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Christmas party games for adults: 24 games for the office party

The best Christmas party games for adults are low-prep team games with plenty of banter: quick guessing rounds, drawing and acting relays, one-minute challenges, word games and music rounds.

KraftyLab TeamUpdated 9 min read
See the 24 gamesor have a host run it
Two teams of coworkers in winter sweaters huddle and cheer across a long table while a woman rings a small hand bell at an office holiday party

For a work Christmas party, split the room into teams of four to eight, play three or four games of 10 to 15 minutes each, and finish with a music round and small team prizes. The 24 games below are grouped by type, each with the players, time and supplies it needs and how to run it on video. Where we have a full guide for a game, it is linked.

Team games and guessing games

Start here: these eight fill the middle of the party and need a list, a screen and a scorekeeper.

Team games

Two to six teams, a scoreboard and a little rivalry. These carry the middle of the party.

  1. 1. Holiday hot takes court

    Each team draws a silly holiday opinion, like "Fruitcake deserves a comeback" or "Leftovers beat the holiday meal itself", and gets two minutes to prepare a 60-second case. Three judges rule on the most convincing defense, not the truest one.

    On video: Teams prepare in breakout rooms, then one speaker per team argues on the main call.

    8 to 40 players · 15 minutes · 10 opinion slips

  2. 2. Mystery box auction

    Wrap ten boxes of different sizes: some hold a real prize, some hold a single sock or a potato. Each team gets 500 snowflake points to bid with, the host auctions the boxes one by one, and the best haul wins when they are all opened.

    On video: Show each box on camera, shake it, take bids in the chat and mail the real prizes afterwards.

    8 to 40 players · 20 minutes · 10 wrapped boxes and a points sheet

  3. 3. Office survey showdown

    A week before, ask the whole team five holiday questions, like "Name something people lose every December." At the party, two teams take turns naming the most common answers, scoring one point per person who gave that answer.

    On video: Put the answer board on a slide and uncover each answer as a team names it.

    10 to 60 players · 20 minutes · a free survey form · Christmas survey questions

  4. 4. Christmas quiz board

    Five categories with five questions each, worth 100 to 500 points. Teams pick a square in turn, and a wrong answer lets the next team steal.

    On video: Share the board and let each team captain call the pick out loud.

    6 to 50 players · 25 minutes · a grid of slides · A ready Christmas quiz board

Rather play than run the board? A hosted virtual game night brings the questions, the scoring and a live host who keeps every team in the game.

Guessing games

Small clues, big guesses. A host with a list runs every one of these.

  1. 5. Winter break guess-who

    Before the party, everyone sends their plan for the break in five words, like "Ski trip, then a long nap." The host reads each one and teams guess who wrote it. Staying home with a book is a great answer too.

    On video: Teams type their guess in the chat before each reveal.

    8 to 40 players · 15 minutes · a form to collect the answers

  2. 6. Which came first?

    Show two holiday things and teams pick the older one. The first Christmas card sold in shops (1843) or electric tree lights (1882)? The song Jingle Bells (published 1857) or White Christmas (from the 1942 film Holiday Inn)? The Rudolph story (1939) or the song Frosty the Snowman (1950)?

    6 to 60 players · 10 minutes · 10 pairs on slides · More holiday trivia

  3. 7. Mystery stocking

    Fill a stocking with ten small objects: a whisk, a pine cone, a cookie cutter, a tape measure. One player per team feels inside for 30 seconds without looking while the team writes down every guess.

    On video: The host feels each object on camera and describes it in three words.

    6 to 30 players · 10 minutes · a stocking and ten objects · More guessing rounds

  4. 8. North Pole twenty questions

    One player picks a holiday object or character, and teams take turns asking yes-or-no questions. The team that names it within 20 questions scores; if nobody does, the player's own team takes the point.

    4 to 30 players · 10 minutes · nothing to buy · How to play 20 questions

Rather have a host run the games?

Whoever runs the games doesn't get to play them. A live host runs an hour of holiday games for your teams in the office, hybrid or all on video, keeps score and gets the quiet half of the call playing, with nothing for you to prepare. Hosted games book about 2 weeks ahead. The mixology class ships a kit to every guest (21+), so give it about 3 weeks for US addresses and 5 with guests in Canada or abroad.

Get a free quote

Add your date and headcount. You get a full plan within 24 hours.

Drawing, challenge, word and music games

Sixteen more for the second half of the party, from loud relays to quiet word games.

Drawing and acting games

Performers volunteer and everyone else guesses. Keep a list of who wants a turn instead of going around the room.

