Do your employees arrive at work carrying deadlines, emails, and the usual workday stress? I have spent more than fifteen years turning groups of colleagues into high-performing, fun-having teams, and nothing sparks transformation and boosts morale like a well-crafted lineup of game show ideas.
Some workplace crews trudge into a team building event like they don’t want to be there. However, fifteen minutes later, the entire room buzzes with laughter, inside jokes, and an energy that you’d wish you could bottle for rainy days. That energetic feeling is why I rely on game show games as a go-to tool for building workplace culture, developing leadership within a business, and boosting morale.
Teams won’t grow by enduring another slide deck, but they can flourish when they share memorable moments, lighthearted competition, and collective wins. Every team building activity below blends approachable challenges with intentional design, so participants forget they are team building at all. They play, connect, and carry those deeper bonds back to the office.
The Best Game Shows for Your Workplace
Before diving into each title, let’s set the stage. A great game show team building experience meets three criteria:
- Inclusive mechanics. Every participant, from the new intern to senior leadership, should see a clear path to contribute. That inclusivity turns hesitant bystanders into engaged teammates.
- Meaningful pressure. The task should feel challenging enough to create excitement without tipping into anxiety. Good design keeps adrenaline high and stress low.
- Purposeful reflection. A quick debrief ties gameplay moments to workplace lessons. When people connect a hilarious buzzer-beater with innovative collaboration back at their desks, magic happens.
Keep those guardrails in mind, pick one (or all) of the following game show events, and watch your team come to life.
The following are my favorite eleven game show ideas adapted for workplaces of every size and caliber, plus a special appearance from our Shark Tank event. Whether you need fresh quiz show ideas for a hybrid sales kickoff or extra-spirited team game shows for an annual team bonding retreat, you’ll find the perfect fit here.
For those who’d like to hear more of my thoughts about the process, check out our podcast episode where I talk about how game shows can build team leadership.
1. Jeopardy
Jeopardy is one of those games that instantly brings out people’s competitive side, even the ones who swear they’re never competitive. In our team version, we mix it up. Sure, you may have a question about world capitals, but we’re also throwing in company trivia, pop culture references, inside jokes, and random stuff to make your teammates chuckle. Think “Weird Things Found in the Break Room” or “Guess the Coworker Based on One Fact.”
It’s three players at a time, buzzer in hand, trying to beat the others to the correct answer. There’s something addictive about watching people light up when they realize they know something useful (or hilarious). And the best part is that everyone watching is as engaged as the people playing.
This works great in person or virtually. We run the whole thing—custom board, host, tech, the works. All you have to do is show up, and maybe brush up on your random facts.
2. In It to Win It
Do you know all those weird little games you see on reality shows? The ones where someone has to stack cups in 60 seconds or bounce ping pong balls into a jar? That’s In It to Win It, and it never gets old.
Bring a bunch of random office supplies, like rubber bands, paper clips, and breakroom coffee cups, and turn them into fast-paced challenges that teams try to beat in under a minute. The energy is inspiring, going from “hmm” to competitive in five seconds. Suddenly, Janet from accounting is a legend for balancing five pencils on her nose.
What’s great about this one is that everyone gets involved. You don’t have to be sporty or extroverted—just willing to try. And because the tasks are silly, there’s zero pressure. It’s pure fun, with lots of laughter and high-fives. Additionally, while this game show idea is fantastic for in-person team building events, we can supply a list so remote folks can play from home.
3. Win, Lose or Draw
If you’ve ever played Pictionary with a group of friends, you already know how this goes, but it’s funnier at work. Win, Lose or Draw is the game where one person tries to draw a phrase on a whiteboard (or shared screen) while their teammates shout out wild guesses that somehow get further from the answer.
The best part? You don’t have to be artsy or know how to draw well. In fact, the worse you are at drawing, the better. Stick figures, confusing arrows, random blobs—it all works. And when someone finally gets the answer, the room explodes with cheers. I’ve seen entire teams doubled over laughing because someone tried to draw a zebra and it ended up looking like a striped mailbox.
Keep the topics light and ridiculous, or you can customize them to include office stuff, inside jokes, or industry terms. All you need is a marker and a sense of humor.
Side note: Here’s an episode of the original game show from the ‘80s for anyone curious.
4. Corporate Feud
Corporate Feud… this game is a crowd-pleaser!
