It’s Friday afternoon—the energy in the office is dipping and you can almost hear the weekend calling. But before you all dash off, how about we make those last few hours more interesting?
I’ve put together a list of fun Friday office games to inject some energy back into the room and build a stronger, more connected team in the most fun way possible.
Let’s make those Fridays something your team looks forward to, shall we?
10 Most Exciting Friday Office Games
Are you short on time and need a quick list? Let’s start with these top 10 exciting games:
| Game | Setup Ease (★ for lowest difficulty) | Great For | Quick How-To |
| Pictionary | ★ | Creativity, Non-verbal Communication | Use a whiteboard or paper; players draw a prompt for their team to guess. |
| Yoga Stretch Chain | ★ | Wellness, Focus | Lead a short session of simple stretches or yoga poses to relax and refocus. |
| Mindfulness Bingo | ★ | Mindfulness, Stress Management | Create bingo cards with mindfulness activities; participants complete tasks for a bingo. |
| Two Truths and a Lie | ★ | Communication, Honesty | Each person shares two truths and one lie about themselves; teammates guess which is the lie. |
| Office Trivia | ★★ | Teamwork, Office Knowledge | Prepare trivia questions about the office or team members; teams answer for points. |
| Scavenger Hunt | ★★ | Creativity, Collaboration | Hide items or clues around the office; teams find them based on riddles or hints. |
| Pitch It | ★★ | Creativity, Public Speaking | Employees pitch a whimsical product idea; a panel of judges votes on the best. |
| Escape Room Challenge | ★★★ | Problem-solving, Teamwork | Set up puzzles or use online platforms; teams solve them within a set time. |
| Office Olympics | ★★★ | Physical Wellness, Team Spirit | Organize non-strenuous activities (e.g., chair races); participants compete in teams. |
| Virtual Reality Experiences | ★★★ | Technological Comfort, Adventure | Set up VR stations; participants take turns experiencing short, guided adventures or relaxations. |
30 Fun Friday Office Games Your Team Will Love
Make sure your team ends the week on a high note and look forward to coming back on Monday with these games.
1. Office Karaoke Battle
If you have a team that loves belting out tunes in the shower, this game will be perfect for that. It gets them laughing, cheering, and seeing each other in a whole new light.
Duration: 30 minutes to 1 hour
Players: Individual performances or small groups
What You Will Need:
- A portable karaoke machine or a computer with internet access
- A microphone
- A list of songs that participants can choose from
How to Play:
- Set up the karaoke machine or the computer with the tracks.
- Participants or teams sign up to perform a song from the provided list.
- Performances are either judged by a panel for fun awards (e.g., Most Enthusiastic, Best Performance).
2. Office Meme Creation Contest
If your team loves scrolling through memes during their coffee breaks, an Office Meme Creation Contest will be right up their alley. It’s a creative way to tap into everyone’s quirky sense of humor and encourage them to get those creative juices flowing together.
Duration: 1 hour (can be done as part of the workday or during a longer lunch break)
Players: Individually or in small teams
What You Will Need:
- Phone or computers with Internet access
- Access to a meme generator website or software
- A theme for the memes (e.g., office life, a recent project, or an upcoming company event)
How to Play:
- Decide on a theme for the meme contest.
- Participants create memes about the theme using the meme generator.
- Set a time limit for meme creation and submission.
- Once all memes are submitted, have a voting session where everyone votes for their favorite memes (excluding their own).
- Award fun titles or small prizes for the best memes, such as “Most Hilarious,” “Most Creative,” etc.
3. Desk Decorating Contest
If you sense creativity in your team and also like a bit of competition, a Desk Decorating Contest is a fantastic way to let those artistic flags fly. It’s a chance to transform their everyday space into a mini-exhibition of their personality.
Duration: 1 week for preparation & 30 minutes for judging
Players: Individual
What You Will Need:
- Decorating supplies
- Criteria for judging (theme, creativity, neatness, etc.)
How to Play:
- Participants decorate their desks or a designated area.
- Judges score desks based on the set criteria.
- The participant with the highest scores wins.
4. Guess Who? (Employee Edition)
If your team loves a good mystery, this is the game for you. It’s a clever way to learn more about each other in a format that’s part guessing game, part detective work.
