In short
The name says it: an icebreaker breaks the ice. At the start of most parties, guests stick to the people they already know – the bride's family on one side, the uni friends on the other. An icebreaker game gives everyone an easy excuse to talk to someone new. Good ones take a few minutes, need hardly any props and work for shy guests too.
Photo: Helena Lopes / Unsplash
At work you'll mostly meet them in meetings, workshops and team building sessions. They're just as useful at a wedding, a milestone birthday or a bachelor or hen party, where people who have never met end up at the same table.
Example
At a wedding with 80 guests, each seat has a small card next to the place card: "Find someone who has known the couple longer than you", "Find someone who travelled more than 200 miles today". Once you've found them, you take a photo together. Suddenly the groom's aunt and the maid of honour are chatting – and you get candid photos no photographer could have planned.
More classics:
- Two truths and a lie: everyone shares three facts about themselves; the others guess which one is made up.
- Human bingo: a bingo card of traits ("has been to Japan"); find a different guest for each square – a close cousin of photo bingo.
- How do you know the couple / the birthday person? Round the table, one short story each.
- Paired photo challenge: two guests who don't know each other get one task together, such as "the best detail of the decorations".
For more party games, see our wedding games or, for colleagues, our Christmas party games for work.
What to watch out for
- Keep it short: an icebreaker should kick off the evening, not take it over. Run it at the drinks reception or between courses.
- No one has to speak to the whole room: games in pairs or at the table feel far easier for shy guests than a big introduction circle.
- Nothing too personal: relationship status, weight, salary or embarrassing stories don't belong in an icebreaker.
- Optional: anyone who'd rather sit it out can. A game that runs in the background is ideal for that.
- No drinking games required: icebreakers work just as well with water as with fizz.
With Filmriss
Photo icebreakers work especially well with a digital disposable camera: guests scan a QR code and shoot in the browser, no app needed. For task ideas, see our party photo challenges.
