Managing a large group of 20+ participants presents unique challenges. Whether you're facilitating corporate team building, running a training workshop, or organising an event, keeping everyone engaged simultaneously requires the right games and activities.
The key lies in choosing games that promote collaboration, encourage participation from all members, and adapt to different contexts—from conference rooms to outdoor spaces to virtual meetings. This guide presents 20 proven large group games organised by type and context, helping you select the perfect activity for your specific needs.
List of Large Group Games
Quick Icebreakers & Energisers (5-15 minutes)
Perfect for starting meetings, breaking up long sessions, or building initial rapport.
1. Quiz & Trivia
Pi bon pou: Starting meetings, testing knowledge, friendly competition
Gwosè gwoup: Unlimited
Tan: 10-20 minit
Fòma: An pèsòn oswa vityèl
Nothing beats a well-crafted trivia quiz for instant engagement. The beauty lies in its flexibility—customise questions around your industry, company culture, or session topic. Teams collaborate, competitive energy builds, and even quiet participants get drawn into discussion.
Modern platforms like AhaSlides eliminate the logistical headaches of traditional quizzes. Participants join via their phones, answers appear in real-time, and leaderboards create natural momentum. You control the difficulty, pacing, and themes whilst the technology handles scoring and display.
The key to effective trivia: balance challenging questions with achievable ones, rotate between serious and lighthearted topics, and keep rounds short to maintain momentum.
2. De verite ak yon manti
Pi bon pou: New teams, building rapport, discovering commonalities
Gwosè gwoup: 20-50 patisipan yo
Tan: 10-15 minit
Fòma: An pèsòn oswa vityèl
This classic icebreaker reveals surprising facts whilst encouraging participation from everyone. Each person shares three statements about themselves—two true, one false. The group discusses and votes on the suspected lie.
What makes it work: people naturally want to know more about their colleagues, the format prevents anyone from dominating the conversation, and the reveal moment creates genuine surprise and laughter. For larger groups, break into smaller circles of 8-10 people to ensure everyone gets adequate airtime.
The best statements combine plausible falsehoods with unbelievable truths. "I've never left my home country" might be the lie, whilst "I once cooked dinner for an Olympic athlete" turns out to be true.
3. Head-ups
Pi bon pou: High-energy sessions, parties, casual team events
Gwosè gwoup: 20-50 patisipan yo
Tan: 15-20 minit
Fòma: In-person (can adapt for virtual)
Made famous by Ellen DeGeneres, this fast-paced guessing game gets everyone moving and laughing. One person holds a card or device on their forehead displaying a word or phrase. Teammates shout clues whilst the player attempts to guess before time expires.
Create custom decks relevant to your context—industry jargon, company products, team inside jokes. The specific content matters less than the energy it creates. Players race against the clock, teammates collaborate on clue-giving strategies, and the whole room feeds off the excitement.
For large groups, run multiple games simultaneously with winners competing in a final championship round.
4. Simon di
Pi bon pou: Quick energiser, conference breaks, physical warm-up
Gwosè gwoup: 20-100+ participants
Tan: 5-10 minit
Fòma: Nan-moun
The simplicity makes it brilliant for large groups. One leader issues physical commands—"Simon says touch your toes"—and participants comply only when the phrase includes "Simon says." Omit the phrase and participants following the command are eliminated.
Why it works despite the childhood origins: it requires zero preparation, works in any space, provides physical movement after sitting, and the competitive elimination creates engagement. Increase difficulty by speeding up commands, combining multiple actions, or incorporating industry-specific movements.
Collaborative Team Building (20-45 minutes)
These activities build trust, improve communication, and develop problem-solving skills through shared challenges. Ideal for team development sessions and deeper relationship building.
5. Sal chape
Pi bon pou: Problem-solving, collaboration under pressure, team bonding
Gwosè gwoup: 20-100 (teams of 5-8)
Tan: 45-60 minit
Fòma: An pèsòn oswa vityèl
Escape rooms force teams to work together under time pressure, solving interconnected puzzles to "escape" before the countdown ends. The format naturally distributes leadership as different puzzle types favour different strengths—logical thinkers tackle codes, verbal processors handle riddles, visual learners spot hidden patterns.
Physical escape rooms offer immersive environments but require booking and travel. Virtual escape rooms work brilliantly for remote teams, eliminating logistics whilst maintaining the core challenge. Platforms provide professional facilitation, ensuring smooth experiences even with scattered participants.
For large groups, run multiple rooms simultaneously or create relay-style challenges where teams rotate through different puzzles. The post-game debrief reveals insights about communication patterns, leadership emergence, and problem-solving approaches.
6. Murder Mystery Party
Pi bon pou: Evening events, extended team sessions, creative engagement
Gwosè gwoup: 20-200+ (divide into separate mysteries)
Tan: 1-2 èdtan
Fòma: In-person primarily
Transform your team into amateur detectives investigating a staged crime. Participants receive character assignments, clues emerge throughout the event, and teams collaborate to identify the murderer before time expires.
The theatrical element distinguishes murder mysteries from typical activities. Participants commit to roles, interact in character, and experience the satisfaction of solving complex puzzles. The format accommodates large groups by running parallel mysteries—each subset investigates different cases with unique solutions.