Duration: 30 minutes
Players: Individual or small groups
What You Will Need:
- Interesting facts about each team member
How to Play:
- Everyone will be asked to submit facts about them.
- The facts will be placed in a box, and everyone will be given a chance to pick a piece of paper.
- Facts are read out loud, and participants guess which team member the fact belongs to.
5. Office Talent Show
If you want to showcase talent lurking behind the monitors and coffee cups, an office talent show is a fun way to see your team members’ surprising and special talents.
Duration: 1-2 hours
Players: Individual or small groups.
What You Will Need:
- A stage or designated performance area.
- Necessary equipment for performances.
How to Play:
- Participants will be asked to prepare a talent.
- A dedicated space in the office with lights and a sound system will be set up.
- Everyone showcases their talent.
- The individual or group with the highest points wins.
6. The Floor is Lava
If you want to get your team moving, transform the office into a bubbling and fun “lava pit” where they can jump, dodge, and think on their feet. It’s a great way to break the sedentary routine that comes with sitting at a desk all day and encourage them to move around in a fun and engaging way.
Duration: 30 minutes
Players: Individual.
What You Will Need:
- Safe objects or markers to serve as “safe spots”.
How to Play:
- Mark spaces in the office as “safe spots”.
- At random intervals, “the floor is lava” is announced.
- Employees must get to the marked safe spot.
- Anyone who is not in a safe spot when they are told to stop moving, lose
- The last one on the floor wins.
7. Office Fashion Show
If your team comes to work in fashionable outfits every day, an office fashion show will give them a fun and real reason to show off their style.
Duration: 1 hour
Players: Individuals.
What You Will Need:
- A makeshift runway.
- Costumes or outfit themes.
How to Play:
- A theme will be announced for the fashion show (retro, classic, etc.) a week before.
- Participants showcase their unique or themed outfits on the runway.
- Employees will write their winner on a piece of paper and drop it in a designated box.
- The most picked employee is the winner.
8. Recipe Swap & Cook-off
If your team enjoys cooking and trying new dishes, a recipe swap & cook-off will give them a fun way to share their favorite dishes and culinary skills.
Duration: 1-2 hours
Players: Individuals or teams.
What You Will Need:
- Kitchen space (if cooking on-site).
- Ingredients for recipes.
How to Play:
- Each participant writes down their favorite recipe on a piece of paper. This could be anything from a main dish to a dessert.
- Collect all the recipes and place them in a bowl or hat.
- Participants draw a recipe from the bowl, making sure they don’t pick their own.
- Allow some time for participants to review their new recipes and ask questions if anything is unclear.
- Set a date for the cook-off, giving participants enough time to practice or prepare their dishes.
- On the day of the cook-off, participants cook and present their dishes. Make sure the venue has adequate kitchen facilities.
- Once all the dishes are ready, organize a tasting session. Participants and other guests can taste each dish.
- Everyone votes for their favorite dish, but they cannot vote for their own.
- Tally the votes and announce the winner. Consider having a small prize or certificate for the winner.
9. DIY Craft Workshop
If your team has been buzzing with work, get everyone relaxed with some art therapy – DIY craft workshops.
Duration: 1-2 hours
Players: Individuals or small groups.
What You Will Need:
- Craft supplies for a specific project.
How to Play:
- Choose one or more crafts that are suitable for the group’s skill level. It could range from simple projects like making bracelets or custom t-shirts to more complex crafts like pottery or woodworking.
- Make sure the craft is feasible within the workshop’s time frame.
- List all the materials and tools needed for the selected craft(s).
- Purchase or ask participants to bring the necessary materials.
- Set up a sample or prototype of the craft for participants to view.
- Start with a brief introduction, explaining the purpose of the workshop and what the participants will be making.
- Demonstrate each step of the craft, allowing participants to follow along and ask questions.
- Circulate among the participants, assist and encourage them as they work on their projects.
- Once the crafts are complete, allow participants to showcase their work.
- Everyone votes for their best pick, but they cannot vote for their own.
- The most chosen craft wins.
10. Board Game Tournament
If the team enjoys friendly competition, it’s time to roll the dice, draw a card, and strategize their way to victory in the ultimate office board game tournament.
