Team Building Games for Adults: 28 BEST in 2023

You found our list of the best team building games for adults.

Team building games are competitive activities that boost productivity and bring your team closer together at the office. For example, murder mysteries, escape games and people Bingo. The purpose of these games is to give your employees time to bond and connect, which helps lead to better communication, job satisfaction and retention. These games are also known as “team building activities.”

These games are similar to team building exercises, team building events, team meeting games, unusual team building games, and office games. The activities are an offline equivalent of online team building games, Zoom team building games, and virtual team building activities.

This list includes:

• fun team building games for adults
• free team building games without materials
• corporate team building games for the office
• team bonding games
• team games for work
• office team games
• DIY team building games

So, check out the list!

List of team building games

From games that keep you on your feet to ones that test your knowledge, these surprisingly fun team building games are sure to be a hit at your office.

1. Team Building Bingo

Team Building Bingo is an exciting DIY team building game for learning more about the people you work with. Prior to playing, brainstorm a series of quirky experiences, organize your thoughts on individualized “bingo boards”, and distribute the boards to your team. During the game, players ask each other if they have experienced what is written in the spaces. If a player has had the experience, then that person signs the corresponding space on the asker’s bingo card. Like traditional bingo, the first player who collects enough signatures to form a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line across the board wins the round

Here is a Bingo card generator you can use for your game:

And here is a full guide to icebreaker Bingo.

2. Pub-like Trivia

Pub-like Trivia is a stellar corporate team building game that tests your team’s knowledge, even if your workplace does not allow alcohol. First, prepare a list of trivia questions. The best trivia questions span a variety of subjects and are little-known facts. After coming up with your questions, divide players into teams. Teams can privately discuss answers before responding. The team that answers the most questions correctly wins. This is a great game for team bonding because teams need to collaborate and pool knowledge to succeed.

Here is a list of the best trivia questions, and a list of work-appropriate team names.

3. Guess the Baby

Guess the Baby is a charming game that asks team members to deduce whose baby picture is whose. Before the game begins, ask team members to submit a baby or toddler photo. Then, put the baby pictures up where everyone can see them and have team members submit a form or use post-it notes to record guesses. The team member who correctly names the most baby photos wins. Guess the Baby brings the team together by inviting them to share childhoods with fellow team members.

Here are more connection games to play.

4. Secret Gifter

Based on Secret Santa, Secret Gifter is a gift exchange game that you can play any time of the year. Players submit names and receive a subject to buy gifts for. To keep gifts fair and of similar quality, set a price limit and sponsor the purchase as a company. Then, on the designated day, publicly exchange gifts. During the gift exchange, team members guess who their Secret Gifter is. If a team member guesses correctly, then they win! Secret Gifter is a great game because it encourages team members to learn more about each other to buy the perfect gift. Plus, who does not like to receive a fun surprise?

5. Murder Mystery Party

For fans of murder mysteries like Knives Out, a murder mystery party is a role-playing team building game. Each team member receives a character to play and the objective is to solve a murder. While some murder mystery hosts make up storylines, if you’re new to murder mystery parties, then opt for pre-made, free murder mystery games. To further incentivize your team, you can also award team members for best costume or acting, and give prizes for members who correctly guess the murderer.

Here is a list of online murdering mystery games.

6. Codenames

Codenames is traditionally an in-person board game. However, there is also an online Codenames that makes for a great team building game for remote teams. At the beginning of the game, everyone can see a series of cards with words on them. The game then divides players into two teams and each team nominates a spymaster. The spymaster’s job is to get their teammates to guess the words marked with their team color. The team that guesses all their cards first wins the game. Codenames is a fun team building game because your team must work together to succeed.

Here is an entire list of team building board games.

7. Online Office Games

Online Office Games is a great corporate team building game for remote teams. For this game, a host will lead your team in a series of competitions that are high-energy team bonding experiences. Since we provide you with these trained hosts, once you sign your team up, you can set aside the pressure of running a team building event and let our host take over. Your team is sure to have a great time!

Curious about whether Online Office Games is right for your remote team?

Learn more about Online Office Games.

8. Workout Challenge

Inspired by the “See 10, Do 10″ viral Instagram challenge, Workout Challenge is game for teams that encourages your people to invest in physical fitness. Every day, a team member starts by recording a video doing ten push ups and sends it to a group chat, tagging another team member. The tagged team member then has to do ten push ups and tag someone else, and so on and so forth. Anyone who neglects to do ten push ups by the end of the day loses and must buy everyone else a coffee. The Workout Challenge is a fantastic team building game because it keeps your team active. Staying active is especially important since many office jobs require people to sit for long periods of time.

Here is a list of team building workout ideas.