  1. 9. Charades relay

    Line each team up. The first actor gets a holiday word and acts it until the team guesses, then the next actor runs up for the next word. First team through ten words wins.

    On video: Send each actor their word in a private chat message.

    8 to 40 players · 10 minutes · word slips · Full list: Christmas charades

  2. 10. Sketch relay

    Each teammate gets ten seconds to add to one drawing of a holiday word, then passes the marker. The team guesses as the picture grows, and fewer turns means more points.

    On video: Use your meeting app's whiteboard and pass control by name.

    6 to 40 players · 10 minutes · a whiteboard or flip chart per team · Full list: Christmas Pictionary words

  3. 11. Back-to-back ornament

    Pairs sit back to back. One describes an odd ornament from a printed shape, using only lines and shapes, while the other draws it. Hold the two side by side at the end.

    On video: The describer turns their camera off, and the drawer holds up the result after two minutes.

    Pairs, any size · 10 minutes · paper, pens and five printed shapes · More drawing games

  4. 12. Paper sweater design-off

    Each team gets a paper sweater cutout, markers and craft scraps, and ten minutes to make the year's most outrageous holiday sweater with a name and a backstory. A one-minute runway pitch decides the winner.

    6 to 60 players · 15 minutes · paper sweaters, markers, scraps · Ugly sweater party ideas

Quick challenges

One or two minutes each, with a winner every round. Run all four in a row as a tournament.

  1. 13. Chopstick snowballs

    Move cotton balls from one bowl to another with chopsticks. The most moved in 60 seconds wins.

    On video: Players use their own kitchen supplies and count on camera at the buzzer.

    Any size · 5 minutes · cotton balls, chopsticks, two bowls per player

  2. 14. Paper chain sprint

    Each team gets a stack of paper strips and tape, and two minutes to build the longest chain. Lay the chains side by side to judge.

    On video: Players cut printer paper into strips at home and hold their chains up to the camera.

    6 to 60 players · 5 minutes · paper strips and tape

  3. 15. Ribbon curl race

    Curl as many short pieces of gift ribbon as you can in one minute with the edge of a scissor blade. Only tight curls count.

    Any size · 5 minutes · curling ribbon and scissors

  4. 16. Ornament spoon relay

    Teams carry a shatterproof ornament on a spoon across the room and back, one player at a time. Drop it and that player starts over.

    8 to 40 players · 10 minutes · spoons and plastic ornaments · More one-minute challenges

A coworker with his eyes shut reaches into a knit stocking to guess the objects while teammates grin and remote colleagues on a wall screen laugh

Word games

Quiet, quick and good for teams that would rather think than perform.

  1. 17. Holiday category sprint

    Draw a letter, show five holiday categories (a cookie, a movie, something in a stocking) and give teams 90 seconds. Only answers no other team wrote score.

    4 to 60 players · 10 minutes a round · an answer sheet per team · Full list: Christmas category lists

  2. 18. Off-limits words

    Describe a holiday word to your team without saying it or the three most obvious clues on the card (for snowman: snow, carrot, cold). Each turn lasts a minute.

    6 to 40 players · 15 minutes · 30 cards you write ahead · More forbidden-word cards

  3. 19. Gift tag rhymes

    Each team draws an office object and a made-up recipient (a stapler for someone who keeps losing theirs) and writes a two-line rhyming gift tag. Read them out and let the room vote.

    6 to 60 players · 10 minutes · tag cards and pens

  4. 20. One-word holiday story

    The team tells a holiday story one word per person, going around the circle, until someone says "The end." Stall for more than three seconds and you are out for the round.

    On video: Go in gallery order, left to right, and keep everyone unmuted.

    4 to 12 per circle · 5 minutes · nothing to buy · More improv games

Music games

Play songs from any streaming app. On video, share your computer sound and keep clips short.

  1. 21. Holiday song bingo

    Players get bingo cards of song titles, the host plays 15 seconds of each song, and players mark what they hear. Five in a row wins.

    10 to 100 players · 20 minutes · cards and a playlist · Free cards: Christmas bingo

  2. 22. Three-second intros

    Play only the first three seconds of a holiday song. The first team to name it scores; if nobody does, play three more seconds for half a point.

    6 to 60 players · 10 minutes · a playlist of 15 songs · Christmas song trivia

  3. 23. Hum it, don't say it

    A volunteer from each team hums a holiday song from a slip, with no words, and the team has 30 seconds to name it.

    On video: Unmute only the hummer; everyone else answers in the chat.

