The best office Christmas party games are team-based, easy to explain, and optional to perform. For most teams, use a 60-minute plan: a 10-minute arrival activity, one 30-minute main game, a 10-minute team challenge, and 10 minutes for results and conversation.
The 15 options below work across in-person, remote, and hybrid events. “Office Christmas” describes the search topic; if your workplace celebrates several holidays, rename the prompts and categories to match the event and the people attending.
Quick Comparison: 15 Office Christmas Party Games
Group sizes and times are practical hosting ranges, not product capacity guarantees. For digital products, verify the software and device requirements on the product page before the event.
| Game | Suggested group | Setup | Play time | Best format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Year-in-review team trivia | 6-100+ | 30-60 min | 25-35 min | In-person, virtual, hybrid |
| 2. Office survey showdown | 6-60 | 30-60 min | 25-35 min | In-person, virtual, hybrid |
| 3. Holiday emoji decode | 4-100+ | 15 min | 10-15 min | In-person, virtual, hybrid |
| 4. Mystery coworker fact | 6-50 | 20 min | 15-20 min | In-person, virtual, hybrid |
| 5. Desk or home scavenger sprint | 4-30 | 10 min | 15 min | In-person or virtual |
| 6. Festive categories | 4-40 | 10 min | 15-20 min | In-person, virtual, hybrid |
| 7. Caption contest | 4-100+ | 20 min | 15 min | In-person, virtual, hybrid |
| 8. Two truths and one year-end wish | 6-30 | 5 min | 20 min | In-person or virtual |
| 9. Holiday charades relay | 6-40 | 15 min | 20 min | In-person or virtual |
| 10. Team drawing challenge | 4-30 | 15 min | 20 min | In-person or virtual |
| 11. Riddle lightning round | 4-100+ | 5-20 min | 15-25 min | In-person, virtual, hybrid |
| 12. Music through the decades | 4-100+ | 5-20 min | 20-30 min | In-person, virtual, hybrid |
| 13. Holiday price guessing | 4-50 | 20 min | 15-20 min | In-person, virtual, hybrid |
| 14. Gratitude wall challenge | 6-100+ | 10 min | 10-20 min | In-person or virtual |
| 15. Team story chain | 4-30 | 5 min | 15 min | In-person or virtual |
1. Year-in-Review Team Trivia: Best Overall
Create four short rounds: general knowledge, the year in pop culture, company milestones, and a photo round using images your organization owns and participants have agreed to share. Mix departments rather than putting established teams against one another.
For a prepared general-knowledge base, the Pub Trivia PowerPoint game includes 100 questions in 10 categories, player answer sheets, host answers, and instructions. Its current product information says it can be played online or face to face, but does not specify a minimum PowerPoint version or operating system; confirm compatibility on the device you will use.
How to run it
- Form teams of three to six and give each team one answer sheet.
- Ask eight to ten questions per round with a fixed response time.
- Reveal answers after each round rather than waiting until the end.
- Use one closest-number question as a tiebreaker.
2. Office Survey Showdown: Best for Team Personalization
Send five harmless prompts to employees in advance, combine similar responses, and build a point board from the answer counts. Good prompts include “Name something people forget before a video call” and “Name an item that disappears from the shared kitchen.”
The office party survey-question guide provides more prompt ideas. If you use the editable survey-game PowerPoint template, note that it is sold with 40 adult-focused rounds and uses a macro-enabled .PPTM file. Replace any unsuitable supplied material with your approved office prompts; Microsoft PowerPoint desktop on Windows or Mac and macros are required.
3. Holiday Emoji Decode
Show an emoji sequence that represents a winter phrase, movie title, seasonal activity, or office expression. Teams submit answers at the same time so faster typists do not dominate.
- Use 10-15 puzzles.
- Include text labels for screen-reader access.
- Avoid making knowledge of one religious tradition necessary for every answer.
4. Mystery Coworker Fact
Collect one voluntary, non-sensitive fact from each participant, then ask teams to match facts to people. Examples include a first concert, an unusual hobby, or a place someone has visited. Let employees skip the activity or submit a generic fact without explanation.
