Debate games for work: 6 formats and 64 funny topics
Draw a silly topic and give each side a minute. Every topic is safe for work, and the timer runs both turns.
The motion
A sandwich cut corner to corner tastes better than one cut down the middle.
Speaker one argues for. Start the clock when they're ready.
Debate games turn a light argument into a quick game: two sides, one silly motion, a minute each and a vote. Below are six debate games for work that fit inside a meeting, how to host one, and 64 funny topics to debate with nothing political, personal or about real coworkers.
6 debate games for work
Each one runs with a timer and a room. Pick one per meeting, or run the tournament as its own session.
1. 60-second rebuttal
Draw a motion and flip a coin for sides. Speaker one argues for it for a minute, speaker two answers for a minute, and the room votes with a show of hands.
In a meeting: Run one pair at the top of a weekly meeting and rotate who speaks, so everyone gets a turn over a month.
2 speakers at a time · 5 minutes a pair · the timer above
2. Switch!
One person argues a motion for 90 seconds. Whenever the host calls “switch,” they flip to the other side mid-sentence and keep going without a pause.
In a meeting: Call at least two switches per speaker. The smoothest U-turn of the session wins.
1 speaker at a time · 2 minutes each · nothing to prep
3. Small claims court
Put an office object on trial, like “the stapler stands accused of jamming on purpose.” A prosecutor and a defender each get a minute, one witness each testifies as another object, and the judge rules.
In a meeting: Let the rest of the room be the jury. The judge reads the sentence in the most serious voice they have.
5 to 7 players · 10 minutes · a coffee mug for a gavel
4. Knockout tournament
Pair up eight people and draw a fresh motion for every match. Each side gets 45 seconds, the room votes, and the winners move on until two are left for the final.
In a meeting: Give the final a full minute a side and a topic nobody has heard yet. A paper crown for the champion is plenty.
8 debaters · 20 to 25 minutes · a whiteboard
5. Tag-team debate
Teams line up on opposite sides of a motion. Each speaker gets 20 seconds, then tags a teammate, who has to pick up the argument where it stopped.
In a meeting: Alternate sides after every tag so both teams stay on their toes. The host calls the winner on the best single line.
2 teams of 3 or 4 · 8 minutes · nothing to prep
6. Three-way panel
Ask a “which is best” question with three answers, like the best office supply, and give each panelist one answer to defend for a minute. The audience votes once all three have spoken.
In a meeting: A three-way split stops the room from lining up on two sides, so the vote is harder to call.
3 panelists · 6 minutes · a list of three options
How to run a debate game in a meeting
Ten minutes at the start of a meeting is enough for two or three rounds.
- Pick a host. One person draws the topic, runs the clock and calls the vote.
- Say the two rules. Argue the topic, never the person. Arguing a side you don't believe is the point.
- Flip for sides. A coin or a quick game of rock, paper, scissors decides who argues for.
- Run the clock. One minute each keeps it quick; cut anyone off at the beep, kindly.
- Vote fast. Hands up or a chat emoji, counted in five seconds, then applause for both sides.
- Quit while they're laughing. Three or four rounds is plenty for a meeting. Save the rest for next week.
Debate games on Zoom or Teams
The same formats work on a call with four small changes.
- Spotlight the speakers. Pin or spotlight both debaters so the room watches them, not a grid.
- Share the timer. Share this page's screen so everyone sees the motion and the clock.
- Vote in chat. One emoji per side, posted on the host's count of three.
- Go mute between turns. Only the speaker unmutes; heckling stays in the chat.
64 funny topics to debate at work
Each is a motion: one side argues for it, the other against. Read one out, or let the draw at the top pick.
Food fight topics
Everyone has a strong opinion and nobody gets hurt.
- A sandwich cut corner to corner tastes better than one cut down the middle.
- A cracker is just a plate you can eat.
- Popcorn is a perfectly good dinner.
- Ketchup belongs in the fridge, not the cupboard.
- The top is the only part of a muffin worth eating.
- Brunch is just a late breakfast with better marketing.
- Fruit has no business in a savory salad.