Duration: 1-2 hours
Players: Individuals or teams.
What You Will Need:
- Selection of board games.
How to Play:
- Choose board games that are popular and enjoyable for the participants. Consider the length of each game, the ease of learning the rules, and the number of players each game supports.
- Determine the game format
- Round Robin: Every participant plays against every other participant. This format works well with a smaller number of players.
- Elimination: Players are eliminated after a certain number of losses. This can be a single elimination or double elimination.
- Decide on how winners are determined in each round and the overall tournament.
- Explain the rules, format, and schedule to all participants.
- Assign players to their first game. In subsequent rounds, pair players according to the tournament format you’ve chosen.
- Keep track of time to ensure the tournament progresses smoothly.
- Decide on a scoring system that is fair and encourages competitive play.
- Keep participants informed about their standings and upcoming matches.
- Award prizes to the winners and runners-up.
11. Office Human Knot
If your team’s still getting to know each other, kickstart their social skills with the human knot game as they step into the circle, and get ready to twist, turn, and laugh their way to a tighter, more coordinated team.
Duration: 15-30 minutes.
Players: Small to medium groups (about 8-12 people work best).
What You Will Need:
- A spacious and safe area for participants to stand and move.
How to Play:
- Have all participants stand in a circle, shoulder to shoulder.
- Each person extends their right hand to take the hand of someone across the circle, not the person next to them.
- Then, everyone extends their left hand and grabs a different person’s hand across the circle, making sure there are no direct handholds with immediate neighbors or anyone they’re already holding with the right hand.
- The group then works together to untangle themselves without releasing their hands, aiming to form a circle without any knots.
12. Paper Airplane Contest
If your team is creative and does experiments a lot, get their minds working on different paper airplane designs, and see who’ll soar the farthest.
Duration: 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Players: Individuals or teams.
What You Will Need:
- Paper.
How to Play:
- Define the rules
- Distance: The airplane that flies the farthest wins.
- Accuracy: Planes need to hit a target or land within a specific area.
- Creativity: Awards for the most innovative or aesthetically pleasing design.
- Provide the same standard sheets of paper (like A4 or Letter size) for everyone.
- Mark a clear starting line from where participants will launch their airplanes.
- If the contest is based on distance, measure and mark the field with distance markers.
- For accuracy challenges, set up the targets or landing zones.
- Have each participant launch their airplane from the starting line when it’s their turn.
- For distance contests, measure the distance from the starting line to where each plane lands or comes to a complete stop.
- In accuracy contests, note how close each plane gets to the target or if it lands within a specific area.
- Keep track of scores or distances for each participant. A simple spreadsheet or chart can be effective for recording results.
- Announce the winners based on the contest’s criteria.
13. Guess the Baby Photo
Get your team ready for a heartwarming trip down memory lane with the ‘Guess the Baby’ activity. It’s not just about the cute and cuddly pictures – you can use this as a chance to tell stories behind those toothless grins and messy food faces.
Duration: 1 week for submissions and 1-2 hours for guessing on Fridays.
Players: Individuals.
What You Will Need:
- Baby photos of team members.
- A display area or digital platform for photos and guesses.
How to Play:
- Employees submit their baby photos anonymously.
- Each photo will be presented and everyone guesses who each baby photo belongs to.
14. Themed Dress-up Days
If your team loves movies, get them to break out of the usual office attire and let their creativity run wild as they become superheroes and movie stars.
Duration: 1 day.
Players: Individuals or the whole office.
What You Will Need:
- A theme for the dress-up day.
How to Play:
- Pick a fun theme (e.g., 80s, superheroes, favorite movie characters).
- Have everyone dress up according to the theme.
- Everyone else votes for their favorite costume, they cannot choose theirs.
- The most picked wins.
15. Cultural Exchange Day
If your team loves to travel, take them to a cultural festival and globe-trot from desk to desk, where each stop is a new country and a new adventure with cultural exchange day.
Duration: 1 day.
Players: All in the team.
What You Will Need:
- Cultural artifacts, food, music, or presentations.
How to Play:
- Announce the cultural exchange day weeks before to let the team prepare.
- Employees share aspects of their culture or a culture they are interested in through food, stories, music, or presentations during the day.
