Games to Play in the Office With Coworkers

Are your employees suffering from the office doldrums? As the day drags on, productivity wanes, and employees steal more and more glances at the clock which seems only to make the hours pass more slowly. One way to help energize your co-workers is through some fun office games that break the monotony. Done properly, games can encourage creativity and spread good cheer and office love.

Transform that big, white fixture (generally called a whiteboard) on your office or meeting-room wall into a giant game board. Be creative: Tte great white "dinosaur" comes in handy for several fun games to play at work with coworkers. For instance, get to know workmates with the “Question Game.” Write a question, such as “What is your all-time favorite book?” and encourage co-workers to write their answers alongside their initials. When there is no more room on the board, the next willing co-worker writes a new question on the board. Be prepared to learn surprising facts about each of your co-workers.

Or, encourage creativity and laughter with the “Inkblot Game.” Draw an enlarged and oddly shaped inkblot on the white board, and have co-workers write their interpretations of it on the board. Give a chuckle to passers-by, and watch office monotony quickly break up.

Pass out bingo cards at the door to the meeting room. Each box on the card should include a common trait or habit of your coworkers, supervisor or the Boss Lady or Boss Man – "Nathan spills coffee on his shirt," "Mr. Honcho laughs at his own joke." Every time an event is carried out by the named person, players can mark it off on their card. The player to cross out five boxes in a row (horizontal, vertical or diagonal) shouts “Bingo!” and wins the game.

Alternatively, play "Buzzword Bingo." Your co-workers will start to eagerly anticipate office meetings if rumors of this planned game make their way around their cubicles. Print an overused term or phrase – goal oriented, outside the box, incentivize – in each box. Every time the speaker says the word or phrase, meeting attendees can mark it off on their card. The player to cross out five words in a row (horizontal, vertical or diagonal) shouts “Bingo!” and wins the game. This entertaining version can help discourage overuse of cliches or ambiguous buzzwords and encourages speakers to speak more effectively.

Send an office email to announce the office game “Guess Who Is That Baby.” Ask each colleague to bring a childhood picture of himself and give to a designated photo collector. Staple the photos to the bulletin board in a random order. For original pictures, consider using removable adhesive to avoid damage to the photograph. Create a header that says, “Who’s who?,” and staple blank name cards or pieces of card stock beneath the photos. Attach a pen to the bulletin board, and encourage employees to write down their guesses. Your co-workers will enjoy guessing and seeing their friends in a different light.

Encourage employee familiarity with your office intranet by creating an online scavenger hunt. Create a worksheet with fill-in-the-blank questions related to intranet postings. Ask questions about your mission statement, branding policies, cafeteria menu and other intranet posts. The first three employees to complete their worksheets win a free lunch or a gift card to the local coffee house. Your intranet gets the attention it deserves as a valuable resource, and your co-workers get reminders of company goals and guidelines.