5. Desk or Home Scavenger Sprint
Give teams 10 safe prompts such as “something reusable,” “an item older than five years,” or “something in the company color.” Remote participants find items at home; office participants search only their own work area or a designated common space.
Do not ask participants to reveal personal documents, medication, family photos, addresses, or anything from another person's desk.
6. Festive Categories
Choose a letter and ask teams to list one item for each category: food, winter activity, song title, travel item, office object, and gift idea. Award one point for a valid answer and a bonus point for a unique answer.
7. Caption Contest
Use three neutral workplace or winter images your organization owns. Teams have two minutes to write a caption for each. Let a small volunteer panel choose the funniest work-appropriate entry, or use anonymous voting.
8. Two Truths and One Year-End Wish
Each volunteer shares two true highlights from the year and one fictional year-end wish. Teams guess the fictional statement. Keep participation optional and tell people not to disclose health, family, financial, or performance information.
9. Holiday Charades Relay
Use actions and objects rather than people: wrapping a gift, scraping ice from a car, untangling lights, packing for travel, or carrying too many shopping bags. A seated player can describe a gesture for a teammate to perform.
10. Team Drawing Challenge
Give a player 60 seconds to draw a winter or workplace prompt on a whiteboard or shared digital canvas. No letters or numbers. Rotate artists so no one is expected to perform repeatedly.
11. Riddle Lightning Round
Read one riddle at a time and let teams submit a written answer. The PowerPoint riddle game includes 30 rounds and a host answer key. Its product page recommends PowerPoint 2013 or newer and explains that scoreboard support varies on older Mac versions and iPad; review the exact requirements before presenting.
12. Music Through the Decades
Use short, licensed-to-you audio clips or a game that already includes its audio. The Name That Tune PowerPoint game contains 50 song clips in five rounds covering the 1980s through the 2020s, plus printable answer sheets, host answers, and instructions. It is not described as a Christmas-specific game, so present it as a general music break.
13. Holiday Price Guessing
Choose five common, non-sensitive items such as cocoa, wrapping paper, a desk calendar, or a reusable bottle. Show a current price from one named retailer and one date. Closest answer wins; do not imply that one retailer's price is universal.
14. Gratitude Wall Challenge
Invite participants to add one anonymous note about a helpful team action from the year. Group the notes by theme and read a few without asking anyone to identify themselves. This works as a calm transition after a competitive game.
15. Team Story Chain
Give each team the same opening sentence about an office holiday mix-up. Each person adds one sentence, with a 15-second limit. Read the finished stories aloud only with the team's agreement.
A 60-Minute Office Christmas Party Agenda
- 0:00-0:10: holiday emoji decode while people arrive.
- 0:10-0:15: explain the optional participation rules and form mixed teams.
- 0:15-0:45: run year-in-review trivia or the office survey showdown.
- 0:45-0:55: use riddles, a caption contest, or the gratitude wall.
- 0:55-1:00: reveal results, thank the host, and share any photos only with consent.
Inclusion and Workplace Safety Checklist
- Make participation and performance optional.
- Use team formats and avoid elimination.
- Do not tie points or penalties to alcohol.
- Avoid jokes about protected characteristics, compensation, performance, relationships, health, or politics.
- Provide spoken and written instructions, captions where possible, and seated ways to participate.
- Collect personal facts and photos only with clear consent.
- Test screen sharing, audio, macros, and presentation controls before the event.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the easiest office Christmas party game?
Holiday emoji decode or a short team trivia round is easiest because both use simple written answers and do not require acting, movement, or personal disclosures.
What works for a hybrid office party?
Choose games with one shared screen and simultaneous written answers, such as trivia, survey boards, emoji puzzles, riddles, or price guessing. Assign one co-host to monitor remote responses.
How many games should a one-hour office party include?
Use one main game, one arrival activity, and one flexible backup. Leave at least 10 minutes for instructions, transitions, and results.
How do we keep office games professional?
Use voluntary team activities, preview every prompt, avoid personal or sensitive subjects, and provide an equivalent non-performing role. Internal workplace policies should determine what is appropriate for your organization.
Hosting outside work? Use the Christmas family games guide for mixed-age home gatherings.