Quizzes

Emoji movie and phrase quiz

Guess films, songs, and everyday phrases from a string of emojis - quick to prepare and instantly funny.

Players: 6-80, in teams of 3-6
Duration: 30-40 minutes
Energy level: Medium
Works online: Yes

How to play - step by step

1
Prepare 20-30 emoji puzzles on slides, each with a film, song, or phrase.
2
Form teams and explain that each slide hides one title.
3
Show a slide for 20-30 seconds while teams discuss.
4
Teams write their guess; the host asks for answers when time is up.
5
Reveal the answer with the emojis and a funny comment.
6
Total the points and award a prize to the sharpest decoders.

Benefits

Builds teamwork by mixing people from different departments.
Shares knowledge in a fun, low-pressure way.
Rewards curiosity rather than seniority, so everyone can contribute.
Works in the office or online with almost no budget.

What you need

A slide deck or printed cards with emoji puzzles.
Answer sheets and pens, or a shared chat for online play.
A timer and a scoring sheet.

Rules

Only titles from films, songs, or well-known phrases everyone can know.
No pausing the timer - 20 to 30 seconds per puzzle.
Teams may give one guess per puzzle.

Scoring and winning

One point per correct title; two points if guessed in the first 10 seconds.
A bonus round where teams create and challenge others with their own puzzle.

Example puzzles

Q1.🦁👑Show answer

Answer: The Lion King.

Q2.🕷️🧑‍🦱Show answer

Answer: Spider-Man.

Q3.🏠🏡🌪️👧🐕Show answer

Answer: The Wizard of Oz.

Q4.⏰💰Show answer

Answer: Time is money.

Q5.🌧️🌈Show answer

Answer: Rainbow after the rain (or “Every cloud has a silver lining”).

Variations

Use emojis for office terms: “📅🤝” = meeting; “💸📄” = payslip.
A round of film titles from different countries and languages.
Let teams create their own puzzles for the next round.

Playing it online

Share puzzles on screen and collect guesses in the chat.
Use a different colour for each team in a shared document.

Tips for the host

Keep a few easy ones at the start so every team scores.
Group puzzles by theme to build momentum.

Mistakes to avoid

Very obscure puzzles - include a mix of easy and hard.
Using references that are not inclusive of every culture.
Not testing the emojis on all devices (they sometimes look different).

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