16. Flash Fiction Contest
If your team is into writing, get them to dive into a realm where words create worlds and storytelling with this flash fiction contest.
Duration: 1 week for writing, plus time for reading and voting.
Players: Individuals.
What You Will Need:
- A platform for submitting and reading the stories.
How to Play:
- Flash fiction stories are typically limited to 1,000 words, but for this activity, you might set even shorter limits, like 100, 300, or 500 words.
- Choose a theme, word, phrase, or image to serve as a prompt for the stories. This element should be broad enough to inspire a variety of interpretations but specific enough to guide the storytelling.
- Determine the word limit for the stories.
- Decide on a time limit for writing. Depending on the setting and the participants’ level of experience, this could range from 15 minutes to an entire day.
- Give participants the prompt and explain the word limit and time frame.
- Everyone starts writing their flash fiction pieces simultaneously.
- Encourage participants to complete their stories within the set time.
- Once the writing time is over, gather the participants to share their stories.
- Allow participants to vote for their favorite stories, excluding their own.
17. Guess the Sound
If your team has a natural curiosity and a love for challenges, they will have fun with the surprise and unpredictability of a guess the sound game. See who can distinguish a cat’s purr from a printer’s whirr and the rain from a bacon sizzling.
Duration: 30 minutes.
Players: Individuals or teams.
What You Will Need:
- A series of sound clips.
How to Play:
- Prepare a playlist of various sound clips. These can range from everyday noises to more obscure sounds. Make sure that the sounds vary in difficulty to keep the game interesting.
- You’ll need a device to play the sounds (like a computer, tablet, or smartphone) and a good set of speakers to ensure everyone can hear clearly.
- Gather all participants and explain the rules of the game. Decide if you want to play individually or in teams.
- Determine how the scoring will work. Typically, one point is awarded for each correct guess. You might want to give partial points for partially correct answers.
- Play a sound clip and give participants 5-15 seconds to listen. Depending on the group’s size, you can allow them to shout out answers or write them down.
- After each sound is played, collect the answers. If playing in a social setting, players can simply call out their guesses.
- After each round (which could consist of one or multiple sound clips), reveal the correct answers and award points accordingly.
- At the end of the game, the participant or team with the most points wins.
18. Marshmallow Tower Challenge
If your team has inner architect, designer, or engineer dreams, get them in a race to build the tallest tower. See whose creation can reach the stars or teeter on the brink of toppling.
Duration: 1 hour.
Players: Teams.
What You Will Need:
- Marshmallows
- spaghetti or toothpicks.
How to Play:
- Divide participants into teams (ideally 3-4 members per team).
- Explain the task: Build the tallest freestanding tower using the provided materials.
- Set a time limit (e.g.18 minutes).
- Teams start building their towers.
- Towers must be freestanding, with a marshmallow at the top.
- Stop building when the time limit is reached.
- Measure the height of each tower.
- The tallest freestanding tower wins.
19. Blindfolded Drawing Challenge
Get your team’s inner artist loose with a twist—blindfolded! See who’ll draw like Picasso or make a funny puzzling doodle. This challenge is all about fun, surprises, and letting the pencils roam free.
Duration: 30 minutes.
Players: Individuals or teams.
What You Will Need:
- Paper
- Markers
- Blindfolds
How to Play:
- Prepare papers where everyone can draw on.
- Participants are blindfolded and given a topic or object to draw.
- The funniest or most accurate drawings win.
20. Tech-Free Challenge
If your team has been working on their laptops all week, consider having them take a break from the digital world. Introduce them to the Tech-Free Challenge. This includes engaging in deep conversations and brainstorming creatively using just pen and paper. The challenge also encourages them to rediscover the joy of face-to-face interactions.
Duration: A set number of hours or an entire day.
Players: Individuals or the whole office.
What You Will Need:
- Commitment to avoid using tech gadgets.
How to Play:
- Get a box where everyone can put their phones and other technologies.
- Employees commit to a period without using any technology (computers, phones, etc.).
- They engage in non-digital activities and the one who stays tech-free the longest wins.
21. Office Show & Tell
If your team is up for nostalgia, ask them to raid their attics and scour their bookshelves for a grand showcase at work. Look at what hidden treasures your team has – maybe it’s a spoon collection from around the globe.