9. Forensic Sketch Artist

Forensic Sketch Artist is an engaging office game that tests your team’s communication and drawing skills. Split your team into two and set the scene by explaining that a robbery has just occurred. Appoint a forensic sketch artist for each team and name the other team members as witnesses to the robbery. Then, out of view of the sketch artist, show the rest of the team a face created by a random face generator. The witnesses must describe the face to the sketch artist, who must try to recreate the face based on descriptions from the team. The sketch closest to the generated face wins!

10. Five Clicks Away

Similar to Six Degrees of Separation, Five Clicks Away is an online team building game where team members attempt to connect two seemingly unrelated Wikipedia pages in five clicks. To begin playing, select two topics that seem to have nothing in common, such as BTS and the Battle of Mine Creek. Then, ask your team to use Wikipedia internal links from the first page to navigate to the second. Five Clicks Away is a game that both educates your team on obscure topics and hones your team’s research skills.

11. Heads Up!

Heads Up! is an app-based party game that can also be fun at the office. Created by Ellen DeGeneres, you can play Heads Up! with any number of people, which makes it suitable for both large and small teams. First, players select a deck and then a team member holds a phone to their forehead so the screen is facing outward. A word will appear on the screen and the other players will give hints to help the team member with the phone guess what the word is. Heads Up! is an exhilarating teamwork game because it creates a fun situation where your team must work together to triumph.

Check out Heads up!.

Here are more hybrid activities you can do.

12. No Context Pictures

No Context Pictures is a fun indoor team building game to discover more about your coworkers’ personal lives. Prior to the game, ask your team to submit an eccentric photo with no context. Then, post the photos in a place where everyone on the team can see them. Ask team members to submit short explanations of what is happening in the photos. The person who originally submitted the photo votes on which story they like the most. No Context Pictures is a great team building game because it helps paint a more complete picture of your coworkers by showing a different side of their lives that may not be visible at the workplace.

Here are more problem solving games.

13. Guess the Film Buff

Guess the Film Buff is an entertaining game. Prior to the game, team members submit photos of DVD or home movie collections. If a team member does not have a physical film collection, then ask them to send a screenshot of their Netflix “My List”. Then, display the film collection pictures in a central location and have team members submit guesses for who the owners are by the end of the day. The person who guesses the most film collections correctly wins. Guess the Film Buff is a great game for teams because your team can learn about each others’ tastes, while also picking up new suggestions on what to watch next.

14. What’s On My Desk?

What’s On My Desk? is an office game where team members test how well they know each other. For this game, request team members submit photos of their desk setup. Once the photos are in, post the pictures in a shared space where everyone can see. Then, ask your team to turn in guesses on whose desk is whose. The person who guesses the most number of desks correctly wins. What’s On My Desk? is a great game because your team can become more familiar with each other through desk memorabilia.

15. My Next Meal

If your team is hungry for new recipes to try, then My Next Meal is the activity for you to try. At the beginning of the week, a different member of the team submits a photo of what is inside their refrigerator. Then, other team members present creative recipes using the ingredients seen in the photo. Everyone votes for the best recipe, and the recipe with the most votes wins. My Next Meal reduces the pressures of meal prep and also helps bring team members together through a love of food.

16. Team Film Festival

Has your team ever considered dabbling in low-budget filmmaking? Based on the 48 Hour Film Project, Team Film Festival is a DIY team building game that challenges your team to produce a film in 48 hours. Prior to the festival, split your employees up into filmmaking teams. Reveal the festival’s overall theme and assign genres to each team using a random draw. Give the teams 48 hours to write, shoot, and edit a five-minute film. Then, invite everyone to watch the short films together by holding a film festival. After screening all the films, ask team members to vote for categories such as “Best Film”, “Best Actor”, “Best Actress”, and “Best Screenplay” and give rewards accordingly. Team Film Festival is an amazing team building opportunity because filmmaking is a team activity that requires a lot of planning and cooperation, which are treasured skills in the workplace.

17. Plant Babies

With the mental health benefits of plants becoming more well-known, Plant Babies is an office game that encourages your team to grow plants at their desks. For this game, team members should each adopt a plant to care for. Then, as the Plant Babies surpass certain milestones, such as growing to certain heights or developing flowers, team members receive points. The team member who earns the most points by the end of every three-month period wins. Plant Babies invites your team to cultivate nurturing spirits and lets your coworkers create a more enjoyable office environment together.

List of free team building games without materials

There are many team building games that don’t require materials. You just need a group of people, and a few simple rules to guide your games.

