messes up by saying the wrong number, the count will start over at 1 with the next person
Once the group can count all the way up to 21, that player will make a new rule to replace one of the ruleless numbers. For instance if ‘9’ did not have a rule yet you could change it to ‘Orange’
(ie. 4–5–6-“11”-8-“Orange”-10-“7”-12–13-etc. )
The group will then start over, and attempt to make a rule for every number up to 21
You don’t have to add a penalty. But it can be really fun to add some sort of penalty for the individual whom messes up (ie. has to tell everyone a fun fact about themself)
For the full instructions and rules visit
https://www.lowershelfgames.com/games/cheers_governor
Why it’s Great for Work Teams?
Cheers Governor is honestly an awesome team game. There are no winners or losers, so it just creates a lot of laughs as everyone tries to reach the same goal. It also is a great way to showcase some creativity among the group when making rules.
Why it’s not Great for Work Teams?
I don’t have a lot of complaints here as an ice breaker. The only potential drawback I could see is if someone really has a tough time with memory and is continually messing up.
3. Charades
This game is as old as time. But much like your McDonalds or your Wendy’s, things that work tend to stick around for a long time. Charades might make a fool out of everyone playing, but at least you can do it together.
Goal of the Game
Teams compete to collect 11 points!
Based on the words written on the slips of paper at the beginning of the game, players will attempt to act out/mime them to help their teammates guess the correct word. Once a team reaches 11 correct answers, they have won!
Setup
For players, this game has some flexibility. You can make multiple small teams or a couple big ones. The game is best played with 6–10 players.
I personally like teams of 3 or 4 players, as I think everyone has a better chance of needing to be involved when guessing.
In addition to the players, you need:
Paper
Writing Utensils
Scissors
Timer
You don’t have to do this step if you are managing the ice breaker, but I think having the players come up with the words that co-workers have to act out is more entertaining and inclusive than just looking up words before hand.
After you have all of the words (about 5–10 per player) you throw them into a pile
Split your work teams up into teams before you start and put 30 seconds on the timer
Game Play
Game play is straight forward if you don’t already know how to play.
Basically the first team will have a player go up in front of everyone and pull a word from the pile.
They attempt to act it out for their team by miming, while their team attempts to guess.
If the team guesses before the 30 second timer runs out, they earn the point!
If they fail to do so, the word goes back in the pile and the next team has a player come up and try with another word before 30 seconds runs out.
The game continues until one team earns 11 points!
For the full instructions and rules visit
https://www.lowershelfgames.com/games/Charades
Why it’s Great for Work Teams?
Charades is great for work teams for a number of reasons. It lets people show their personality a bit, their creativity in a high pressure situation, and their problem solving while guessing. But ultimately it creates a lot of laughs.
Why it’s not Great for Work Teams?
The biggest issue with charades is needing or pretending to have the confidence to act out something in front of people. Introverts may be better served in the guessing realm for this game, so it is important to encourage all players speak up and make it feel like a safe place to play!
2. Flip Cup Target
I have given you a few games so far with some creativity, but not all offices or work teams want those types of ice breakers. Some like fast and fun competition! And for that, look no further than Flip Cup Target.
Goal of the Game
Partners try to be the last team eliminated!
Teams of 2 will be competing against one another. To start, 1 side of the table will be considered throwers, and the other side will be considered catchers. On a 3–2–1 count, the throwers will attempt to flip their cup in the air, into their partner’s cup. The last team to do so gets eliminated. The catchers and throwers will then switch and the game starts again. Once there is only 1 team left, they win!
Setup
If you have an office setting with some folding tables, or a large conference room, this game is likely best played there.
You can really have as many players as you want for this one, but typical tables host about 6–10 players.
In addition to players and a table, you will at least 1 plastic cup for each player.
To set up the stage, you need everyone to break into teams of 2.
With ice breakers, I will reiterate time after time.
Make the teams for them.
Have them pull out of a hat, or randomize the teams before hand. (I would do this for each full round that you play, to help coworkers meet with one another)
Then have the partners positioned across from one another on the sides of the table.
