Office Party Game Ideas

Many of us are looking ahead to the party season and the annual office party.  

But whether it’s the office Christmas get-together, a colleague’s leaving do, or someone’s retirement, having some great games on hand is guaranteed to add pizazz to any party!

To help with this, we’ve put together a list of office party game ideas that are sure to liven things up.

So, without further ado, let’s get the party started!

Office party games

Celebrity couples – who am I?

Write the names of celebrity couples on post-it notes – each half of the couple should be written on a separate note.  Place the notes in a bag and get participants to take a note each.  Without revealing who they selected, everyone must then attempt to find their other half by asking questions that can only be answered yes, or no.  The game is over when everyone has located their celebrity partner.

Desk burglar

A simple way to get people into the party spirit.  Before the party, guests are instructed to ‘steal’ one item from a colleague’s desk.  Players must then try to work out whose desk each item was stolen from.

Baby pictures

In the run-up to the party, ask everyone to supply a baby / childhood picture of themselves.  On the day, of the party, number and pin the pictures to a board, then provide everyone with pen and paper to write down their guesses.  The person with the most correct answers wins.

What’s on your phone?

Requirements:

• Pens
• Clipboards or sit round a table
• What’s on your phone printed sheets (purchase from Etsy, or create your own)

If you’re creating your own printable, ideas could include specific apps, a photo of the party, a contact whose name starts with (insert letter of the alphabet), a photo of your pet, 2 missed calls, less than 10% battery, a selfie etc.

How to play:

• Give everyone a checklist and set a time limit
• Players check their phones for listed items and tick if they have them
• A point is given for every item on the list
• The player with the most points when the time limit is reached wins.
• Each player can ask to see one item from someone else’s list to prove they have it.

You might also want to give extra points for more unusual items, or if an item is ticked by only one player.

Biscuit Bake-off challenge

Requirements:

• Paper plates
• Sandwich tags
• Pen and paper for keeping score.

How to play

• Ask everyone to bring their own homemade, decorated biscuits to the party
• Write the name of each person on the back of a paper plate.
• Number the front of each plate with a sandwich tag.
• Place one whole biscuit (so guests can judge the standard of decoration) and several broken-up samples onto each plate.
• Let everyone sample a small piece of each biscuit and give it a mark out of 10. Marks can be given for innovation, appearance, crunch, flavour etc.
• Work out the overall score for each numbered plate and then reveal the winner by checking the name on the back of the plate.

Get players to decorate their biscuits according to the theme of the party: e.g., festive-themed biscuits for Christmas parties etc.

Bucket ball

Requirements:

• 2 chairs
• 2 buckets
• Cotton wool balls
• Large spoon
• Blindfold

How to play:

• Place the buckets on the chairs, filling one with cotton balls
• Blindfold a player and give them the spoon
• Set a timer for 3 minutes
• Using the spoon, each player must get as many cotton wool balls as possible into the empty bucket
• Players are not allowed to use their hands to feel for the buckets
• The player who transfers most balls into the empty bucket wins.

Don’t forget to assign someone to keep a note of how many balls each player transfers.

The following 3 games are designed to be played at the office Christmas party, but, aside from Scrooge Secret Santa, they could easily be adapted to suit non-Christmas parties by changing words or characters.

Loo roll snowman game

This is great fun and a lot easier than the similar wedding dress game.  The paper shapes should have double-sided tape applied to the back.

Requirements:

• Lots of cheap white loo rolls 
• Hats and scarves 
• Black pom-poms or paper circles (buttons)
• Orange paper triangles (nose)

How to play

• Split the group into two or more teams.
• Supply each team with loo rolls, a hat, scarf, 3 coal buttons and a carrot nose.
• Each team should select someone to be the snowman
• One player from the team starts wrapping that person in loo roll 
• If the loo roll breaks, that player’s turn is up, and another team member carries on with the wrapping
• The first team to complete their snowman wins.  The snowman must be wearing a carrot nose, 3 buttons, plus a hat and scarf.

Scrooge secret Santa

In these straitened financial times, we all need to watch the pennies.  So why not save money while having fun by turning the office secret Santa into a party game?  There are a few simple rules:

• Secret Santa gifts must be exchanged during the office party
• The budget is set at a maximum of €1.50 
• The aim is to buy the best, or funniest, gift possible for the least amount of money. 
• Lottery tickets and gift vouchers are banned.
• Guests should provide a till receipt to prove how little they’ve spent (unless they’ve somehow managed it for free!)
• Things that will end up in landfill should be avoided.

The winner is the person who is judged to have bought the best present for the least amount of money.  And, as they have already received a gift, there’s no need for a prize!

Christmas Taboo

If you love the classic game of Taboo, then you’re sure to enjoy this seasonal version. 

A printable version of the game can be purchased from Etsy, or you could create your own on index cards. 

Requirements:

• Christmas-themed Taboo cards
• timer.

How to play:

• Split the partygoers into two teams
• Split the cards equally between each team and place face down
• Set a timer
• One member of the team (one team at a time) selects a card and gives their teammates clues which describe it whilst avoiding the taboo words.  Once the word has been correctly guessed, select another card and so on until the timer sounds. 
• When the timer sounds, it is the turn of the opposing team.
• If the person presenting clues mentions a taboo word, or the guess word, that card is discarded.

Scoring: one point is given for each correct guess, and two points are given to the opposite team if one of the taboo words is used.

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this and have been inspired to use some of these ideas at your next do.  Have a great office party!

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