35 holiday party games for work, free and hosted
24 free games you can run yourself and 11 hosted ones, each with rules, time and group size. Every game says whether it works on a video call, in the office, or both.
The best holiday party games for work keep everyone playing at the same time, need no special knowledge and never put one person on the spot. Pick one quick game to open, one bigger game as the main event, and you have a party.
Free quick games (5 to 15 minutes)
Openers and fillers. Use one while people arrive, between courses, or at the top of the last team meeting of the year.
1. Emoji carol guess
Post holiday song titles as emoji strings, one at a time (🎅🛷🌃 for 'Santa Claus Is Coming to Town'). First correct answer in chat or shouted out wins the point. Ten songs is plenty. Want it hosted? See Christmas Music Bingo Party.
5 min · Any size · Virtual or in person. You need: Ten emoji clues on a slide.
2. Name that movie quote
Read a famous line from a holiday movie and give teams 15 seconds to name the film. Mix classics with recent releases so every generation scores. Want it hosted? See Christmas Trivia Party.
10 min · Any size · Virtual or in person. You need: Twelve quotes and a timer.
3. Two truths and a holiday lie
Each person shares three holiday facts about themselves, one false ('I've never seen snow'). The group votes on the lie. Past 15 people, split into breakout rooms or tables.
10 min · 5 to 15 people · Virtual or in person
4. Holiday would-you-rather
Ask festive dilemmas and have people vote with a hand or a reaction, then ask one person from each side to defend it. 'Would you rather wrap every gift or untangle every string of lights?' More questions.
5 to 10 min · Any size · Virtual or in person
5. Guess the holiday photo
Collect a childhood holiday photo from everyone a week ahead. Show them one by one and let people guess who it is in chat or on paper. Reveal at the end; the best outfit gets a prize.
15 min · 8 to 40 people · Virtual or in person. You need: Photos collected a week early.
6. Holiday Pictionary
One person draws a holiday word (nutcracker, ugly sweater, regifting) while their team guesses within 60 seconds. On a call, use the whiteboard or a free drawing site; in the room, an easel pad.
15 min · 6 to 30 people · Virtual or in person. You need: A word list, a timer, a whiteboard.
7. Finish the lyric
Play or sing the first line of a holiday song and stop. First team to finish the next line wins the round. Have a lyrics sheet ready, because people will argue. Want it hosted? See Christmas Music Bingo Party.
10 min · Any size · Virtual or in person. You need: A playlist and a lyrics sheet.
8. This or that, holiday edition
Rapid-fire pairs with a thumbs up or down: real tree or fake, eggnog or cocoa, early shopper or Christmas Eve panic. Use it as a warm-up before a longer game. 100 prompts.
5 min · Any size · Virtual or in person
9. Gift wrap relay
Pairs wrap a shoebox together using only one hand each (one left, one right). Fastest neat wrap wins; the ugliest one wins a second prize. It works as a spectator sport too.
10 min · 8 to 40 people · In person. You need: Shoeboxes, paper, tape and bows per pair.
10. Holiday charades
Teams take turns acting out holiday movies, songs and traditions with no words. One minute per clue, alternating teams, with a scorekeeper. Keep the clue jar family-friendly.
15 min · 8 to 30 people · In person. You need: A jar of clues and a timer.
11. Snowball fight icebreaker
Everyone writes a little-known fact about themselves on paper, crumples it and throws it across the room on the count of three. Each person picks one up, finds the writer and introduces them.
10 min · 15 to 100 people · In person. You need: Paper and pens.
12. Winter Scattergories
Pick a letter and read five categories (a holiday food, something you'd hang on a tree, a winter sport). Everyone writes an answer for each in 90 seconds; answers nobody else wrote score.
10 min · Any size · Virtual or in person. You need: Category lists and a letter picker.
Short on time? Our original list of 8 free Christmas games covers the quickest ones, from an emoji quiz to charades, and there are free Christmas trivia questions ready to read out.