Duration: 1-2 hours.
Players: Individuals.
What You Will Need:
- Items of personal significance to share.
How to Play:
- Ask each participant to select an item they want to share. This could be a favorite toy, a souvenir from a trip, a book, or any object that has significance to them.
- Decide the order in which participants will present. This can be done alphabetically, by seating arrangement, or randomly.
- Give each participant a set amount of time to show their item and tell its story. Typically, 1-5 minutes, depending on the group size.
- The participant explains why they chose the item and shares any interesting facts or stories about it.
22. Silent Reading Hour
Silent Reading Hour is perfect for teams that appreciate a quiet break and some personal enrichment. This allows everyone to step away from work-related stress, immerse in a book, and emerge refreshed and inspired.
Duration: 1 hour.
Players: Individuals.
What You Will Need:
- Books or articles.
How to Play:
- Participants bring their current reading material and enjoy a quiet hour of reading together in a shared space.
- Then they will share a takeaway from the book they are reading.
- Others choose what book to read next based on what the team members shared about that book.
- The most chosen book wins.
23. Office Anthem Creation
If your team’s childhood dream is to be a rockstar, a pop diva, or a rap legend, make this come true without even stepping out of the office with an office anthem creation showdown.
Duration: Varies.
Players: Individuals or teams.
What You Will Need:
- Musical instruments
- Recording equipment
- Music composition software.
How to Play:
- Divide the participants into 3-4 groups.
- Give them a period to complete writing the song (1 hour, 1 day, etc.)
- Employees collaborate to create an original anthem or theme song for the office.
- The groups can perform live or record and present it.
- Open votes for the best office anthem and the group with the most votes wins.
24. Office Puzzle Challenge
If your team loves cracking codes and mysteries, get them to solve puzzles for a bit of friendly competition. This will be their chance to collaborate on tricky puzzles to help improve problem-solving skills.
Duration: Varies; could be a day or over the course of a week.
Players: Individuals or teams.
What You Will Need:
- Large jigsaw puzzles.
How to Play:
- Divide the team into 3-4 groups.
- Set up large jigsaw puzzles in a common area.
- Each group contributes to completing the puzzles during breaks or downtime.
- The first group to complete the puzzle wins.
25. Cup Stacking
This game is a hit for teams that love energetic, hands-on activities. It’s all about speed and coordination as team members race to stack and unstack cups in specific formations.
Duration: 15-30 minutes.
Players: Individuals or teams.
What You Will Need:
- Multiple sets of identical plastic cups (typically 10-12 cups per set).
How to Play:
- Provide each participant or team with a set of cups. All cups should be stacked in a single column to start.
- The objective is to build a pyramid with the cups as quickly as possible and then dismantle it back to a single stack.
- Participants must stack the cups in a predetermined sequence (for example, a base of 4 cups, then a layer of 3, followed by 2, and finally 1 on top) and then reverse the process to return the cups to a single stack.
- Time the challenge, with the fastest individual or team declared the winner. Alternatively, participants can compete head-to-head in rounds to see who completes the stack the fastest.
- Emphasize that cups must be handled carefully to avoid collapses, adding a layer of strategy and finesse to the speed of the challenge.
26. Silent Lineup
If the team had a tough week, prepare for a fun game of silent strategy and stealthy movement – the silent lineup. Take a look at who’ll end up in the right spot, or whose silent signals get hilariously misinterpreted.
Duration: 15-30 minutes.
Players: Any group size, though typically best with 6-15 participants.
What You Will Need:
- A spacious area where participants can line up and move freely.
How to Play:
- Instruct all participants to line up in order by a certain criterion without speaking. This could be by birthday, height, length of employment, or any other sequential factor.
- Participants must find non-verbal ways to communicate with each other to determine each person’s position in the line. This can involve miming, gestures, showing relevant personal items (like IDs for birthdays), or using fingers to indicate numbers.
- Once everyone is in line, they can speak again to check if they have arranged themselves correctly according to the chosen criterion.
27. Typing Race
If the team is up for some challenge on their desks, let them sit back and do a keyboard-clicking showdown. Whether a seasoned typing pro or someone who still peeks at the keys, this race is bound to get your adrenaline pumping and your fingers flying.
