60 office scavenger hunt ideas, with a printable list

Around the office

Find it, then take a photo with a teammate in the frame. Nothing gets moved or taken. 1 point each.

1. The oldest piece of tech still plugged in
2. One plant that's thriving and one that needs help
3. The company logo somewhere unexpected
4. A whiteboard nobody erased
5. The funniest mug in the kitchen
6. A framed photo, award or certificate on a wall
7. The comfiest chair in the building
8. A sign that has been up far too long
9. The strangest thing in the lost and found
10. A meeting room, plus the story behind its name
11. The best view from any window you can reach
12. Something in the supply closet nobody has touched in a year
13. A clock showing the wrong time
14. Something in each of the company's brand colors
15. The quietest corner in the office

At your desk (works remote too)

Quick finds within arm's reach. They work the same at home, so remote teammates can play. 1 point each.

16. A pen from a hotel, bank or conference
17. The oldest file on your computer, date showing
18. Your most-used emoji (screenshot it)
19. Something you've kept since your first week
20. A cable nobody on your team can identify
21. Your current desktop wallpaper
22. Something that's been on your desk for over a year
23. A notebook with at least ten pages filled
24. Company swag from a past event
25. The snack you reach for at 3 pm
26. Something that always makes you laugh
27. The most recent work-safe photo on your phone

Photo challenges

The whole team has to be in these. Expect the best laughs of the day here. 2 points each.

28. Recreate a famous album cover with office props
29. Spell your team name with your bodies
30. A team selfie with someone from another department
31. Recreate a cheesy "teamwork" stock photo
32. The whole team mid-jump
33. A sculpture made only of paper clips and sticky notes
34. A face hiding in an object (an outlet, a door handle)
35. Your team's band photo in the stairwell
36. The most boring object you can find, shot like an ad
37. A movie poster recreated in the kitchen
38. Everyone pointing at one tiny thing
39. A photo that makes the office look like another country
40. A panorama with the same teammate in it twice
41. Your team as the cast of a sitcom, in the break room
42. A perfectly balanced tower of whatever's on one desk

Riddle clues

Read the riddle, find the object, photograph it. The printed list keeps the answers on a separate page for the organizer. 2 points each.

43. I bite your pages with metal teeth so they never come apart.Answer: A stapler
44. I'm small and square, I hold your thoughts, and I stick around wherever you put me.Answer: A sticky note
45. Give me two minutes and your lunch is hot again. I beep when I'm done but never get a bite.Answer: The microwave
46. Send me your words and I hand them back on paper, unless I'm jammed, which is often.Answer: The printer
47. Write on me, wipe me clean, write on me again. After meetings my face is covered in arrows.Answer: A whiteboard
48. I wake the whole office up every morning, but I've never had a sip myself.Answer: The coffee machine
49. People gather around me to talk, but all I ever offer is a cold drink.Answer: The water cooler
50. I'm red, I hang on the wall, and everyone hopes they never need me.Answer: A fire extinguisher
51. I'm a bent piece of wire that holds pages together without making a single hole.Answer: A paper clip
52. I'm full of dates but I've never been out to dinner.Answer: A calendar
53. Feed me your secrets and I'll turn them into confetti.Answer: A paper shredder
54. I have teeth, I'm sticky, and I sit in a heavy little stand on someone's desk.Answer: A tape dispenser

Team tasks

The social ones. They send teams to talk to people they don't usually work with. 3 points each.

55. Learn one surprising fact about someone you've never worked with
56. Collect signatures from three people in three different departments
57. Find the person who has been here longest and get their best tip
58. Write a four-line poem about the printer and perform it at the end
59. Find out who has the longest commute in the office
60. Get a senior leader to tell you about their first job

How to run a scavenger hunt at work

1. 1Pick 20 to 30 items. Take some from every list. All 60 is too many for one hunt; save the rest for next time.
2. 2Draw the map. Say which floors and rooms are in play, and list the no-go zones out loud.
3. 3Make mixed teams. Split departments up on purpose. Meeting new people is the team building part.
4. 4Set up photo drop-offs. One chat thread or shared album per team, so you can score as photos arrive.
5. 5Start a 45-minute clock. Hand each team a printed list and stay at base to answer questions.
6. 6Score, show, celebrate. Tally points, put the best photos on the big screen, and give the winners something real.

Rules to read out before you start

• Teams of 3 to 5, mixed across departments.
• Every find needs a photo with a teammate in it.
• Find, don't take: nothing leaves its spot.
• No drawers, no private offices, no unplugging anything.
• Stay out of meetings and away from anyone on a call.
• Everyone back at base when the timer ends; late teams lose 5 points.
• The organizer's call on any photo is final.

Scoring and prizes

Score photos as they arrive so the winner is ready the moment the clock stops.

Tied? Put both teams’ best photos on screen and let the room vote. Prizes that land well:

• First pick of lunch spot next week
• A trophy that passes to the next winning team
• Gift cards or a team lunch
• The best parking spot for a month
• Leaving early on a Friday
• Naming the next meeting room or company channel

Hybrid and remote versions

Got people at home? Put one remote player on each team, use the at-your-desk items for everyone, and have remote players join the team’s photo thread. For a fully remote team, use our 50 virtual scavenger hunt ideas instead: every prompt there works on a video call.

Want someone to run the hunt for you?

A live host runs a themed scavenger hunt for about an hour, with challenges on screen, breakout teams and scoring handled for you. It runs on Zoom by default, so office, remote and hybrid teams play the same game. See hosted scavenger hunts.

More ideas for the office: a free murder mystery game, minute to win it games, or a hosted game at your office in 17 US cities with in-person team building. Planning something bigger? Get a free quote.