Free party games (20 to 45 minutes)
Big enough to be the main event for a small team. Each one needs an organizer and a bit of prep, which is listed.
13. Office holiday feud
A Family Feud-style game built from your own team. A week ahead, survey everyone with six questions ('Name something people regift'). On the day, two teams guess the top answers with three strikes per round. Want it hosted? See Festive Family Feud.
30 min · 10 to 60 people · Virtual or in person. You need: A survey form, a slide with hidden answers, a buzzer or bell.
14. DIY holiday trivia
Four rounds of ten questions: movies, music, food around the world, and one round about your company's year. Teams of four to six, answers on paper or a free quiz tool, scores shown after each round. Free Christmas trivia questions. Want it hosted? See Christmas Trivia Party.
30 to 45 min · 10 to 80 people · Virtual or in person. You need: 40 questions, a scorekeeper, a prize.
15. Holiday movie bingo
Make bingo cards with holiday movie moments (snow falls on a kiss, a dog in a sweater, someone says 'magic of Christmas'). Play a 30-minute compilation or a short film and mark squares; five in a row wins. Want it hosted? See Christmas Music Bingo Party.
30 min · Any size · Virtual or in person. You need: Printable or digital cards and a film or clips.
16. White elephant gift swap
Each person brings a wrapped gift under a set price. In number order, people open a new gift or steal an opened one; a gift is frozen after its third steal. On a call, people reveal gifts on camera and steal by typing STEAL.
30 to 45 min · 8 to 40 people · Virtual or in person. You need: A price cap and numbered slips.
17. Secret Santa guess-who
Run Secret Santa, but at the party each person reads the clue their Santa left on the tag and guesses who it was before opening. Wrong guesses are half the fun. Secret Santa generator.
20 min · 5 to 60 people · Virtual or in person. You need: A name draw two weeks ahead and a price cap.
18. Ugly sweater runway
Each person gets ten seconds on the runway (or the camera) while an emcee narrates like a fashion commentator. Vote for best homemade, most lights and best accessory.
20 min · 10 to 100 people · Virtual or in person. You need: A playlist, an emcee and a poll.
19. Gingerbread engineering challenge
Teams of four get a gingerbread kit and a brief: tallest freestanding building, or a replica of your office. 35 minutes to build, then a stress test with a book on top.
45 min · 8 to 60 people · In person. You need: One kit per team and paper tablecloths.
20. At-home holiday scavenger hunt
Call out items people have at home ('something older than you', 'the worst gift you ever got', 'something red and green') and give 60 seconds each. First back on camera scores; the best story gets a bonus. 50 hunt prompts.
20 min · 6 to 60 people · Virtual
21. Office holiday scavenger hunt
Teams get a list of 20 photo tasks around the office: a selfie with the CEO's plant, a human Christmas tree, a re-enacted movie scene. Points for creativity; the team photo album becomes the party slideshow.
30 min · 10 to 60 people · In person. You need: A task list and a shared album.
22. Pin the nose on Rudolph
The childhood classic, played as a team relay. Each player is blindfolded, spun twice and gets one shot. Closest team average wins. Surprisingly competitive after the second round.
20 min · 10 to 40 people · In person. You need: A poster, red paper noses, a blindfold.
23. Holiday quiz board
A game-show-style board of five categories and five point values in a slide deck, each square linked to its question. Teams pick squares in turn and answer in 20 seconds; wrong answers lose points.
30 min · 8 to 40 people · Virtual or in person. You need: A 25-question slide deck and a scorekeeper.
24. Carol lip sync battle
Teams pick a holiday song in advance and perform a 90-second lip sync with props. Applause or a quick poll decides. Easier on shy people than karaoke because nobody sings alone.
30 min · 15 to 150 people · In person. You need: A speaker, a playlist, sign-ups a week ahead.
