15 Icebreaker Games for Small Groups
Breaking the ice when you are in a small group can be fun but also quite challenging. Icebreaker games are a great way to help participants relax and get to know each other better during a team-building session, a workshop, or a social gathering. Effective icebreaker games can create a comfortable atmosphere and lay the groundwork for meaningful interactions, effective collaborations and creative thinking.
The key to a successful icebreaker game is selecting an activity that suits the group’s size, interests, and context. Small groups offer a more intimate setting where individuals can find it easier to connect on a more personal level and have fun.
Below, we present the most engaging icebreaker games perfect for small groups. These activities are easy and guarantee to bring fun and connection to your gathering.
1. Two Truths and One Lie
This simple game is a great way to get to know each other and spark interesting conversations at the same time. Each participant takes turns sharing three statements about themselves. Two of them are true and one is a lie. The rest of the group must guess which statement is the lie. To make the game more captivating and fun, encourage people to be creative and come up with interesting facts about themselves.
This game is a great way to learn surprising things about each other and start conversations about mutual interest, experiences, and ideas.
2. Would You Rather
This is a classic game where participants are asked a series of ‘Would you rather?’ questions. They must choose one option and explain their choice. This helps participants think about what they like, value and want. Some example to start with could be:
Would you rather be under-dressed or overdressed?
Would you rather have universal respect or unlimited power?
Would you rather be royalty 1,000 years ago or an average person today?
Would you rather spend a week in the forest or a night in a real haunted house?
Would you rather have the ability to fly or be invisible?
Would you rather be able to read minds or predict the future?
Would you rather have a job you love with a low salary or a job you dislike with a high salary?
Would you rather lose all your money and valuables or all the pictures you have ever taken?
3. The M&M Game
For this icebreaker game you need to pass around a bowl of M&Ms and ask everyone to take a few. Each colour corresponds to a category, for example red is your dream job, green is your favourite film, blue is a place you want to visit, and yellow is something you love to do. Each person has then to share something based on the colours they chose.
4. Never have I ever
In this game, each participant starts with 10 points. You can use your fingers to keep track of points. A person then starts by saying a statement beginning with ‘Never have I ever…’ followed by something they have never done (e.g., ‘Never have I ever gone skydiving’). Anyone in the group who has done the activity must lower a finger and loses a point. The game then continues with each person taking a turn and coming up with a funny and interesting statement. The person with the most points wins the game.
5. Jenga Questions
Jenga is a popular game in many fun gatherings. To make it even more interesting, write some questions on each jenga block. When a player removes a block from the tower, they should read the question and answer it before placing the piece on top. These questions help participants be more engaged and get to know each other better while sharing personal experiences, thoughts, and memories.
6. Story Starters
Story starters are a good way to get people to share interesting and exciting stories/experiences about themselves and build connections. To play the game, write various story starters on different pieces of paper and put them in a bowl. These can range from simple sentences to more interesting, detailed scenarios. Here are some examples:
The strangest thing that has happened to me …
The silliest thing I ever did was…
If I could have any superpower, it would be…
The best holiday I ever had was when…
I never thought I'd meet someone who…
Ask all participants to draw a piece of paper from the bowl and begin telling a story that starts with the prompt from the paper. Try to be as creative as possible and provide as much detail as possible. You can then vote on the most interesting story.
7. Scavenger Hunt
To play the Scavenger Hunt game, start by creating a list of items or clues that participants need to find around the room or building. Set a time limit for the hunt so that everyone knows when to return with the items or answers. If you are looking for a more challenging game, set it for 5–7 minutes. For a more relaxed game, allow 15–20 minutes. The clues can vary depending on preferences, from very simple ones like ‘Find something yellow’ to more complex like ‘Find something that makes noise’. The person that finds the most items wins.
8. Emoji Stories
If you’re looking to spark creativity and laughter in your meetings, the Emoji Story game is your perfect choice. In this game, each participant has to create a short and funny story using any emojis they have on their phone. They then share the emojis with the group, and all the other participants try to interpret and guess the meaning or story behind the emojis. This game encourages creativity and can be extremely fun and interesting, especially when people interpret the same set of emojis in different ways.