Beyond the laughs, it’s a great quiz show idea for developing social connections and communication skills. And it’s as simple as having two groups compete against each other to test their knowledge of random survey answers.
Instead of asking random trivia questions, we ask survey-style questions that are fun to answer, like “What’s the most annoying thing coworkers do on Zoom?” or “What’s a snack that disappears from the break room first?”
Two teams face off to guess the top answers, and the best part is watching people argue passionately over whether “micromanaging” should be the number one answer or if “loud chewing” is worse.
There’s a team vibe to this team building game show. People get loud, throw out ridiculous guesses, and scream for joy when they see their answer on the board. And the fast money round is pure chaos in the best way.
5. Name That Tune
Suppose your team has even one person who lights up when the first two seconds of a song play, you’re going to love Name That Tune. This game turns your meeting into a full-on music showdown. Play a short clip, sometimes just a beat, and players try to name the song or artist before anyone else can.
There’s always someone who surprises you by knowing every ’90s boy band hit or classic rock song from the ’70s. And nothing bonds people faster than belting out lyrics to the same chorus, or arguing over whether that singer was Beyoncé or Rihanna.
Keep it all music or mix it with trivia to become Wild Card Bingo. Picture filling in a bingo card every time you hear a theme song, office anthem, or artist that your coworker’s obsessed with. Whether you’re virtual or in-person, this one’s a favorite, regardless of whether you consider yourself a music expert or not.
6. Survivor
This is Survivor with fewer islands and more teamwork. Corporate Survivor throws your team into group challenges that are part mental, part physical, and downright ridiculous (in the best ways). You’re not trying to outwit or outlast anyone; you’re working together to win as a team.
We’ve got obstacle courses made of office chairs, puzzle challenges that make you question life choices, and tasks that seem simple until the clock starts ticking and everyone forgets how to count to ten. The beauty of this game is that it shows people’s true strengths, like who’s great at solving problems, who can rally the group, and who’s the stealth genius no one saw coming.
What makes it work? There’s no voting people off the island. Everyone stays in the game, and everyone contributes. Whether your team is strategic or loves being silly and competitive, this team building game show idea brings out the best in your workplace crew.
7. Chopped
If you’ve watched Chopped on TV and thought “I could do that,” this is your chance.
Each team gets a box of random ingredients, like tortilla chips, canned peaches, and hot sauce, and has to whip up something edible, maybe delicious, and creative. It’s not about being a professional chef; it’s about working together, thinking fast, and making the best of what you’ve got.
Sometimes the food turns out phenomenal. Other times it’s a disaster. Either way, people love it, and all have a great time. And, if you’re doing this virtually, ship ingredient kits and run the whole event over Zoom.
Check out our Team Cuisine program for inspiration!
8. The Price is Right
You don’t realize how tricky it is to guess the price of something until you’re put on the spot, and that’s where the fun begins. The Price is Right is part nostalgia, part chaos, and one hundred percent hilarity.
Show everyday items (and some ridiculous ones) and ask contestants to guess the cost without going over. One minute, it’s a Bluetooth speaker, and the next, it’s a luxury dog bed shaped like a miniature sofa. Watching someone confidently shout, “$600!” only to find out it’s 30 bucks? Comedy gold!
This game isn’t just guessing; it’s full of over-the-top moments, fake game show drama, and friendly, competitive trash talk. We can even add a give-back twist. In our Play It Forward version, points can be turned into donations for a local charitable cause, which gets everyone fired up for a good reason.
Looking for more ideas? C’mon Down and Foodbank Showdown are two more of our fun game show ideas that draw inspiration from The Price is Right!
9. Common Knowledge
Common Knowledge seems easy until your entire team starts second-guessing what direction the sun rises or how many cups are in a gallon. The questions feel simple, but that’s precisely what makes this game fun. Everyone thinks they know the answer until the room goes quiet and someone whispers a guess that throws everyone off track.
Here’s where it gets interesting. Your team scores the most points when everyone chooses the same answer. So, it’s not just about being right, it’s about thinking together. That means even if you know the correct answer, you still have to guess what your team will pick. Suddenly, you’re playing a mix of trivia and mind reading, and it gets chaotic in the best way.
You’ll argue over basic facts, laugh at wildly confident guesses, and learn surprising things about how your coworkers think. It’s especially fun to see who takes the lead, who second-guesses everything, and who just quietly locks in and hopes for the best.
