15 Top Small Group Games for Employees

Here is our list of the best small group games.

Small group games are engaging activities for a small number of players. Examples include Empires, Would You Rather, and No Smiling. The purpose of these activities is to give members time to connect and increase communication. A small group can achieve this goal faster, as colleagues can have more time to interact with each other.

Small group games are similar to small group icebreaker games, indoor group games, get to know you games, and online team building games.

This list includes:

• small group games for adults
• outdoor small group games
• indoor small group games
• team building small group games
• small group activities for adults

Here we go!

List of small group games

Team building small group games create a fun environment. These activities are also important in promoting efficient coordination and communication. These games are easy to understand, engaging to play, and perfect for a break from work. Here is our list of some of the best games for small groups.

1. No Context Pictures

No Context Pictures is an interesting game that will help you know how others see images from different perspectives.

Here are the rules:

1. Ask your coworkers to bring in a random picture without any context.
2. You can pin the pictures to a board or tape them to a wall.
3. The members will go over each picture one by one and use a sticky note to write down what they think is happening in the picture.
4. Once participants have written a note for every image, the owner of each picture will select the best answer.

This game allows colleagues to learn about the different perspectives that come with each picture. The owners of the pictures can also share the different views left on the sticky notes at the end of the game.

2. Icebreaker Bingo

Bingo is a fun icebreaker that lets your team learn more about each other. Although many websites offer work-related Bingo templates for team building, you can also make your own prompts. For example, you can create Bingo cards beforehand with interesting info about your company and work. You can also add random facts according to the game’s category.

​Here are some questions you can ask:

Such trivia questions are more suitable for groups where members are less familiar with each other and their interests. Additionally, these games help develop and enhance personal understanding among individuals.

3. Interview Game

Interview game is among the best small group games for adults and teenagers. To make this game easier, you can play in pairs as well. The game aims to promote camaraderie and understanding among team members.

Here is how to play:

1. Pair up members of the group. You can randomly assign pairs or use an online tool to match names.
2. The interviewers will get three minutes.
3. During this time, the members will ask general questions to learn about their partner and their interests.
4. The challenge is for participants to learn as many facts about the interviewee as possible.
5. After three minutes, the members will switch roles, and the other participant in the pair will answer.
6. After switching roles, the interviewer cannot ask the same questions as before.

​Once the teams complete their interviews, participants will sit together and list the facts they have learned about their partners. The team with the most facts and unique questions will be the winner.

Here is a list of get to know you questions you can use for the game.

4. Two Truths and a Lie

This game is one of the best small group activities for adults. Two Truths and a Lie is simple to understand and play. Players will sit in a circle, and you will select a participant to begin the game. The chosen player must come up with three statements. Two comments will be true, and one will be false. These statements can be related to the speaker’s personality, travel history, or experiences.

​Here are some examples:

• I have met a famous celebrity.
• I was a straight-A student.
• I have been to more than five countries.

The rest of the players must guess which statement is a lie. If they guess correctly, then they will earn a point. The game will continue with the next player making their statements.

Your coworkers’ past experiences may surprise you! You can play this game as an icebreaker, as many conversations might arise from this activity.

5. Fabulous Flags

This game is a great way to know what each individual values and how they define themselves.

Here is how to play:

1. Start the game by giving out sheets of paper and colored markers to your coworkers.
2. Next, ask the members to draw a flag representing them and their personalities.
3. They can draw any image they like, whether it is a brush to symbolize their artistic side or stick figures to represent their family.

After 15 minutes, ask artists to reveal their drawing and explain what each symbol or item in the flag represents.

6. Empires

Empires may seem tricky, but it is fun once you understand how to play. Empires requires a larger setting and open area, so it is one of the best outdoor small group games.

Here is how to play:

1. Select a host.
2. The host will leave the playing field.
3. The remaining players will then decide on a category, such as sports, Hollywood, or Disney.
4. Each player will individually tell the host their chosen word.
5. The host must write down each player’s name and their chosen word.
6. Then, the host will reenter the field and share one word from the list.
7. The host will pick one player to name the participant who they think said the word.
8. If the selected player gives the wrong answer, then the next participant will get the chance to answer.
9. If the player is correct, then the participant who chose that word will stand next to them.
10. The player who chooses the correct name will become a king.
11. The king’s goal is to continue to guess who said which word correctly to build an empire.
12. The player with the biggest empire wins.

Check out more guessing games to play with teams.

7. Helium Stick

Helium Stick is a fun game that tests players’ balancing skills. This game requires a lightweight pole or a long smooth stick.

Here are the rules of the game:

1. Players will stand in a straight line apart from each other.
2. Ask competitors to hold out their index fingers and place a stick on them.
3. Players will then try to balance the stick.
4. Ask participants to lower the poles to the ground without them falling off or removing them from their fingers.

The goal is to balance the stick without dropping it. The player who lowers their pole first without it falling wins.

8. Would You Rather

Would You Rather is one of the best small group games for adults. You can play this game virtually or in person. This activity is a good way to know your coworkers better.

