A roundup of recommended icebreakers for college students
An icebreaker refers to simple activities or games designed to ease tension among participants, shorten the emotional distance between them, and facilitate smooth communication.
They’re especially effective in situations where people are meeting for the first time.
If you’re a university student, you’ve probably encountered them in first classes, group work, club activities, or even during job hunting.
In this article, we’ll introduce a range of easy icebreakers that help people get closer to one another.
We’ve focused on activities based on self-introductions and fun games that progress through mutual communication, so pick the ones that fit the situation where you want to use an icebreaker.
Summary of recommended icebreakers for university students (1–10)
No Katakana Game
How about using the “No Katakana Game” as an icebreaker, where you explain the given word without using katakana? Since you have to describe katakana words without using katakana, it might be tough for Japanese people whose daily life is full of katakana terms! It’s also great for university students at mixers or club activities.
It helps improve your ability to put things into words, explain clearly, and communicate.
You can even play this game remotely, so it’s perfect for students whose activities are mainly online.
Lie or Truth Game
This is an icebreaker where you mix a lie into your self-introduction and others try to spot it.
Write three simple statements about yourself on paper, like “I like ◯◯” or “I’m not good at ◯◯.” Make sure one of the three is a lie.
Then, everyone tries to guess which statement is the lie.
Teams discuss, ask questions to the other team, and use the answers to figure out which one is false.
Whether they guess right or wrong, it’s a fun way to learn about each other and get the group energized.
Birthday line
The game where you form a line in order of birthdays without speaking is called “Birthday Line.” Since you can’t use your voice, you have to communicate your birth date to others through gestures.
It’s more fun with a larger group, so it’s recommended for first classes as a way to combine introductions.
At the end, everyone announces their birthdays in order and sings the birthday song to those with the current birth month.
It might feel a bit embarrassing for a first class, but it’s great if it helps spark some communication!
One word
Let me introduce an icebreaker called “One Word.” As the name suggests, each person says a single word, connecting them to build a conversation and create a story.
For example, if the first person starts with “Today I…,” everyone keeps adding one word at a time to continue the story.
Some people might take the story in unexpected directions, which makes it exciting.
It’s an icebreaker that works well with both small and large groups.
You can also decide on a theme at the start—like “happy ending” or “scary story”—to make it even more engaging.
Block Self-Introduction
This is an icebreaker called “Stacking Introductions,” where your memory gets tested as introductions pile up.
Each person repeats the previous person’s self-introduction before giving their own, and the next person repeats the first and second person’s introductions before adding theirs, and so on.
Since the game can’t continue unless you remember, you’re likely to retain each person’s traits and favorite things afterward.
Even if someone forgets partway through, it creates laughter, making it perfect for easing a tense atmosphere.
Good&New
Are you familiar with an icebreaker called Good & New? It’s a widely used activity for everyone from children to adults.
As the title suggests, participants share a Good—something positive—and a New—something they newly discovered.
This icebreaker helps both speakers and listeners feel happy and upbeat, so it’s recommended for any situation.
Hearing someone’s good news feels nice, doesn’t it? It also lets you reaffirm your own happiness.
Marshmallow Challenge
In the Marshmallow Challenge, the team with the marshmallow at the highest point when time runs out wins.
The rules are very simple: you can use marshmallows, pasta, string, and tape.
Within the time limit, use the pasta and string to stick a marshmallow on top; as long as the tower doesn’t fall over, it’s valid.
The team whose marshmallow is at the highest position wins.
Building a tall tower while discussing as a team also helps people warm up to each other, even if they’re meeting for the first time.
It also fosters a sense of unity!
Shiritori self-introduction
A word game where you connect words using the last character, called “shiritori.” I’m sure many of you know it well.
This icebreaker uses shiritori for self-introductions.
For example, the first person says their name.
If the last character of the name is “ko,” then the second person starts their introduction with “ko.” Something like, “I’m ◯◯, and I love Kobe.” Self-introductions tend to become formulaic based on the first person, so having a rule like this can help bring out unexpected aspects, making it fun for both yourself and everyone around you!
Who am I? game
Are you familiar with the game “Who Am I?” In this game, everyone except one person is a guesser, and the goal is to figure out who that one person is.
That “someone” could be a food, a building, an animal, and so on.
You ask various questions to narrow it down and arrive at the answer.
From yes/no questions to more probing ones, everyone takes turns asking questions, and once the whole team has figured it out, you give the answer—this format seems like a great way to boost teamwork.
paper tower
Paper Tower is an icebreaker where, as the name suggests, you build a tower using paper.
However, you may only use paper—no glue or scissors.
You fold or roll the paper to construct the tower.
Set a time limit for building and hold a strategy meeting for each team beforehand.
Have everyone actually handle a sheet of paper, folding or bundling it to think through ideas.
After a proper strategy session, teams build their towers.
When time is up, stop touching the towers and let them stand on their own.
The team with the tallest free-standing tower wins.