Taking short breaks during the workday is important for boosting creativity and staying focused. One way to do this is by playing fun and simple office desk games.
These games are easy to set up and can be played right at your desk with coworkers.
Not only do they bring a little fun into the office, but they also help improve teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving skills.
Whether you have a few minutes or want to take a longer break, office desk games are a great way to refresh your mind and bond with your team.
Here’s a list of 25 office desk games you can play with your coworkers to boost creativity and add some fun to the workday.
These games are quick, simple, and perfect for taking a break without leaving your desk.
Get ready to spark creativity, have fun, and build stronger teamwork with these engaging games.
Pictionary
Use sticky notes and a whiteboard or digital tool. Players take turns drawing prompts while others guess the word or phrase.
In Pictionary, players take turns drawing pictures while others guess what the drawing is. You can use sticky notes, a whiteboard, or a digital tool.
The player picks a word or phrase and tries to draw it without speaking or writing words. The other players try to guess the correct answer based on the drawing.
This game helps people think quickly and creatively. It’s a fun way to engage with coworkers while boosting creativity and teamwork.
Word Association
A player starts by saying a word, and the next player responds with the first word that comes to mind. It’s a fast-paced game to loosen up mental blocks.
Word Association is a fast-paced game where one player says a word, and the next person says the first word that comes to mind.
It keeps going in a quick back-and-forth.
For example, if the first word is “apple,” someone might say “fruit,” and the next person might say “orange.”
It’s simple but helps loosen mental blocks and encourages quick thinking.
This game is great for getting your brain warmed up and can be played anytime during the day.
Desk Puzzle Challenges
Keep a small jigsaw or brain teaser puzzle on your desk. Team members can contribute as they walk by.
In Desk Puzzle Challenges, you keep a small puzzle, like a jigsaw or brain teaser, on your desk.
Throughout the day, coworkers can stop by and help you solve it. It can be a fun, ongoing activity where everyone can contribute.
Having a puzzle nearby provides a mental break while still stimulating your brain.
It helps improve focus, problem-solving skills, and teamwork.
These puzzles don’t take long and are perfect for short, relaxing breaks during the workday.
Trivia Quiz
Create a list of random trivia questions and quiz your colleagues. This can be done on paper or using an online quiz platform.
A Trivia Quiz is a game where you ask random questions, and people answer them. You can create your own questions or find some online.
The topics can be anything—science, history, pop culture, or even company-related trivia. You can keep score or just play for fun.
Trivia quizzes are easy to set up and can be done on paper, with a whiteboard, or using online tools.
This game encourages learning new facts while also creating a fun and competitive environment.
Riddles
Share a riddle of the day and encourage your team to solve it throughout the day for a fun, mind-bending challenge.
Riddles are short puzzles that make you think. You can share a riddle each day with your coworkers and let them think about it throughout the day.
Riddles often have tricky answers and require creative thinking to solve.
For example, “What has keys but can’t open locks?” (Answer: A piano). They provide a fun challenge and get everyone thinking outside the box.
Sharing riddles is a simple and enjoyable way to add some mental stimulation to the workplace.
Two Truths and a Lie
A player says two true things and one false thing about themselves, and the others must guess which is the lie. It’s a great icebreaker!
In this game, one player says three statements about themselves: two that are true and one that is a lie. The others must guess which statement is the lie.
For example, “I have a pet snake, I’ve traveled to Japan, and I don’t like pizza.”
The group then tries to figure out which one isn’t true.
This game is a great way to learn fun facts about your coworkers and get people talking. It’s a perfect icebreaker for new teams.
Desk Scavenger Hunt
Provide a list of items commonly found around the office or desk (e.g., paperclips, pens, sticky notes) and give a time limit for colleagues to gather them.
In a Desk Scavenger Hunt, you create a list of common office items, like paperclips, pens, or sticky notes.
Players have a set time, such as five minutes, to find and collect as many items from the list as possible.
The person who gathers the most items wins. This game adds excitement to the workday and gets people moving around their desks.
It’s easy to set up and helps break up the routine of the workday with some light, playful competition.
Would You Rather
Pose fun, hypothetical “Would You Rather” questions that require creative thinking and decision-making.
“Would You Rather” is a game where one player asks a question that gives two choices, and the other players have to pick one.
The questions can be fun and imaginative, like “Would you rather have the ability to fly or be invisible?”
The choices make people think creatively and can lead to interesting conversations.
It’s a great way to get to know coworkers and have fun imagining different scenarios.