Here are some questions you can ask:

• Would you rather be a singer or an actor?
• Would you rather go scuba diving or skydiving?
• Would you rather be able to teleport anywhere or phase through walls?
• Would you rather be a Marvel hero or a DC villain?
• Would you rather change your past or learn about your future?
• Would you rather watch the same movie or listen to the same song for the rest of your life?

Each player will have their questions ready before the game. When participants ask the question, all other players will either discuss their answers or write them down on paper. In the end, the members will compare their answers and see who has matching interests.

Here is a list of Would You Rather questions.

9. No Smiling

No Smiling is a fun and interactive game for small groups of adults and teenagers.

Here is how to play:

1. The players will stand in a circle and get one participant to stand in the middle.
2. The player in the middle will stand there for two minutes.
3. The player in the middle’s goal is not to smile or laugh while participants around them tell jokes or do silly antics.
4. The other participants cannot touch the player in the middle to make them laugh.

All players will take turns standing in the middle, and the winner will be the player who does not laugh until the end. However, you can have more than one winner in this game.

10. Who Am I

Who Am I is a fun game in which players will get a new secret identity, and others will help them uncover it.

Here is how you will play the game:

1. The host will prepare some sheets of paper and write a celebrity’s name on each of them.
2. The host will tape the paper to each player’s back.
3. Participants will then go around the room asking yes-or-no questions to determine who they are.

Here are some questions players can ask:

• Am I male or female?
• Am I a singer?
• Am I from the USA?
• Am I fictional?
• Am I still alive?

This game will test participants’ thinking skills as they ask questions to determine their new identity. However, to make the game easier, you can also choose a specific category, like actors, singers, or poets.

Check out more guessing games for groups.

11. Blind Portrait

Blind Portrait creates a fun environment through funny drawings.

Here is how to play:

1. Divide the group into pairs. Make sure the teams have a desk before they start playing.
2. Give artists a sheet of paper and a pen.
3. ​Set a timer for 30 to 60 seconds.
4. Players will draw their partners’ portraits without looking down at the sheet.

Once all the players finish, ask them to look at their work and give it to their partner. The models will surely laugh at their teammates’ funny portraits.

12. Trivia

Trivia is one of the best indoor small group games for adults, teens, and children. This game also suits all environments, including a family game setup, classroom games, and workplace activities.

You can play this game as an icebreaker or as a team building game. Websites such as Trivia Maker allow you to choose an interesting trivia game from their list.

​Trivia Maker has fun trivia categories, such as:

• Disney and Pixar
• Friends
• Harry Potter
• Star Wars
• Books and art
• General Knowledge

In this game, the host will divide members into teams. Each team will get a question from the chosen categories, and they will discuss and answer within the given time limit. If one group fails to answer correctly, then the other group gets the chance. You can also award bonus points if one team gives the correct answer to the other team’s question. Also, remember to keep track of the points to choose the winner at the end.

It is better to choose a category that all members agree upon. The goal is to have a good time with some healthy competition alongside your coworkers!

Learn more about Trivia Maker, and check out more trivia games for team building.

13. ABC Hunt

If you are searching for simple team building small group games, then ABC hunt is the one for you.

Here is how to play:

1. Ask your coworkers to vote for a host to manage the game.
2. Once selected, the host will say three different letters.
3. Players must look for objects starting with those letters.
4. To make the game more interesting, you can set a time limit of one minute per item.

If you are playing this game via Zoom, then you can set categories for an added challenge. The player who brings back the most objects in the given time wins.

14. Never Have I Ever

Never Have I Ever is a simple yet fun activity. In this game, each member asks a Never Have I Ever question, and the rest of the players answer with whether they have done the activity in question.

​For example, you can say, “Never have I ever…”

• lied at a job interview
• pretended to be on the phone
• called someone by the wrong name
• Googled myself
• forgotten my phone at work
• read a book in a single day
• gotten pickpocketed
• had an odd job

Each player’s answers will reveal more about them. Including funny questions adds humor and fun to the game. However, it is better to avoid asking questions that are too personal. At the end of the game, the players will have revealed a lot of fun facts about themselves.

Here is a list of Never Have I Ever starter questions for work.

15. Photo Challenge

Photo Challenge is a fun game that you can play in teams. Since you will be playing in a small group, two teams should be more than enough. To play, you will have a prompt for the challenge.

​Here are some prompt ideas:

• Take a picture by recreating your “just woke up” look.
• Take a picture of your shadows.
• Have a fake engagement photoshoot.
• Stage a celebrity photoshoot.
• Recreate a famous painting.
• Take an awkward picture.
• Take a picture of the whole team jumping.

The teams will get some time to take pictures according to the challenge they get. While one member will be the photographer, all others must be in the photos. However, all the images must be in focus and clear. The team with the best photography and creativity wins.

Conclusion

Small group games are an important part of team building, as they allow your coworkers to improve their bonds. These games are engaging and interactive for all members. These activities will help improve communication and promote a healthy workplace environment. Group games are also necessary to promote camaraderie and healthy relationships among group members.

Next, check out our lists of question games, leadership games, and one minute games.