- A wrap is just a sandwich with commitment issues.
- Toast is an upgrade on the bread it came from.
- Soup counts as a drink if you sip it from a mug.
- Every snack drawer needs a pretzel option.
- The crust is the best part of the pie.
Office life debate topics
Light enough for a staff meeting. Nobody's real job is on the line.
- The office printer has feelings, and they are mostly spite.
- Reply-all should require passing a short quiz first.
- Desk plants deserve their own performance reviews.
- A good pen matters more than a good chair.
- Sticky notes are the greatest office invention of all time.
- Out-of-office replies are allowed to be funny.
- The stapler is the most important tool on any desk.
- Every team needs an official mascot.
- Every meeting room needs a bell for when a meeting runs long.
- Meeting rooms should have names, never numbers.
- The office kitchen needs a dishwasher with a nameplate on it.
- A shared calendar is the most dangerous document in any company.
Funny topics to debate about everyday life
Harmless arguments about the small stuff, which is where the best ones live.
- Paper maps beat phone maps on a road trip.
- Pelicans deserve more fame than owls.
- Making the bed every morning is a waste of time.
- Umbrellas cause more trouble than rain does.
- Escalators are the best way to change floors.
- Every pocket should come with a zipper.
- The moon is more interesting than the sun.
- Board game rules should fit on one page.
- A hammock is the best piece of furniture ever made.
- Penguins would make excellent coworkers.
- Alarm clocks should have a snooze limit of one.
- Revolving doors are more fun than regular doors.
Big what-if topics
Impossible hypotheticals with no facts to check, so the best argument wins.
- Seagulls would be the worst neighbors on any street.
- A day with 25 hours would make everyone happier.
- A world without Mondays would just turn Tuesdays into Mondays.
- Robots should do the dishes and nothing else.
- Every city should swap one staircase for a giant slide.
- Rain would be a lot more popular if it came in flavors.
- Pigeons are secretly in charge of every city.
- Eating only orange foods forever would be the smart choice.
- Talking to plants does more for the person than the plant.
- A pet dragon would be more trouble than it is worth.
- Sleeping in a treehouse every night would be the dream.
- Learning to juggle should be a school requirement.
Halloween debate topics
For the October meeting. Costumes encouraged, not required.
- Candy corn is a misunderstood treat.
- Handing out full-size candy bars should be the law.
- A homemade costume always beats a store-bought one.
- Haunted houses are scarier than horror movies.
- Painting a pumpkin is better than carving one.
- Ghosts would make terrible roommates.
- Trick-or-treaters should have to tell a joke first.
- Vampires have the best Halloween wardrobe of any monster.
Christmas and winter debate topics
Safe for the holiday party, the December all-hands or a snowy Monday.
- A snow globe is the most perfect holiday decoration.
- Gingerbread houses are for building, not for eating.
- Wrapping paper is better than gift bags.
- The plain sugar cookie is the best holiday cookie.
- Ugly sweaters should be December dress code.
- Mittens beat gloves in every way that matters.
- Hot cocoa doesn't count without marshmallows.
- Building a snowman beats having a snowball fight.
Want quieter prompts to answer alone? Try these table topics questions. For food fights the whole team can vote on, see our food questions.
Topics to keep out of a work debate
A debate game only works when the loser laughs too. Skip these, even as a joke.
- Politics, elections and anything in the news this week.
- Religion and beliefs.
- Money, pay and who should get a raise.
- Bodies, diets and health.
- Real coworkers, teams or company decisions.
- Anything where one side would be defending a group of people.
Let a host run the room
If you'd rather play than host, our live hosts run the clock, the rounds and the laughs on your video platform.
Three hosted hours that build the same muscles, with today’s prices.
The Improv session teaches the “yes, and” habit that makes a quick rebuttal easier, and Speak Up! is an hour on speaking with confidence. For pure competition, a virtual game show splits the team into small groups who all play at once. Book about 2 weeks ahead. See more virtual improv and hosted team games, or get a free quote with your date and headcount. Running it yourself? Pair a debate with these improv games or team meeting games.