Duration: 10-20 minutes.
Players: Individuals.
What You Will Need:
- Computers or devices with keyboards for each participant and access to a typing test website or software.
How to Play:
- Set up each participant with a computer or device connected to a typing test platform.
- Participants will start the typing test at the same time. The test will provide a passage to type, measuring speed and accuracy.
- The goal is to type the given passage as quickly and accurately as possible. The software will calculate the words per minute (WPM) and accuracy percentage for each participant.
- After everyone has completed the test, compare the scores to determine the fastest and most accurate typists.
28. “Don’t laugh” Challenge
If your team wants a light-hearted way to end the week, use the contagious nature of laughter as everyone tries to contain their laugh with some of the most funniest acts.
Duration: 15-30 minutes.
Players: Individuals or small groups.
What You Will Need:
- A series of funny videos, jokes, skits, or even team members prepared to do their best to make others laugh without speaking.
How to Play:
- Participants sit facing each other or in a group where everyone can see each other clearly.
- The challenge starts with a funny stimulus – it could be watching a humorous video, listening to jokes, or watching a team member perform a silent, funny skit.
- The objective is simple: try not to laugh. Smiling or giggling counts as losing the challenge.
- Participants can take turns trying to make each other laugh by telling jokes, making faces, or using props, all while remaining silent if the rules specify.
- Points are deducted for laughing or smiling, and the person or team with the fewest points at the end wins.
29. Office Price is Right
If your team is into shopping, their price-guessing skills will be put to the ultimate test. It’s a rollercoaster ride of laughs, gasps, and ‘I told you so!’ moments.
Duration: 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Players: Individuals or teams.
What You Will Need: Office items or pictures of items, cards with prices, and a scoreboard.
How to Play:
- Gather a collection of common office items or images of such items. Make sure you know the exact price of each item.
- Participants or teams take turns being the contestants. Present an item or an image of an item to the contestant(s).
- Without going over the actual retail price, contestants must guess the price of the item. They can write down their guesses to keep them secret until all guesses are revealed.
- Reveal the actual price of the item. The participant or team whose guess is closest to the actual price without going over wins the round.
- Award points based on how close the guesses are to the actual price. You can vary the points system, like giving more points for exact guesses or for being within a certain range.
- Continue with multiple rounds using different items. The participant or team with the most points at the end of the game wins.
30. Human Snake
If your team is committed to staying active, get them ready for a twisty adventure with the Human Snake game, where the team becomes the segments of a lively, moving serpent.
Duration: 15-30 minutes.
Players: Small to large groups, ideally 10-20 participants.
What You Will Need: A spacious, open area safe for movement.
How to Play:
- Have all participants stand in a line, one behind the other, with their hands on the shoulders or waist of the person in front of them.
- The person at the front of the line is the “head” of the snake, and the person at the end is the “tail.”
- The goal is for the head of the snake to catch the tail, forming a circle without the line breaking. The participants must move together, maintaining their hand placements, as the head tries to tag the tail.
- The snake must not break; if the chain of hands is broken, the game restarts, or the snake “loses a life.”
- Once the head catches the tail, the person at the front moves to the end, and a new head begins the chase.
Conclusion
With so many options, it can be tough to choose. Try starting with the top 10 games or browse and pick what fits your team’s needs. Most importantly, make sure it’s fun for everyone!
Do you need more team-building ideas? Visit our blog to learn more ways to engage your team.
FAQS
1. How do we choose the right games for our team?
To choose the right games for your team, you need to consider your team’s interests, the office space available, and any time constraints. Select inclusive games, encourage participation, and suit the dynamics and preferences of your team.
2. How can we ensure high participation in these games?
You can ensure high participation by promoting the games in advance, making participation voluntary, and choosing activities that cater to a wide range of interests. Encouraging team leaders to participate can also motivate others to join in.
3. What if some team members are not interested in participating?
If some team members are not interested, consider alternative ways they might enjoy contributing, such as helping to organize the games or acting as judges or cheerleaders.
4. Can Fun Friday Office Games be played by remote teams?
Yes. Many games can be adapted for remote teams using video conferencing tools, online game platforms, or simply coordinating activities that can be done independently but shared with the group.