Rather not run it yourself? A live host runs the game start to finish: no slides to build and no scorekeeping. See the hosted games below, or get a free quote with your date and headcount and you get a plan back within 24 hours.
Hosted holiday games (about 60 minutes)
A live host runs the whole thing, from rules to scoring. Virtual games run on Zoom (Microsoft Teams, Google Meet or Webex on request); in-person games come to your office or venue. Book about 2 weeks ahead.
25. Festive Family Feud
A fast holiday showdown where teams guess the most popular festive survey answers. The host handles the board, the buzzers and the trash talk; your team just plays. See price and dates: Festive Family Feud.
60 min · 10+ people · Virtual
26. Christmas Trivia Party
Holiday movies, music and traditions with picture clues and more, played in teams. Good for mixed groups because the rounds swing between nostalgia and pure guessing. See price and dates: Christmas Trivia Party.
60 min · 10+ people · Virtual
27. Christmas Music Bingo Party
Music bingo packed with classic Christmas hits: mark the songs you recognize as the host plays them. The least effort for attendees and some of the loudest chat you'll see all year. See price and dates: Christmas Music Bingo Party.
60 min · 10+ people · Virtual
28. Elf Escape Challenge
Riddles, puzzles and festive surprises, led by an elf, solved in small teams against the clock. Best for teams that like to figure things out together. See price and dates: Elf Escape Challenge.
60 min · 10+ people · Virtual
29. Clue with a Twist: Winter Fun!
A murder mystery solved through games and puzzles, no acting required. Teams gather clues across rounds and name the culprit at the end. See price and dates: Clue with a Twist: Winter Fun!.
60 min · 10+ people · Virtual
30. Holiday Fun & Games
A cozy mix of inclusive seasonal games, with no single holiday at the center. The safe pick for global or mixed-faith teams. See price and dates: Holiday Fun & Games.
60 min · 10+ people · Virtual
31. Comfy Cozy Game Shows!
Classic game-show-style rounds in a cabin-style setting. Teams switch between rounds, so people end up playing with colleagues they rarely meet. See price and dates: Comfy Cozy Game Shows!.
60 min · 10+ people · Virtual
32. Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader: Winter Edition!
Grade-school questions with a winter theme, in a game-show format. Humbling in the best way, and nobody needs specialist knowledge. See price and dates: Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader: Winter Edition!.
60 min · 10+ people · Virtual
33. Feud Night (in person)
A Family Feud-style game for the room: tables play as teams, answer on a phone each round, and score for any popular answer. A host brings the game to your office or venue. See price and dates: Feud Night.
60 min · 20+ people · In person. You need: Tables, a screen with HDMI, phones.
34. Team Trivia Live (in person)
A pub quiz for your party: tables debate and submit answers on a phone while a host runs the rounds and the leaderboard. See price and dates: Team Trivia.
60 min · 20+ people · In person. You need: Tables, a screen with HDMI, phones.
35. Music Bingo Live (in person)
Bingo meets a live DJ: match songs to your card, sing along and race to complete a line. It turns an office party into an actual party. See price and dates: Music Bingo.
60 min · 20+ people · In person. You need: A screen with HDMI and phones.
The same game, two ways: the Family Feud-style show on Zoom, or live at your office or venue, with today’s prices.
How to run holiday games at work
- Open small. Start with a 5-minute game while people arrive, so latecomers miss nothing important.
- Mix the teams. Assign tables or breakout rooms across departments; people already sit with their own team every day.
- One main game. Pick a single 30 to 60 minute game as the centerpiece, then stop while energy is still high.
- Small prizes, given fast. A $10 gift card handed out on the spot beats a big prize nobody remembers by January.
On a video call, most games need only chat, cameras and breakout rooms of four to six.
Official breakout room guides: Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet.
Planning the whole party, not just the games? Start with 45 office holiday party ideas, pick one of 30 holiday party themes, draw names with the Secret Santa generator or browse virtual holiday party events.