This game is easy to play and works well for sparking creativity.
Story Cubes
Use story cubes or any dice with symbols on them. Players roll the dice and create a short story based on the symbols that appear.
In Story Cubes, players roll dice with different symbols on them, like a star, tree, or key.
Then, they create a short story using the symbols that appear on the dice.
For example, if the dice show a star, a house, and a clock, the player might say, “Once upon a time, a star fell from the sky and landed on a house at midnight.”
This game helps improve storytelling skills and encourages imaginative thinking. It’s a simple and fun way to spark creativity at work.
Name That Tune (or Hum)
Hum a popular tune and have others guess the song. This can lead to plenty of laughs and relaxed moments.
In Name That Tune, one player hums a popular song, and the others try to guess the song title. Players can only hum and not use any words.
For example, someone might hum a famous tune like “Happy Birthday,” and others guess what it is.
This game often leads to laughter and fun as people try to recognize the melody.
It’s a lighthearted way to take a break from work and enjoy some friendly competition with colleagues.
Desk Golf
Create a miniature golf course on your desk using office supplies (pens, paper clips, etc.) and a small ball (like a stress ball or a paper wad).
Desk Golf is a fun game where you create a small golf course on your desk using everyday office supplies.
You can use pens, paper clips, or rulers to make obstacles and a small ball, like a stress ball or a paper wad, as your golf ball.
Players try to “putt” the ball through the course by flicking it with their fingers.
It’s a great way to bring some playful energy to the workday and can help relieve stress while boosting creativity.
Doodle Challenge
Pick an object or theme and have everyone doodle their interpretation. Then, vote on the most creative one.
In the Doodle Challenge, someone picks an object or theme, and everyone has a few minutes to doodle their interpretation of it.
After everyone has finished, you can vote on the most creative or funniest drawing. The doodles don’t have to be perfect, and that’s part of the fun!
It’s a simple way to encourage creativity and self-expression. Plus, it gives everyone a quick break from thinking about work and helps refresh the mind.
Hangman
Play the classic word game on paper or a whiteboard, where players guess letters to uncover a hidden word.
Hangman is a classic word game where one player thinks of a word, and the others guess letters to try and figure it out.
Each wrong letter guessed brings the team closer to “hanging” the stick figure. The goal is to guess the word before the drawing is complete.
It’s easy to play on a whiteboard or even just a piece of paper.
Hangman helps improve vocabulary and is a fun, quick game to boost focus and teamwork during short breaks.
Exquisite Corpse
Each player draws part of a figure (head, torso, legs), folds the paper to hide their drawing, and passes it to the next player to add to it.
Exquisite Corpse is a drawing game where each player draws one part of a figure, such as the head, torso, or legs, and then folds the paper to hide what they drew.
The paper is passed to the next person, who adds to the drawing without seeing the previous sections.
At the end, the paper is unfolded to reveal a strange and funny figure.
This game encourages creativity, surprise, and collaboration. It’s a fun way to create something unique with your coworkers.
Desk Pong
Like ping pong but scaled down. Use a small ball (like a ping pong or foam ball) and paddles made from office supplies.
Desk Pong is like a mini version of ping pong. You can use small paddles made from office supplies like rulers or books and a small ball, like a ping pong ball or a foam ball.
Set up a “net” in the middle of your desk using pencils or anything else that works.
Players hit the ball back and forth, trying to keep it from falling off the desk.
It’s a quick, energetic game that can bring some fun and laughter to the workday.
Paper Plane Contest
Everyone makes a paper airplane, and you see whose plane flies the farthest or stays aloft the longest from their desk.
In the Paper Plane Contest, everyone makes their best paper airplane and then competes to see whose plane flies the farthest or stays in the air the longest.
Players can use any type of paper and get creative with their designs.
Once everyone has their planes ready, take turns throwing them and see which one performs the best.
This is a simple, enjoyable game that encourages creativity and a little friendly competition, perfect for a quick break.
20 Questions
Think of an object, and the others have 20 questions to guess what it is. This helps stimulate creative and lateral thinking.
In 20 Questions, one player thinks of an object, and the others ask yes or no questions to figure out what it is. Players have 20 questions to guess the object correctly.
For example, questions could include “Is it something you can eat?” or “Is it bigger than a book?”
This game helps stimulate creative and lateral thinking as players try to narrow down the possibilities.
It’s a great mental exercise that can be played anytime and with any group size.
