Icebreaker ideas for large groups you can use in Zoom meetings
Many companies likely make use of icebreakers in a variety of situations.
I’m sure there are also many people who feel more nervous than usual when they’re online.
That said, icebreakers for remote work can be tricky…
For those who feel that way, here are some online icebreakers you can do that are fun even with large groups.
Since we’re talking about large groups, we’ve focused on options that don’t require any materials.
These should help everyone loosen up and relax!
Large-group icebreaker ideas for use in Zoom meetings (1–10)
Delusional Self-Introduction
Icebreakers often involve self-introductions, especially when people are meeting for the first time.
But giving a serious self-introduction can be tough, and many people find it difficult.
It can feel even harder online, like on Zoom.
So let’s try easing the mood and encouraging communication with a “fantasy self-introduction”! In other words, introduce yourself based mostly on imagination—like, “If I were XX…” For most people, it might end up sounding more like wishful thinking than pure fantasy (lol).
One word
Let me introduce an icebreaker called “One Word.” First, decide the order of turns.
Then you’ll create a text about something—for example, a description of your company—by having each person say one phrase or clause at a time, linking them together into a single passage.
The key is to improvise while making sure your part connects naturally with the previous person’s phrase.
You might feel a bit nervous because it’s improvised, but stay calm, think it through, and do your best to make the result flow smoothly!
Game from 1 to 100
It’s a very simple and easy-to-understand game, but it’s also a psychological battle: the “1 to 100 Game.” Everyone writes down exactly one favorite number between 1 and 100 and reveals it at the same time.
The closer your number is to 100—the larger it is—the better.
You might think, “Then why not just write 100?” But if your number overlaps with someone else’s, you’re out.
The winner is the person who chose the highest number close to 100 that no one else wrote.
It’s an easy icebreaker to run even with a large group, but the more players there are, the harder the game becomes.
Picture shiritori
For online icebreakers, picture shiritori is highly recommended! You can play it regardless of whether there are few or many participants, and as long as you have paper and a pen, you can do it both online and offline.
In picture shiritori, you look at the previous person’s drawing, figure out what they drew, then draw something that starts with the last syllable of that word so it continues the shiritori chain, and pass it to the next person.
You can take turns in order, but since it’s an icebreaker, it might also be fun to let the current player choose who goes next.
Who am I? game
It’s a “Who am I?” game where only one person knows the answer, and everyone else asks questions to figure out what it is.
Take turns asking questions, and the person who knows the answer should personify the object and fully play the role, answering with yes, no, or whatever they can within reason.
As the questions narrow things down, people who think they’ve figured it out can go ahead and answer, or you can discuss as a team and decide on an answer before responding—that works too.
At first you’ll be feeling things out with your questions, but it gets exciting as you get closer to the truth.
Word Wolf
Do you know the game “Word Wolf”? In this game, everyone is given a topic—a word—and they discuss it.
However, one person, or a small minority, receives a word that is similar but different.
The goal is to identify who is talking about the different word.
For example, if the main topic is “sea” and the minority is given “river,” you try to find the person talking about rivers—the minority.
Since being too explicit about the topic might reveal that you’re in the minority, strategic bluffing and subtlety are important in this game.
Gesture Game
A classic recreation activity: the gesture (charades) game.
It’s a game where you don’t speak and communicate only through gestures, and others guess the answer—how about trying it on an online screen? Even those who feel shy about gesturing might find it easier to participate online.
If you have a large group, splitting into teams and competing could be fun too.
Make sure your gestures fit fully on the screen! (lol)
GOOD & NEW
Let me introduce an icebreaker called “GOOD & NEW” that will lift your spirits and make you feel refreshed.
As the name suggests, this icebreaker involves taking turns, within a set time, to share something good or happy that happened recently, or something new you discovered.
If the time is too long, people might get nervous, so about 30 seconds to 1 minute per person is probably just right.
Listening to others’ happy moments and new insights can make you feel happy too, right?
Puzzle solving
Working together as a team to do or achieve something not only gives you a sense of accomplishment afterward, but it should also strengthen teamwork and lead to better outcomes.
How about uniting as a team and tackling a puzzle together? Just chatting without a set topic can be tricky online—conversations can drift, and people may not know when or how to speak up.
But with a puzzle to solve, everyone tends to get absorbed and ideas start flowing.
And that feeling of accomplishment when you finish is really satisfying.
First Impressions Game
An icebreaker called the “First Impressions Game” that you can use in many situations: when you’re meeting someone for the first time on the spot, when you’ve met a few times but only through a screen, or when you’ve known someone for a long time but never talked because they’re in another department.
For example, person A briefly announces their first impression of person B.
Only A, who wrote it, knows they’re talking about B.
Everyone else guesses whose first impression is being described.
It’s a game that gets lively with unexpected first impressions.