18. Two Truths and One Lie

Two Truths and One Lie is another fun way to learn more about your colleagues. Best of all, this game requires no materials! In this game, a team member presents two true statements and one lie. The other members have to guess which statement is the lie. If any of the team members guess correctly, then that person earns a point. However, if no one guesses correctly, then the person who presented the statements wins a point. The winner is the person with the most points by the end of the game.

Here are more quick icebreaker games.

19. Never Have I Ever

A classic game often played at camp, teams can also play Never Have I Ever at the office. To start, players hold up five fingers. Then, in a circle, players name something that they have never done before. For example, “never have I ever baked banana bread.” Any team member who has had the named experience puts a finger down. The last person still holding up fingers by the end of the game is the winner. Through Never I Have Ever, players learn many interesting and surprising things about your coworkers.

Here is a prompt generator to use for your game:

—

20. My Superhero Backstory

My Superhero Backstory tests your team’s creativity by having team members invent fun superhero-like origin stories for coworkers. These stories should describe how the team member came to work for your organization and are based on true events. Then, team members vote for the best backstory. My Superhero Backstory is an effective game for teams because it builds your team’s mythology and creates inside jokes that help team members bond.

Here are more fun improv games for groups.

21. ABC Hunt

ABC Hunt is an amusing indoor team building game that gets your virtual team out of their seats. In this game, a host names three random letters of the alphabet and the other team members scramble to find objects beginning with each letter. The person who finds three objects the fastest wins. ABC Hunt is also a versatile DIY team building game, since teams can play it remotely and at the office.

Here is a list with more fun word games to play.

22. Pitch Me Your Business

If you want to spark your team’s entrepreneurial spirit, then Pitch Me Your Business is a wonderful game to try. For this game, team members have 15 minutes to come up with a basic business plan for an enterprise. Then, team members will present the business idea to a designated “investor”. The person who dreams up the most intriguing business wins. Pitch Me Your Business is a smart team building game without materials because managers can informally evaluate team leadership and entrepreneurial skills through this game.

Here are more competitive team building games to try.

23. Line Game

The Line Game brings teams together by showing colleagues unexpected commonalities. Before initiating the game, create a list of experiences that underscore the commonalities your team members may have, ordering the list from lighthearted to more serious. Then, gather your team and have team members keep track of every experience. At the end of the game, collect your team’s responses and display the results, showing your team how much they have in common.

24. Ambassadors

Ambassadors is a lively game with no materials required where team members act as ambassadors for foreign countries. After assigning countries to players using a random country generator, each ambassador must describe the assigned country without revealing the country’s name. The winner is the player who guesses the most countries correctly. Ambassadors is a great game for team building because it is educational and requires your team to exercise creative and communication skills.

25. Work Limericks

Limericks are a whimsical form of poetry with a distinct rhythm. In Work Limericks, teams use creative muscles to write limericks based on work experiences. After familiarizing your team with guidelines on how to write limericks, give everyone a period of time to compose limericks. Then, have your team vote on which limericks are their favorites. The limerick with the most votes wins. Work Limericks is an excellent game because it lets your team exercise creativity and share creations with others.

26. Hangman

A game you’ve probably played as a child, Hangman can also be effective for team building. Not only is your team already familiar with the rules, but Hangman also expands your team’s vocabulary and establishes shared references that can be great future conversation starters. Also, Hangman is exceptional for team building because it unites the team by pushing your coworkers to work together to successfully guess the word.

27. Alphabet Chain

Alphabet Chain is a terrific game for teams who wish to increase vocabularies. In this game, your team first settles on a topic. Then, team members must name words that fit in that topic. However, every word proposed needs to begin with the last letter of the previous one. If a team member is unable to think of a suitable word and breaks the chain, then that person must withdraw. The winner of the game is the last person still remaining. Since Alphabet Chain only requires an expansive vocabulary to play, no materials are needed, making it an easy game to start with.

28. Dance Off

Dance Off is a fun game that lets your team express themselves through dance. As the name suggests, the objective of Dance Off is for your team to compete and see who the best dancer is. Create a playlist of danceable tunes and clear a space for your team to move freely. Then, have your team make a circle and begin playing music. Each team member gets a few minutes to show off moves in the center of the circle. Everyone votes for the most impressive dancer, and whoever gets the most votes wins. Dance Off lets your team cut loose and stay active, which is great for stress relief.

Final Thoughts

Team building games are a great way to liven up the workplace and do something fun with your team. And it’s not all fun and games, there are a lot of benefits of team building too.

Next, check out our list of virtual game night ideas, this one with morning meeting games for employees, these fun question games, and this list of games for large groups.

We also have a list of ideas for employee engagement, list of summer team building ideas for work, ideas for executive team building, one for outdoor team building, one for indoor team building, and the best team building questions.

For small groups, check out these ideas for small group team building, these fun group activities and these quick team building ideas.