Best Icebreaker Games for your party
I love icebreaker games! Parties are great fun, but those awkward moments when Guests don’t know what to say to each other aren’t!
As a host, it’s a great ideas to introduce some fun icebreaker games into the start of your party. That way your Guests can mingle and get to know each other in a relaxed way.
We have tried loads of icebreaker games over the years. These are our best icebreaker games for small parties to really get things off with a swing!
Best Icebreaker Games Your Guests Will Love
Who Am I?
This is a great icebreaker game to play as your Guests arrive and will give them something to chat to each other about as the party gets into full swing.
Prep: Prepare stickers with the name of a famous person on each.
Play: Stick one on everyone’s backs. As people chat and mingle, they ask for clues about their famous person using only YES and NO questions. The first person to guess the name on their back wins a prize.
Who Is My Partner?
This is a version of the Who Am I game, and I actually prefer this one as it encourages a little more chat and thought from your Guests.
Prep: Prepare stickers as above but put the name of one half of a celebrity couple on each sticker.
Play: Guests have to chat to each other using YES and NO questions to try and find out their partner.
Example couples: Prince Harry and Meghan Marckle, Barack and Michelle Obama, Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, Victoria and David Beckham.
Never Have I Ever
This funny icebreaker game is better played with a small group at a more intimate party. Groups of 6-10 work well for this one!
Prep: None
Play: Get everyone seated and ask them to hold up 10 fingers.
One person says something that they have never done in their life, but suspects some players have, by saying “Never have I ever… For example, “Never have I ever drunk a Margarita”.
Everyone who has drunk a Margarita must lower a finger.
The last player with fingers still raised wins. Everyone gets to share their stories afterwards.
Guess Who Did What
This is a funny icebreaker game to play a little while into the party. It works well with both small and medium sized groups and is a great way to find out unusual facts about your friends!
Prep: Give each Guest a pen and 3 pieces of paper.
Play: Ask each Guest to write down 3 facts about themselves. Just a couple of sentences is fine.
Put all the pieces of paper in a bag.
Ask everyone to take three strips each.
Players take it in turns to read out their strips, leaving the rest of the group to guess their owners.
Of course, the weirder the stories, the more fun your game will be. Good ones I once heard include:
- I was named after a famous brain surgeon.
- My Dad taught me how to shear a sheep.
- I once lived in a haunted house.
People Bingo
This is a classic icebreaker game for good reason! It’s a really good game for encouraging your Guests to talk to as many people as possible and to share some information about themselves. A sure fire way for people to get to know a little bit about each other FAST!
Prep: Fill out a grid (like a bingo card) with various personal characteristics, such as:
- Speaks more than one language
- Has more than 3 children
- Hates flying
- Can ski
Play: Ask guests mingle and chat and collect signatures from people who match those characteristics. The first person to fill out their entire card (or whoever gets the most signatures) wins.
Two Truths and a Lie – Celebrity Edition
The classic game of Two Truths and a Lie gets a star-studded makeover! Have guests take turns sharing two truths and one fabricated story about their encounters with celebrities. The others have to guess which one is the fib. Get ready for some jaw-dropping tales and hilarious guessing!
Emoji Charades – Hollywood Edition
Put a modern twist on the classic game of charades by incorporating emojis! Create a list of famous movie titles or celebrity names and represent them using emojis. Guests take turns guessing the answers based on the visual clues. It’s a fun and interactive way to test their pop culture knowledge.
Hollywood Scavenger Hunt
Transform your party space into a star-studded scavenger hunt! Create a list of clues or riddles inspired by famous movies or celebrities, leading guests to hidden treasures or party favors. The first one to complete the hunt wins a fabulous prize and major bragging rights!
Red Carpet Trivia
Roll out the red carpet for this trivia extravaganza! Create a list of questions about celebrities, movies, and pop culture. Guests take turns answering, and for added fun, have them strike their best red carpet pose while delivering their answers. It’s a playful way to showcase their inner superstar!
Celebrity Karaoke
Turn up the volume and let your guests channel their inner rockstars! Create a playlist of songs by celebrities or famous movie soundtracks, and have guests take turns performing. Whether they’re belting out a Beyoncé ballad or rocking out to a classic Elvis tune, it’s sure to be a showstopper!
Two Truths and a Dream
Each guest shares two true facts about themselves and one thing they’d love to achieve or experience in their lifetime (the “dream”). This game not only helps people get to know each other but also encourages them to share their aspirations and interests.
Memory Lane
Prepare a list of interesting and sometimes quirky questions about personal experiences (e.g., “What was your first job?”, “Have you ever met a celebrity?”). Guests take turns sharing their answers, sparking conversations and revealing fun tidbits about each other.
Story in a Bag
Place a selection of random objects in a bag (e.g., a toy, a kitchen utensil, a piece of jewelry). Each guest picks an item from the bag and has to tell a story that somehow connects to or involves that item. This game sparks creativity and often leads to amusing anecdotes.
Picture This
Provide guests with a selection of interesting or unusual images (you can use magazines, printouts, or digital images). Each guest picks a picture and shares why it resonates with them or how it relates to a personal experience. It’s a great conversation starter!
Bucket List Exchange
Have each guest write down one item from their bucket list on a piece of paper and place it in a bowl. Guests then take turns drawing items from the bowl and guessing who wrote it. This game not only reveals shared interests but also sparks conversations about life goals and aspirations.
Emoji Introductions
Ask each guest to introduce themselves using only emojis. They can use a combination of emojis to represent their name, hobbies, favorite places, or anything else they’d like to share. It’s a fun and lighthearted way to break the ice.
Hopefully this gives you some good options for icebreaker games for adults. Once you have played a couple of these at the beginning of your parties, you won’t host a party without them!!
If you are hosting a kids party, then checkout these classic Icebreaker Games for Kids.
If you are planning a themed party then checkout our Parties Page for heaps of inspiration on all kinds of themes. Also be sure to checkout our FREE Party Planning Checklist to help your party really get off with a swing!
About Author
Jane Sheriff is the founder, creative director, party planner and mom of three. She started Darling Celebrations back in 2012 to share easy and beautiful ideas for celebrating the special events in life.
