Game · 20-30 minutes
Two truths and a lie
A classic icebreaker where each person shares three statements and the group guesses which one is false.
Read more All team quizzes & games
Icebreakers
Office bingo
Everyone gets a bingo card of traits and facts - “has lived abroad”, “speaks three languages” - and finds colleagues who match.
- Players
- 12-100
- Duration
- 30-40 minutes
- Energy level
- High
- Works online
- Partly
How to play - step by step
- 1
Make bingo cards with a trait or fact in each square.
- 2
Give each person a card and a pen and announce a 15-minute timer.
- 3
Players walk around and find a different colleague for each square.
- 4
They write the person’s name in the square - one name per card.
- 5
The first to complete a line (row, column, or diagonal) shouts “Bingo!”.
- 6
The host verifies the names, and the game continues to a full card.
Benefits
- Helps new and quiet people open up quickly.
- Builds trust and breaks down hierarchy between teams.
- Creates shared stories and inside jokes that last.
- Needs little or no preparation or budget.
What you need
- A 5x5 bingo card per person, with a different statement in each square.
- Pens, a timer, and small prizes.
- A free space in the centre and a “bingo” bell or horn.
Rules
- Each colleague can sign a card only once.
- You cannot sign your own card.
- Squares must stay about facts people are happy to share.
Scoring and winning
- First line wins a small prize; first full card wins the grand prize.
- A bonus for the player who meets the most new people.
Square ideas
- Plays a musical instrument.
- Was born in a different region or country.
- Has run a 10k or a marathon.
- Has a pet.
- Speaks three or more languages.
- Loves cooking.
- Has worked here for more than five years.
- Joined in the last three months.
- Has visited more than five countries.
- Plays a sport on weekends.
Variations
- Department bingo: squares about the work other teams do.
- Silent bingo: players can only ask by gesturing.
- Photo bingo: take a selfie with each person.
Playing it online
- Share a digital card and ask people to use breakout rooms of two to find matches.
- Use a shared document where each person adds their name next to the statements that apply.
Tips for the host
- Print different squares in a different order on each card.
- Play music during the mingling to lift the mood.
Mistakes to avoid
- Cards that are all the same - copying kills the game.
- Personal squares such as marital status or religion.
- Too little time - 15 minutes is the minimum.
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