9. Desert Island
The Desert Island game is an icebreaker game where everyone has to pretend they're stuck on a desert island. Each person has to think and pick three items they'd bring with them to try to survive and that would make their life easier. Everyone then shares their choices and explains why they picked them. It is always interesting to see what different people choose and how good or bad their survival skills are. There is usually a mix of practical stuff like a knife or matches, alongside personal things like a favourite book or a guitar. This game is awesome for getting to know people better, as it reveals a lot about their personalities and interests. Plus, it’s a great way to spark creativity and get everyone talking and laughing together.
10. Charades
Charades is a super fun game where you have to act out a word or phrase without saying anything, and everyone else tries to guess what it is. To start the game, write different words and phrases on some pieces of paper and put them in a bowl. Divide the group into two teams. One person from the first team then picks up a word from the bowls and starts mimicking the word using their facial expressions, body language and gestures. Set the time to one minute for each person. Rotate the teams and the teams with the most words guessed wins. It’s always a blast watching everyone come up with the craziest and funniest gestures. The game can get pretty competitive as well.
11. Trivia Game
A trivia game is an excellent way to combine fun with a little friendly competition. To play, prepare a list of different questions covering various topics from history, science, pop culture, geography, art and many more. Divide the group into 2 small teams and take turns asking each team a question. For every correct answer, you get one point. The team with the most correct answers wins the game. Trivia games are enjoyable and can be a great way to learn new facta and work in a team.
12. Line Up
Line up is an engaging game that helps build teamwork and communication. This game requires the participants to line up according to specific criteria, such as birthdays, height, month of birth and so on, without speaking to each other. They must use non-verbal communication to arrange them correctly. To make it more challenging, set the timer to 3–5 minutes. The game encourages people to learn how to cooperate and provides a fun challenge that can lead to amusing memories.
13. Personal Trivia Quiz Game
A personal trivia quiz game is a fun way to learn interesting facts about other people you play with. Before the game, ask each participant to share one funny or interesting fact about themselves. Ask them to write it on a piece of paper and put it in a bowl. Take a fact out and ask everyone to try to guess who the fact belongs to. Common facts can be ‘Who travelled to Japan?’, ‘Who speaks Spanish’, ‘Who has broken their finger during a football game?’ and so on. This game helps break the ice and reveal interesting facts and stories about each other.
14. Pass the Story
Pass the Story is a creative and collaborative game where participants build a story together, each person adding one sentence to the story. To start, gather everyone in a circle, so that everyone can see each other. The first person begins by saying the opening sentence of a story. This is perhaps the most important part, as it sets the tone for the whole story. The next person adds a sentence to continue the story and make it as fun and interesting as possible. This process then repeats as each participant contributes another sentence to the story. The game is extremely creative and fun, but also encourages listening and teamwork, making it perfect for groups looking to bond and have a good laugh together.
15. Who Am I?
‘Who am I’ is a fun icebreaker game that gets everyone thinking and giggling. To play the game, write the names of famous people or characters from movies on sticky notes and place one on each participant’s forehead, without letting them see it. All players then takes turns asking yes-or-no questions to try to find out their identity. Some examples can be ‘Am I real?’, ‘Am I a singer?’, ‘Am I rich?’. The game is a fantastic way to have conversations and potentially learn about new personalities.
Take Your Meetings to Another Level with a New, Exciting Venue!
If you’re looking to refresh your team meetings, changing the venue can make a big difference. Stepping out of the office helps break the routine and bring new perspectives.
A new environment, whether in nature or a modern sustainable event space, can spark conversations and lead to great ideas. Plus, it minimises everyday office distractions, allowing better focus and creativity.
And it’s not just about work. Fun activities in a new setting build real connections. Whether tackling a scavenger hunt or enjoying a new view, these experiences create lasting bonds.
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