How to choose Christmas holiday party games for the office
The best office Christmas party games are easy to explain, simple to join and flexible enough for different personalities. Not everyone wants to sing alone, act in front of the room or answer a personal question. That is especially true when colleagues from several departments or locations are meeting for the first time.
Before you choose an activity, check the group size, the venue, the time available and whether remote colleagues are joining. A game that works beautifully for eight people around a table may become slow with 80 guests. You do not need one activity for the entire evening. Two short games are often better than one long programme.
Keep the rules clear
People should understand the first round within a minute or two.Let people play in teams
Team games reduce pressure and help colleagues start conversations naturally.Choose festive, not forced
Christmas songs, films, food and traditions create a theme without making anyone perform.Make participation comfortable
Give people a way to join from their seat, online or through a team role.
1. Christmas music bingo
Christmas music bingo is one of the easiest Christmas holiday party games for the office. Instead of calling numbers, you play short clips of festive songs while players mark the titles or artists on their cards. People can sing along, compare guesses with teammates and enjoy the music without having to take the spotlight.
Use a mix of well-known Christmas classics, modern holiday hits and a few songs that create a surprise. A good playlist should work for different ages and musical tastes. If your team is spread across countries, include a few seasonal favourites from different places.
Music bingo works at the office, in a restaurant or online. For a ready-to-play option, see the music bingo packages for company events.
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2. Holiday trivia showdown
Divide the group into teams and run several short rounds of Christmas trivia. Questions can cover holiday films, songs, food, traditions, winter celebrations and light company facts. The team format makes this more welcoming than asking every person to answer alone.
Keep the difficulty varied. A round where everyone knows a few answers creates energy at the start, while a harder final round gives the competition somewhere to go. Avoid questions that depend on one specific religious tradition. A broad holiday theme makes it easier for everyone to join in.
3. Name that holiday tune
Play a few seconds of a Christmas song and ask teams to identify the title or artist. This takes very little equipment and can fill a short gap before dinner or between presentations.
For a fun twist, ask teams to identify the song from an instrumental version, a badly described lyric or a short humming clip from the host. Keep the jokes friendly and let teams submit answers on paper or in the meeting chat.
4. Christmas movie picture quiz
Prepare a slideshow of stills, props, costumes or locations from well-known Christmas films. Teams write down the answers and compare them after each round. You can include classic family films, romantic comedies, animated favourites and a few less obvious choices.
A picture quiz works well for a mixed group because people can contribute different kinds of knowledge. It is also easy to run in a hybrid event with screen sharing. Make the images large enough for people at the back of the room and remote guests to see clearly.
5. Festive office bingo
Create bingo cards with statements that describe people in the group. Examples include “has already bought a Christmas present”, “prefers savoury holiday food”, “has watched the same Christmas film more than once” or “has travelled during the holidays”. Players find colleagues who match the squares.
This game is useful when departments are mixed or when new team members are attending. Keep every prompt light and optional. The purpose is to start conversations, not to collect personal information.
6. Guess the Christmas song from emojis
Show a string of simple emojis that represents a Christmas song, film or phrase. Teams race to identify the answer. For example, a snowflake, a house and a heart could suggest several different songs, which is exactly where the fun starts.
Prepare the answers in advance and include a few easy examples before the harder clues. This game is particularly suitable for remote teams because everyone can see the same screen and send answers in the chat.
7. Christmas charades
Write down festive films, songs, foods, characters and activities. Players act out a card while their team guesses. Choose a work-safe theme and let people play in pairs or teams rather than forcing one person to perform alone.
People who prefer not to act can guess, keep score or choose the next card. A simple time limit keeps the game moving and stops one difficult clue from taking over the evening.
8. Holiday Pictionary
Holiday Pictionary needs only paper, pens or a whiteboard. One person draws a Christmas word while their team tries to guess it. Use prompts such as snow globe, gingerbread house, office party, winter jumper or present wrapping.
The drawings do not need to be good. That is part of the appeal. Prepare the word list beforehand so the game stays quick, and avoid inside jokes that only one department understands.
9. The Christmas wrapping challenge
Give teams a small box, wrapping paper and a set time to create the neatest, funniest or most creative wrapped present. Add a judging category for the best use of the company colours or the most inventive design.
Keep this as a short team challenge rather than a race that creates a mess. It works best when teams have enough space and when the judging focuses on creativity rather than speed alone.
10. Festive scavenger hunt
Give teams a list of items or photos to find around the office or venue. They might look for something red, a decoration older than a team member or an object that represents winter. For a remote version, ask colleagues to find items in their own workspace and share photos in the group chat.
Set clear boundaries before the game begins. Do not send people into restricted areas or ask them to involve strangers. The tasks should create movement and conversation without making anyone uncomfortable.
11. Guess the holiday object
Place familiar festive objects inside bags or boxes and ask teams to identify them by touch. Try a bauble, a ribbon, a candy cane, a pine cone or a small decoration. Players can discuss their guess before the host reveals the answer.
This game works well as a table activity during drinks or dinner. Use clean, safe objects and make sure everyone can take part without needing to stand or move around the room.
12. Ugly sweater or festive outfit vote
Invite people to wear something festive if they want to. Create friendly categories such as most creative, most colourful or best homemade detail. Let everyone vote anonymously or ask teams to choose their favourite.
Keep the dress-up element optional. The activity should not penalise people who arrive in normal work clothes, and the judging should focus on the outfit rather than the person wearing it.
13. Christmas would you rather?
Give teams two harmless holiday choices and ask them to discuss which one they prefer. Would they rather decorate the whole office or wrap every present? Would they rather eat only mince pies for a day or hear one Christmas song on repeat?
This is a useful warm-up because it needs no equipment and gives people something easy to talk about. Keep the questions playful and avoid topics about money, family or personal beliefs.
14. Company holiday quiz
Build a quiz around safe, shareable facts from the past year. Ask about memorable projects, office traditions, team milestones, funny harmless moments or photos from company events.
Include questions from different departments so the quiz does not become a test of who has worked at the company longest. The best questions help people discover something new about colleagues while celebrating what the team has done together.
15. Custom Christmas music bingo
If you want one activity to feel closely tied to your company, create a custom Christmas music bingo. Add songs chosen by different departments, tracks connected to the year or a festive playlist that matches the event theme.
A custom game gives the organiser a way to make the Christmas party feel personal without building every card and playlist from scratch. Learn more about custom music bingo for company events.
How to run office Christmas party games without stress
Choose one easy game to start the evening. Music bingo, a picture quiz or a few holiday trivia questions can bring people together while drinks are served. Once the room feels relaxed, you can add a more active challenge such as charades or a scavenger hunt.
Test the equipment before guests arrive. Check the speaker, screen, music playlist and online connection if remote colleagues are joining. Put the rules where everyone can see them, and prepare a simple backup in case dinner takes longer than planned.
Do not make the game carry the whole party. The best Christmas holiday party games for the office create a shared moment, then leave people with something to talk about. That is enough.
Making it yourself takes longer than you think
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Make your office Christmas party one people remember
The best office Christmas party games are inclusive, easy to run and connected to the mood of the event. Choose activities that let people join in at their own comfort level, mix teams across departments and keep each round moving.
Music bingo is a strong choice when you want a festive activity that works for different ages, group sizes and energy levels. BingoMaestro has helped more than 10,000 customers organise group games and has a rating of 4.6 out of 5 from more than 400 reviews. Every purchase also comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee, because playing should be fun, never stressful.
For more inspiration, read the guide to work Christmas party ideas or explore the Christmas party quiz and music bingo ideas.