Game Play
Fortunately this is one of the easiest games to learn.
One side of the table will start.
The players on the left side of the table will place their cup on the edge of the table with the opening facing the ceiling, and attempt to flip up into their partners cup.
At the same time the partner will be playing like a “moving hoop” to try and catch their partner’s cup into their own cup.
When a team does so successfully they survive the round.
The last team to flip their cup into their partner’s cup is out.
The game restarts without the losing team and with the opposite side flipping this time.
The game continues until only one team is declared the winner.
I would play about 3 or 4 rounds with team partners switching up.
For the full instructions and rules visit
https://www.lowershelfgames.com/games/flip_cup_target
Why it’s Great for Work Teams?
Flip Cup Target is great for a work team because it is hard for everyone. More so than that, the rounds are so quick that it allows coworkers to partner up and work with a variety of other people, contributing to fast connections.
Why it’s not Great for Work Teams?
When teams are out first there is a little waiting period. Fortunately the players can watch and talk to their partners about it. But there is the slight chance for some awkward silence before they are playing again.
1. What am I?
This is another game that most people know, or may have forgotten about. A (not so) great example was from the TV show, The Office, where they all try to do some sensitivity training and it goes awry. You and your team however, know what not to do, and can use What am I? as a great ice breaker for your work teams!
Goal of the Game
Guess what word is on your forehead!
Players will have a word/phrase written on a card that they do not know and cannot see. The players will ask the group a “yes or no” question to receive clues about their word. Once a player guesses what they are, they are removed from the game. The last person to guess what they are will lose the game.
Setup
What am I? calls for 3–10 players. I think the game is best played with 5–6 players.
In addition to the players, you need:
Tape
Paper or Notecards
Writing Utensils
Scissors
I would give each player a piece of paper, or a note card.
Have each player write a word or a phrase down onto the piece of paper.
Then have that player cut out the word/phrase and make sure nobody sees it.
Using the tape, the players will put the piece of paper with the word on it, and tape it to another player’s forehead without them seeing.
Once complete each player should have a taped word onto their forehead.
It can be easier for gameplay if you have a theme. If you are at the office for example, it could be relating to your industry or company.
Game Play
Game play can differ for this depending on how you think your teams will better perform.
If you are looking for everyone to work together, I think having everyone sit in a circle is your best bet.
If you choose to play in a circle, players will ask a “yes” or “no” question to try and guess what it says on their piece of paper (ie. “Am I red”, “Am I an animal”, etc)
After they ask their question, the rest of the players will work together to decide if the answer is “yes” or “no”.
The players go around and try to guess until they can answer what is on their forehead.
The other version, would be to have everyone mingle with one another, but you can’t ask a question to a player 2 times in a row.
When a player gets it right, they can just help answer questions for others
For the full instructions and rules visit
https://www.lowershelfgames.com/games/what_am_i
Why it’s Great for Work Teams?
What am I? is great for work teams because it is hilarious. Trying to guess something you do not know the answer to is funny for everyone else. In addition, it is a great way to show some problem solving skills, and have everyone participate.
Why it’s not Great for Work Teams?
The game is pretty hard. I do think a theme is your best bet when playing this game. If you see some players are really struggling, it is more than okay to give them some hints.
Get to Work!
While ice breakers seem on the surface like these awkward and dreadful activities, they don’t have to be!
Games have always had the ability to bring people together, which is why they are so commonly used in scenarios when meeting new people.
Summer camps, tailgates, and classrooms just to name a few!
So why not use them for your new work teams?
I promise you cannot go wrong using Double Trouble, Cheers Governor, Charades, Flip Cup Target, or What am I? when deciding on an ice breaker for your work teams.
In addition to those there are a number of other games right here on LowerShelf Games if these ones aren’t doing it for you!
Have you ever made a game? If so share it below in the comments or on our site!
About LowerShelf Games
LowerShelf Games is a free game sharing website that provides a one stop shop for family/party game lovers. The site is a showcase for the numerous games that exist in this world. It provides a single platform for people to not only share games with common items they would find around their house, but also standardized instructions on how to play them.