This game is excellent for team alignment and decision-making without any of the pressure of traditional trivia. It’s fast, funny, and full of those moments where everyone realizes they were wrong together, and somehow that makes it even better.
Try our variation: The Corporate Quiz Bowl. Or, if you want something virtual, I love Almost Anything Goes!
10. Lip Sync Battle
Lip Sync Battle is where people stop being coworkers and start being absolute icons. One minute you’re in a team meeting, the next you’re watching your office manager do a whole choreographed routine to a pop anthem with backup dancers and a blow-up guitar. It is ridiculous, and it is incredible.
Teams pick a song, plan their moves, and put on a show. Some go full glam with wigs and sunglasses. Others take the comedy route with exaggerated dance moves and unexpected song choices. It’s not about who can sing best. It’s about who can sell it. And once people start performing, even the most buttoned-up folks usually end up clapping along or getting pulled into the fun.
It is the perfect way to tear down walls and remind people that yes, it is acceptable to air guitar in front of your coworkers. You might cringe. You might cry laughing. But no one forgets it.
11. Wheel of Fortune
Wheel of Fortune never gets old. There’s something about spinning that giant wheel and watching it click slowly toward your fate that makes even the calmest person lean forward in suspense.
Puzzles are customized with company names, funny sayings, or themes your group cares about. One round might be full of inside jokes. Another might test your office’s knowledge of random facts. Guessing letters feels simple until the pressure sets in and someone confidently calls out a letter that already appeared twice.
There’s a sweet mix of luck and logic here. You need to solve the phrase, but you also need to manage risk. Do you spin again or play it safe? Should you buy a vowel or hope someone else messes up? It becomes part strategy, part spectacle, and 100 percent fun to watch.
Spin to Win is our version! We bring everything—wheel, puzzles, host—and can run it in person or online. It’s a great way to involve a mix of personalities, because it rewards both brainy types and bold decision makers. People walk away smiling and quoting each other’s guesses for days.
We also offer a virtual version!
Bonus: The Shark Tank Team Building Event
In our Shark Tank Team Building Event, groups work together to invent something new. It could be a product your company could sell, a feature that fixes a real-life work problem, or even a marketing campaign for something made up. Once the concept is ready, each team presents their pitch to a panel of Sharks, made up of leadership, guest judges, or our expert facilitators. We even throw in some AI tools to help spark ideas and boost creativity during the prep phase.
The pitches can be funny, serious, over-the-top, or surprisingly clever, and the best part is watching your coworkers try to sell the heck out of whatever they came up with. We use a live voting system, so everyone gets to weigh in, and no one sits on the sidelines.
This is the kind of event that pulls people out of their usual roles and into a different mindset. It’s high energy, full of surprises, and might inspire a real solution worth bringing to life.
Revamp Workplace Potential with Game Show Challenges
Work feels different when people are having fun together. Not forced fun, not the kind where someone hands you a sticky name tag and tells you to “network,” but real fun; the kind that makes people laugh until their faces hurt and high-five coworkers they just met that morning. That is precisely what these game show challenges do.
They break up the routine and give people a reason to let their guard down. Teams stop acting like departments and start acting like people. You see leadership pop up in unexpected places. You hear ideas from someone who usually stays quiet. You learn that Carol from HR is oddly good at stacking marshmallows while blindfolded.
These games work because they tap into what builds a team: shared experiences, goofy moments, inside jokes, and a chance to work together without the usual pressure. Whether your goal is better communication, deeper trust, or to shake things up after a long quarter, a game show challenge gives your people the space to connect.
And when people connect, they collaborate better, they care more, and they stick around longer. It’s not magic. It just works.
What’s Next?
So now that you’ve seen what’s possible, the question is simple—what kind of team experience do you want to create?
You know your team better than anyone. You know what they need more of, what’s missing, and what would get them excited. Maybe it’s a fast-paced trivia battle to break the ice. Perhaps it’s a lip sync face-off to bring the energy. Maybe it’s a feel-good, give-back Price is Right game that ends in donations to a local cause.
All it takes is a little time, a little planning, and a whole lot of enthusiasm. We’ll bring the buzzers, the music, the games, and the laughs. You get your team, and we’ll help them remember why they love working together.
Ready to make something extraordinary happen? Let’s go. Contact us today for game show ideas and team building events for your workplace!
