Office Team Building Activities: 15 Ideas by Time and Space
Someone has asked you to organise a team building session, and the venue is the office you are already standing in. The good news is that you do not need a hired room. The best office team building activities match the time and space you have. Use five-minute games to open a meeting, 30 to 60 minutes over lunch, or a longer hosted session in a breakout area. Below are 15 ideas sorted that way, with a chooser table.
What makes office team building activities work
An office activity works when taking part is optional, nobody needs a special skill, and it fits around people’s real workload. Get those three right and most formats will land.
- Voluntary and low-stakes. Forced fun backfires. Let people watch or help score.
- No skill barriers. Avoid anything that depends on being quick, loud or athletic.
- Alcohol-free by default. Plenty of colleagues do not drink, and it is a workday.
5-minute team building activities
Five-minute activities are openers, and they need nothing but a group and a chair.
- Two truths and a lie. Each person shares three statements about themselves. The team guesses which one is false.
- 20 questions. One person thinks of something, and the team asks yes-or-no questions to guess it.
- Word association. Go round the group, each person saying the first word that comes to mind after the last.
- Team charades. Teams of three or four act out job titles or meetings. Keep turns short.
Funny and low-pressure activities
Humour-led games suit small groups and people who dislike forced bonding.
- Office pictionary. Draw the printer, the Monday stand-up or the lift. Worse artists make better games.
- Bad pitch. Teams pitch a ridiculous product made from items in the room, with 60 seconds of prep.
Lunchtime and 30-60 minute activities
For a lunch slot, choose something with a clear start and finish that needs one table and a screen at most.
- Pub-style quiz. Teams of four or five, with rounds on the company, the industry and general knowledge.
- Bingo. A bingo card of colleagues’ facts (“has run a marathon”) gets people talking across teams.
- Taskmaster-style challenges. Teams complete odd tasks with office supplies, such as moving a ball across a room without touching it. Our game shows format covers Taskmaster-style challenges, Cube challenges, quizzes and bingo with company-themed customisation, and setup is included.
- Arcade drop-in. A free-flow arcade corner lets people play for a few minutes between meetings. Our arcade games run as a drop-in format, so nobody has to commit to a fixed slot.
Longer hosted activities for larger groups
Longer hosted activities are where a facilitator earns their place, because setup, rules and scoring are a lot to run yourself. Our indoor team building formats run from 10 to 100+ people. Our corporate events include professional hosts, plus setup, breakdown and all equipment.
Escape-room style
Escape Room in a Box is one of the indoor formats we run, with teams solving puzzles together to escape.
Murder-mystery and CSI style
In a CSI Investigation, colleagues search a staged crime scene and piece together clues.
Traitors-style game
The Betrayers is inspired by the TV show The Traitors. It adapts to the space and group size, from a boardroom to a conference hall, and a professional presenter and all AV come included.
Robot battles in a small arena
AI Robot Wars runs with teams of 6 to 12 and is tailored to the space, from a giant race track to a small arena. Nobody needs AI, robotics, coding or VR experience.
VR in a meeting room
Our VR Escape Room is for teams of 4 to 10, and each team needs about 2 x 2 m, which is roughly a table. One person wears the headset while teammates work from the manual. No VR experience is needed, and it fits a breakout area.
Small groups vs whole-office
Under 12 people, DIY works well, because everyone can talk to everyone and one person can referee. Past that, split into teams and you need a scorer and a timer. Whole-office sessions also need a host and a screen, which is where a supplier saves you effort. For formats and venues beyond the office, see our guide to team building activities for corporate events, or our corporate events service.
Chooser table: pick by time, space and group size
| Activity | Time | Space | Group size | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Two truths and a lie | 5 min | Chairs | 4 to 20 | Meeting openers |
| 20 questions | 5 min | Chairs | Any | Quick icebreaker |
| Office pictionary | 15 min | Whiteboard | 4 to 8 | Light, funny sessions |
| Quiz or bingo | 30 to 60 min | Meeting room | 8+ | Lunchtime socials |
| Taskmaster-style challenges | 45 to 60 min | Open floor | 10+ | Mixed teams |
| Arcade drop-in | Flexible | Spare corner | Drop-in | Busy diaries |
| CSI Investigation | Hosted session | Tables | 10 to 100+ | Problem solvers |
| The Betrayers | Hosted session | Boardroom to hall | Adapts | Chatty teams |
| AI Robot Wars | Hosted session | Small arena or larger | Teams of 6 to 12 | Competitive teams |
| VR Escape Room | Hosted session | About 2 x 2 m per team | Teams of 4 to 10 | Tech-curious teams |
Hosted sessions vary in length, so ask us for timings when you enquire.
DIY or hire a team?
Run it yourself when it is short, the group is under about 12 and a colleague is happy to referee. Hire a team when the group is bigger, the format needs kit, or you want the organiser to be a participant for once.
Our team arrives with the kit, a host and the setup. One client put it this way: “Gold Tier arrived at the exact time they said they would, they set everything up ready for the start of our event.” (Diane Collins, Business Developer, Howdens). Setup, breakdown and all equipment are provided as standard. Check access, noise and fire-safety limits with your building management before you book.
See our team building events for the full range.
Making it inclusive
Ask about needs before you plan, not after, and build in roles other than playing.
- Hybrid staff. Give remote colleagues a scoring or quizmaster role.
- Neurodiversity. Share rules in advance and avoid surprise timers.
- Mobility. Choose seated formats and check the route to the room.
Confirm specific needs with your supplier before the day.
FAQs
What are some ideas for team building activities at work?
Match the idea to the time you have. Try two truths and a lie or 20 questions in five minutes, a quiz or Taskmaster-style challenges over lunch, and an escape room, CSI case or Traitors-style game as a longer hosted session. Pick something people can join without any special skill or a drink in hand.
What activities can be done in the office?
Anything that fits your space and diary. Five-minute games need only a chair. Lunchtime quizzes, bingo and desk challenges need a meeting room. Longer hosted formats such as VR escape rooms, CSI investigations or robot battles need a breakout area or atrium, and a supplier can scale them to the room you have.
What is the 20 questions game for team building?
One person thinks of an object, person or place, and the team asks yes-or-no questions to guess it in 20 questions or fewer. It works in five minutes with no kit. For work, have the thinker pick something from the company, such as a product, a client or a well-known meeting.
Plan your office team building day
Tell us about your event and we’ll put together a tailored proposal. Enquire with Gold Tier Events and we’ll reply within one business day.