Updated October 2026 · 8 min read

21 Christmas Party Games for Work That Coworkers Actually Enjoy

The best office Christmas games have three things in common: everyone can join without feeling put on the spot, they take less than 15 minutes to explain, and they work whether you have 8 people or 80. Below are 21 games that pass that test, grouped by how much setup they need.

Before you pick: three quick rules

• Keep it optional and kind. Skip anything that embarrasses people, singles out someone's body, or needs alcohol to be fun.
• Plan for mixed groups. Some people love the spotlight, some don't. Team games and "everyone answers at once" games make both groups happy.
• Mind the clock. 30–45 minutes of games is the sweet spot for a lunch or after-work party.

Zero-prep games (start in 2 minutes)

1. Holiday Two Truths and a Lie

Each person shares two true holiday facts about themselves and one lie ("I've never seen snow"). The group guesses the lie. Great for teams that don't know each other well.

2. Holiday Would You Rather

Read quick choices out loud — "Would you rather wrap 100 gifts or bake 100 cookies?" — and have people move to one side of the room. It gets people up and laughing without anyone performing.

3. Hot Takes

Ask a this-or-that question (real tree or fake tree? holiday music in November: fine or way too early?). Everyone votes; people who side with the majority win a point. It's a fun way to discover your office's opinions.

4. Christmas Movie Emoji Guess

Describe a holiday movie plot in a few emojis on a whiteboard or screen. First team to name it wins.

5. Holiday Word Chain

Go around the room: each person says a holiday word starting with the last letter of the previous word (tinsel → lights → snow…). Hesitate for more than five seconds and you're out.

Low-prep games (10 minutes of setup)

6. Holiday Trivia

Trivia is the most reliable office party game because everyone can play at once. Mix easy questions ("What do people hang up for Santa to fill?") with a few hard ones ("How many gifts are given in total in The Twelve Days of Christmas?" — the answer is 364). Play in teams to keep it social.

7. Reindeer Race

Line up six "reindeer" with silly descriptions and odds, let everyone back one, and run the race. The fun is in the cheering — and in the 12-1 long shot that somehow wins. We wrote a full guide: how to host a reindeer race at your office party.

8. White Elephant Gift Exchange

Everyone brings a wrapped gift under a set budget. Players draw numbers, then either open a new gift or steal an opened one. Set a "three steals and the gift is frozen" rule to keep it moving.

9. Ugly Sweater Contest

Let people vote anonymously in a few categories (most lights, most creative, most "my aunt made this"). More categories means more winners.

10. Guess the Baby Photo

Collect childhood photos ahead of time (opt-in only) and let people match photos to coworkers.

11. Office Edition Quiz

Write five questions about your own workplace: "Who has worked here the longest?", "What does our manager say the most?" Inside jokes beat generic trivia every time — just keep it friendly.

12. Gift Wrap Relay

Teams race to wrap an awkward object (a mug, a stapler) using one hand each. Messy, fast and very photogenic.

13. Cookie Decorating Showdown

Plain cookies, icing and sprinkles. Give teams 10 minutes and a theme. Bonus: you get dessert.

Bigger games (great as the main event)

14. Game-show night on the TV

Put a quiz on the big screen and run it like a TV game show with rounds, a scoreboard and a final question worth big points. This is the easiest way to entertain a whole room at once.

15. Holiday Escape Puzzle

A chain of 5–8 puzzles (ciphers, riddles, a locked box) that teams solve against the clock.

16. Holiday Charades

Act out holiday songs, movies and traditions. Works best with a timer and two teams.

17. Name That Holiday Tune

Play the first few seconds of classic holiday songs. First team to shout the title scores.

18. Minute Challenges

Quick 60-second tasks: stack 10 cups, move candy canes with chopsticks, unwrap a gift wearing oven mitts.

Games for remote and hybrid teams

19. Phone-based trivia

Everyone answers on their own phone while the host shares the screen, so remote and in-room people compete on equal terms.

20. Virtual Hot Takes

Polls work perfectly online. Ask the question, show the results, award points to the majority.

21. Show and Tell: My Favorite Ornament

Each person shows one ornament or holiday object and the story behind it. Quietly one of the most loved activities on video calls.

More ideas for video calls: virtual holiday party games for Zoom and Teams.

A simple 40-minute plan