    6 to 30 players · 10 minutes · song title slips

  4. 24. Playlist draft

    Teams take turns picking one holiday song each until they have five, with no repeats. Play ten seconds of each lineup, the room votes, and the winning playlist plays for the rest of the party.

    Up to 6 teams · 15 minutes · a shared doc

Want the music round without building a playlist? In the Christmas Music Bingo Party, a live host plays the songs and runs the cards for the whole team.

Plan a 45-minute game hour

Four short games beat one long one. This order keeps the energy up and ends on a high.

  1. Warm-up, 5 minutes. Which came first? or Winter break guess-who while people get food.
  2. Team round, 15 minutes. One team game, like the survey showdown or the quiz board.
  3. Active round, 10 minutes. The quick challenge tournament or the charades relay.
  4. Finale, 10 minutes. A music game, then the final scores and the prizes.
  5. Buffer, 5 minutes. Games always run long. Keep five minutes spare.
  • In the office: Seat people by team, one scorekeeper with a flip chart, and a screen for questions. Every game on this page works.
  • Hybrid: Give remote guests their own team with a captain in the room who reads their answers out, and point a camera at the action.
  • All on video: Teams of four to six in breakout rooms, back to the main call for reveals. Guessing, word and music games work best.

Whole team remote this year? A virtual holiday party with a live host runs the games in breakout teams and brings everyone back for the scores.

Building the rest of the evening? Our holiday party agenda has full schedules, and the holiday party awards make a good closer after the games.

House rules for adult games at work

Six rules that keep the games fun for the whole team.

  • No drinking games. The fun comes from teams and banter. Drinks stay optional and are never a forfeit.
  • Performers volunteer. Acting, humming and runway pitches are opt-in; everyone else can guess and score.
  • Mix the teams. Split up departments so the party isn't the weekly meeting with snacks.
  • Make room for people who don't celebrate. Lean on winter and office content, and keep any faith-based questions out of the scoring.
  • Aim the jokes at things, not people. Rhymes and hot takes stay on objects and ideas, never a coworker.
  • Prize the team. Small prizes for the whole winning team keep it light: first pick of dessert, or the playlist.

Short of time to plan? Start with the Christmas this or that pairs or the Christmas riddles: both run straight off a shared screen.

Holiday games, run by a live host

Real Google reviews from teams we have booked, and the holiday party we put together for Meta.

Meta · Multi-event program

A holiday party for a thousand people, each choosing their own activity

Chocolate truffles, candles, painting or gingerbread houses.

See multi-event programs

“Booked a trivia event for Hispanic Heritage Month and it was a lot of fun! The host, Andres was great and kept the attendees engaged the entire time.”

Claudia C. · Google review

“It's hard to bond virtually but this was the first time that i felt our team had a moment of synergy!”

Fatema D. · Google review

Trusted by teams at

  • Google
  • Microsoft
  • Meta
  • Spotify
  • Netflix
  • Cisco
  • Coinbase
  • Dropbox

Christmas party games for adults FAQ

What are good Christmas party games for adults?

Team games with banter and almost no prep: a hot takes court, a mystery box auction, a survey showdown, guessing rounds, charades or sketch relays, one-minute challenges, word games and music rounds. Play three or four for 10 to 15 minutes each, in teams of four to eight.

What Christmas games can adults play at work?

Pick games that need no drinking, no forced performing and no personal questions: quiz boards, guessing games, category sprints, paper chain sprints and holiday song bingo. Mix departments on each team, and include winter and office content so people who don't celebrate Christmas play on equal footing.

What are funny Christmas party games for adults?

The ones where teams argue or invent: a holiday hot takes court, a mystery box auction with a potato in one box, a paper sweater design-off with a runway pitch, gift tag rhymes, and hum it, don't say it. The laughs come from the teams, so nobody has to be the joke.

What Christmas games work for adults on Zoom?

Guessing, word and music games: Which came first?, Winter break guess-who, three-second intros, holiday song bingo and the category sprint all run with a shared screen and the chat. For a hosted version, a virtual holiday party puts a live host in charge of the games for the whole call.

How many games do you need for a Christmas party?

Three or four for a 45-minute game block: a warm-up, a team game, a quick challenge round and a music finale. Stop each game while people still want more.

Can someone host the Christmas games for us?

Yes. A live host runs an hour of holiday games for your team in the office, hybrid or on video, with the scoring and prizes handled. Holiday Fun & Games is built for every winter holiday, and hosted games book about 2 weeks ahead.

Have a host run your Christmas party games

A live host runs an hour of holiday games in the office, hybrid or on video. Hosted games book about 2 weeks ahead, and you get a full plan within 24 hours.

Get a free quoteSee virtual holiday parties