Icebreakers
12 Icebreaker Games for Remote and Hybrid Meetings
· 8 min read
Icebreakers on a video call have a hard job. Half the room has their camera off, there's a delay on every joke, and nobody wants to be the first to unmute. The ones that work share a few traits: they're short, every answer is right, and people can join in by typing as well as talking.
Here are twelve that work for remote and hybrid teams, from five-minute openers that need nothing but the call to ten-minute games for when you want a bit more energy. For each one: how long it takes, what group size it suits, and why it works.
Quick guide
| Icebreaker | Time | Group size |
|---|---|---|
| Two truths and a lie | 10–15 min | 4–30 |
| This or that | 5 min | Any |
| Guess the room | 5–10 min | 8+ |
| Show something within arm's reach | 10 min | Up to 10 |
| Rose, thorn, bud | 10 min | Up to 10 |
| Emoji check-in | 5 min | Any |
| Desert island pick | 5 min | Any |
| Survey says | 10 min | 6+ |
| One-word weekend | 5 min | Up to 20 |
| Spin the question | 10 min | Up to 15 |
| Speed trivia | 5–10 min | Any, in teams |
| Finish the sentence | 10 min | 6+ |
1. Two truths and a lie
10–15 min · 4–30 people
How it works: One person shares three statements about themselves: two true, one false. Everyone else votes on the lie, then the author reveals it.
Why it works: People learn something real about each other, and the reveal always gets a reaction.
With TeamPlay: TeamPlay's Two Truths has the author type their statements and every other team vote, so nobody has to unmute to take part.
2. This or that
5 min · Any people
How it works: Read two options ("Early bird or night owl?", "Beach or mountains?") and have everyone pick one. Show the split.
Why it works: No wrong answers and no one is singled out. Good for the first few minutes of a meeting with new faces.
With TeamPlay: Speed Round Surveys runs this with live votes and shows the room's split after each question.
3. Guess the room
5–10 min · 8+ people
How it works: Ask a poll question, but before revealing the result, have everyone guess what the most popular answer was.
Why it works: Turns a plain poll into a small game about knowing your colleagues.
4. Show something within arm's reach
10 min · Up to 10 people
How it works: Everyone grabs one object they can reach without standing up and explains it in a sentence.
Why it works: Works brilliantly on camera, and the mugs, plants and odd souvenirs start conversations.
5. Rose, thorn, bud
10 min · Up to 10 people
How it works: Each person shares a highlight (rose), a challenge (thorn) and something they're looking forward to (bud).
Why it works: A regular check-in for weekly team meetings that gives a manager a real read on the team.
6. Emoji check-in
5 min · Any people
How it works: Everyone describes their week in three emoji in the chat. Pick two or three people to explain theirs.
Why it works: Fast, works in chat, and quieter people often say more with emoji than out loud.
With TeamPlay: If the team enjoys it, Emoji Guess flips it around: teams race to decode emoji puzzles like 🌧️🐱🐶 (raining cats and dogs).
7. Desert island pick
5 min · Any people
How it works: Ask one question: "You can take one app (or snack, or album) to a desert island. What is it?" Go round quickly.
Why it works: One-word answers keep it moving, and the follow-up questions write themselves.
8. Survey says
10 min · 6+ people
How it works: Teams try to name the most popular answers to a question like "Something people do on a call instead of listening." More popular answers score more.
Why it works: Competitive without needing anyone to know facts, and the answers are relatable to everyone.
With TeamPlay: TeamPlay's Survey Says has teams type guesses and flips each answer on the board as it's found.
9. One-word weekend
5 min · Up to 20 people
How it works: Everyone types one word that sums up their weekend. The host picks the most intriguing two to explain.
Why it works: Takes thirty seconds per person and works on Monday mornings when energy is low.
10. Spin the question
10 min · Up to 15 people
How it works: Pick a random person and give them a random light question ("What was your first job?"). They answer, then the spin moves on.
Why it works: The randomness takes the awkwardness out of choosing who goes next.
With TeamPlay: Icebreaker Roulette does the spinning: it picks the person and the prompt, and the host moves it along.
11. Speed trivia
5–10 min · Any, in teams people
How it works: Five quick multiple-choice questions, answered in small teams. Announce the winning team and move on.
Why it works: Short enough for the start of a meeting, and team play means nobody is exposed for not knowing.
With TeamPlay: Trivia in TeamPlay marks every answer automatically and orders the questions from easy to hard.
12. Finish the sentence
10 min · 6+ people
How it works: Give a prompt with a gap ("The real reason the meeting overran was ___"). Everyone writes an ending, then the room votes for the funniest.
Why it works: Brings out the team's sense of humour, and voting without names keeps it fair.
With TeamPlay: Punchline runs this with anonymous entries and votes, revealing who wrote what at the end.
Tips for remote icebreakers
- Keep it under ten minutes at the start of a working meeting. Save longer games for a dedicated social slot.
- Let people type. Chat, polls or answering on their phone gives quieter people and anyone on a bad connection an equal way in.
- Make cameras optional. Every game above works with cameras off.
- Don't ask for anything too personal. Family, health and money questions can put people in an awkward spot. Keep prompts light.
- Rotate. The same icebreaker every Monday gets stale by week three.
Run several of these in one session
Several of these games are built into TeamPlay. Share your screen, everyone joins from their own device with a room code, and the app handles the voting and scoring. It's free for up to 15 people, which covers most team meetings. Host a free session, or if you're planning something bigger, read how to run a 60-minute team game session.