Emoji Sentences
Challenge your team to use only emojis to communicate sentences or messages. Others must decode and interpret what’s being said.
In Emoji Sentences, players are only allowed to use emojis to create messages or sentences. Other players must decode what the emojis mean.
For example, someone might use a book emoji followed by a bed emoji, meaning “I read before going to sleep.”
This game challenges people to think visually and be creative with how they communicate.
It’s a fun, lighthearted game that encourages quick thinking and can lead to some funny interpretations.
The Alphabet Game
Pick a category (e.g., animals, places, foods) and go around the group, naming something from that category starting with the letters of the alphabet in order.
In The Alphabet Game, players pick a category like animals, places, or foods, and then take turns naming something from that category starting with the letters of the alphabet in order.
For example, in the animal category, the first player might say “Alligator” for A, the next player might say “Bear” for B, and so on.
This game helps with thinking on your feet and can be played quickly or stretched out over a longer time.
It’s simple, fun, and great for sharpening your brain.
Pass the Story
Start a story with one sentence, and each person around the desk adds a sentence, building the story creatively.
Pass the Story is a game where one person starts by writing or saying the first sentence of a story.
Then, the next person adds a sentence, and it continues around the group.
The goal is to build a creative and sometimes funny story together. Each player can take the story in a new direction, so it often ends up surprising everyone.
This game encourages imagination and teamwork, allowing people to be creative in short bursts.
Desk Maze
Create a small maze using office supplies like books and pens, and guide a small object like a ball through it by blowing or using a ruler.
In Desk Maze, you create a small maze on your desk using books, pens, or other office supplies.
Then, you guide a small object like a ball or a marble through the maze by blowing it or using a ruler to move it along the path.
The challenge is to navigate the maze without the object falling off the desk.
This game is a fun and quick way to take a break, and it also helps improve focus and problem-solving skills.
Tic-Tac-Toe Tournament
Have a mini tic-tac-toe tournament with simple grids drawn on paper or whiteboards.
In a Tic-Tac-Toe Tournament, you can draw simple grids on paper or a whiteboard and compete with your coworkers.
Players take turns placing X’s and O’s in the grid, aiming to get three in a row to win. You can play multiple rounds to find the overall champion.
It’s a classic game that’s easy to play, requires minimal setup, and offers quick matches.
This tournament can add some friendly competition and is a great way to relax during the day.
Memory Test
Place a few items on your desk, let your team observe them for a few seconds, then cover them up and have them recall the items after a short period.
For the Memory Test, place several items on your desk, such as a pen, paperclip, or sticky note.
Let your team observe the items for a few seconds. Then, cover them up and ask everyone to recall and write down as many items as they can remember. The person who remembers the most items wins.
This game is simple but effective in testing and improving memory skills.
It’s a great mental exercise that can be done in just a few minutes.
Balloon Keep-Up
Inflate a small balloon and challenge your colleagues to keep it from touching the ground using only their desks and supplies.
In Balloon Keep-Up, you inflate a small balloon and challenge your coworkers to keep it from touching the ground.
The twist is that they can only use their desks or office supplies, like a ruler or a notebook, to keep the balloon in the air.
This game is lighthearted and helps people release energy while having fun.
It’s an easy way to get moving without leaving your desk and can lead to plenty of laughs.
Silent Brainstorm
Write a question or topic on a whiteboard, and let everyone silently add their ideas or solutions. This generates creativity without the pressure of speaking aloud.
Silent Brainstorm is a brainstorming activity where a question or topic is written on a whiteboard, and everyone silently adds their ideas or solutions by writing them down.
This removes the pressure of speaking out loud and allows everyone to contribute at their own pace. Once the brainstorming is done, the ideas can be reviewed together.
It’s a great way to generate creative solutions in a low-stress environment, encouraging even shy team members to participate.
Conclusion
Incorporating office desk games into your workday is a simple and fun way to boost creativity and bring energy to the workplace.
These games not only help you take a break from work but also encourage teamwork, problem-solving, and quick thinking.
Whether you’re competing in a friendly game of Tic-Tac-Toe or working together to solve a puzzle, these activities can make the office more enjoyable and productive.
Next time you need a creative boost or just want to have fun with your coworkers, try playing one of these office desk games!
Engage With Us
We hope you enjoyed this list of office desk games to boost creativity at your workplace!
Have you tried any of these games, or do you have other fun ideas to add? We’d love to hear about your experiences and suggestions.
Feel free to share your favorite office desk games or tell us how these activities have helped bring fun and energy to your workday.
