Team Building Charades: Office Party Game Ideas
Team building charades works because everyone already shares the material: meetings, printers, video calls and awkward office moments. Split into teams of 4 to 8, give each actor 60 to 90 seconds per word, and use office and job cards everyone recognises. It needs no prep, runs in 15 minutes, and works in a conference room, at a holiday party or over a video call.
Why team building charades works
Most icebreakers ask people to talk about themselves. Charades asks them to do something silly together, which is easier for quiet people and new starters. A good round:
- Mixes departments: the finance lead and the new intern end up on the same side.
- Rewards teamwork: guessers must listen to each other and build on half-right answers.
- Levels the field: seniority does not help you act out “paper jam”.
- Is quick: you can run a full game in the last 20 minutes of an all-hands.
Quick setup for an office game
- Split into teams of 4 to 8. Count off around the room so friends and desk neighbours are separated.
- Pick a host who holds the cards or the phone and keeps time.
- Explain three rules: no talking, no pointing at the real thing (yes, even the printer), and no spelling words with your fingers.
- Set the timer: 60 seconds per word for a fast-paced game, or 90 seconds if most people are new to charades.
- Rotate actors so everyone acts at least once, but let anyone pass a card they really cannot do.
- Score one point per correct guess and announce totals between rounds.
If anyone needs a refresher on the basics, share our guide on how to play charades before the meeting.
Office life words everyone can act
These cards come from the Office Life deck and are instantly recognisable to anyone who has worked in an office:
| Easy | Medium | Hard |
|---|---|---|
| Printer | Conference Room | Paper Jam |
| Paperclip | Break Room | Reply All Disaster |
| Water Cooler | Team Building | Death by PowerPoint |
| Lanyard | Clocking In | Calendar Invite |
| Desk | Spreadsheet | Low-Hanging Fruit |
| Phone Call | Promotion | Action Item |
Acting tips for a few favourites:
- Team Building: mime a nervous trust fall backwards into invisible arms, then high-five the whole room.
- Paper Jam: pull at a stuck sheet, kick the machine, then look around guiltily.
- Reply All Disaster: hit send, freeze, then slowly put your head in your hands.
- Death by PowerPoint: click a remote over and over while slowly slumping in your chair.
Job and career ideas
Job cards from the Jobs deck are a natural fit for work teams. Easy ones include Baker, Bus Driver, Lawyer, Surfer and Yoga Instructor. Medium picks like Surgeon, Accountant, Tailor and Forensic Scientist need more thought. Hard cards such as Taxidermist, Diplomat and Sports Mascot Performer are great tie-breakers.
A fun twist for a company event: add your own industry’s roles to the pile, such as “warehouse picker”, “barista” or “sales rep closing a deal”, depending on your business.
Awkward moments for the holiday party
The holiday party crowd loves relatable cringe. Cards from the Awkward Moments deck work brilliantly because everyone has lived them:
- Waving at the wrong person
- Forgetting someone’s name
- Falling asleep in a meeting
- Being on mute the whole call
- Sending the wrong file
- Walking into a glass door
Keep it general. These are shared experiences, not stories about a specific colleague, which keeps the laughter friendly.
Charades for remote and hybrid teams
Charades works surprisingly well over a video call. A few tweaks make it smooth:
- Cameras on, gallery view so everyone can see the actor.
- Send words privately by direct message, so only the actor sees the card.
- Guess in chat for big groups, which avoids people talking over each other.
- Stand back from the camera so your whole body is in frame.
Our guide to online charades covers lag, lighting and keeping score on a call.
Keeping it inclusive
Not everyone loves performing. Make sure the game stays fun for the whole team:
- Let people act in pairs if they prefer.
- Offer a “pass” on any card, no questions asked.
- Avoid cards that depend on physical ability, like jumping or lying on the floor.
- Keep teams balanced so one group does not run away with the score.
A simple format for a bigger event is three short rounds that build in difficulty:
| Round | Cards | Timer |
|---|---|---|
| 1: Warm-up | Easy office objects and jobs | 90 seconds |
| 2: Office life | Medium cards like Conference Room or Clocking In | 60 seconds |
| 3: Lightning | Awkward moments, as many as you can | 60 seconds per team |
Announce the winning team with some ceremony, maybe a homemade trophy made from a stapler and a coffee mug.
Run it once at a team lunch and you will probably be asked to bring it back for the end-of-year party.