Success requires preparation: detailed character packets, planted clues, a clear timeline, and a facilitator managing revelations. Pre-packaged murder mystery kits provide everything needed, though creating custom mysteries tailored to your organisation adds memorable personalisation.
7. lachas Scavenger
Pi bon pou: Exploring new spaces, outdoor events, creative challenges
Gwosè gwoup: 20-100+ participants
Tan: 30-60 minit
Fòma: In-person or digital
Scavenger hunts engage competitive instincts whilst encouraging exploration and creativity. Teams race to complete challenges, find specific items, or capture photographic evidence before time expires. The format adapts endlessly—office buildings, city streets, parks, or even virtual spaces.
Modern variations include photo scavenger hunts where teams submit pictures proving completion, challenge-based hunts requiring teams to perform specific tasks, or hybrid formats combining physical and digital elements.
The competitive element drives engagement, the variety of challenges accommodates different strengths, and the movement provides physical energy. For virtual teams, create digital scavenger hunts where participants locate specific information on company websites, find colleagues with particular backgrounds, or complete online challenges.
8. Lougarou
Pi bon pou: Strategic thinking, deduction, evening social events
Gwosè gwoup: 20-50 patisipan yo
Tan: 20-30 minit
Fòma: An pèsòn oswa vityèl
This social deduction game casts participants in secret roles—villagers, werewolves, a seer, and a medic. During "day" phases, the village discusses and votes to eliminate suspected werewolves. During "night" phases, werewolves select victims whilst the seer investigates and the medic protects.
What makes it compelling: players must deduce others' roles through behaviour, speech patterns, and voting choices. Werewolves collaborate secretly whilst villagers work with incomplete information. The tension builds across rounds as the group narrows possibilities through elimination and deduction.
Virtual platforms facilitate role assignment and night-phase actions, making this surprisingly effective for distributed teams. The game requires minimal setup, scales easily, and creates memorable moments of surprise when identities are revealed.
9. Charad
Pi bon pou: Breaking tension, encouraging creativity, low-tech engagement
Gwosè gwoup: 20-100 patisipan yo
Tan: 15-30 minit
Fòma: An pèsòn oswa vityèl
Charades transcends language barriers through its universal format: one person acts out a word or phrase using only gestures whilst teammates shout guesses before time expires. The restriction on verbal communication forces creative physical expression and careful observation.
Customise content to your context—industry terminology, company products, workplace situations. The specific words matter less than the energy generated watching colleagues communicate through increasingly desperate gestures.
For large groups, run simultaneous competitions or tournament brackets where winners advance. Digital platforms can randomise word selection, time rounds, and track scores automatically.
10. Piksyonè
Pi bon pou: Visual communication, creative thinking, accessible fun
Gwosè gwoup: 20-60 patisipan yo
Tan: 20-30 minit
Fòma: An pèsòn oswa vityèl
Similar to charades but using drawings instead of gestures. Participants sketch representations whilst teammates guess the word or phrase. The artistic skill doesn't matter—terrible drawings often generate more laughter and creative problem-solving than polished artwork.
The format naturally levels playing fields. Artistic ability helps but isn't decisive; clear communication and lateral thinking often prove more valuable. Everyone can participate regardless of background or physical ability.
Digital whiteboards enable virtual versions, allowing remote participants to draw whilst sharing screens. For in-person groups, large whiteboards or flip charts positioned at the front let everyone observe simultaneously.
Physical & Outdoor Activities (30+ minutes)
When space allows, and weather cooperates, physical activities energise groups while building camaraderie through shared effort. These work best for retreats, outdoor events, and dedicated team-building days.
11. Lazè Tag
Pi bon pou: High-energy team building, competitive groups, outdoor spaces
Gwosè gwoup: 20-100+ participants
Tan: 45-60 minit
Fòma: In-person (specialised venue)
Laser tag combines physical activity with strategic thinking. Teams manoeuvre through the playing field, coordinate attacks, defend territory, and support teammates—all whilst managing individual performance. The game requires minimal explanation, accommodates varying fitness levels, and provides measurable results through automated scoring.
The equipment handles complexity; participants simply aim and shoot. The competitive format creates natural team cohesion as groups strategise, communicate, and celebrate victories together. For large groups, rotating teams ensures everyone plays whilst maintaining manageable round sizes.
12. Rope Pulling (Tug of War)
Pi bon pou: Outdoor events, raw team competition, physical challenge
Gwosè gwoup: 20-100 patisipan yo
Tan: 15-20 minit
Fòma: In-person (outdoor)
Pure physical competition distilled to its essence: two teams, one rope, and a test of collective strength and coordination. The simplicity makes it powerful. Success requires synchronised effort, strategic positioning, and sustained commitment from every team member.
Beyond the physical challenge, tug of war creates memorable shared experiences. Teams celebrate hard-won victories, graciously accept defeats, and remember the visceral feeling of working together toward a common goal.
Safety considerations matter: use appropriate rope, ensure even teams, avoid hard surfaces, and establish clear rules about dropping the rope.
13. Kayaking/Canoeing
Pi bon pou: Summer retreats, adventure team building, outdoor enthusiasts
Gwosè gwoup: 20-50 patisipan yo
Tan: 2-3 èdtan
Fòma: In-person (water venue)
Water activities provide unique team-building opportunities. Kayaking and canoeing require coordination between partners, present shared challenges, and create memorable experiences in natural environments.
The format accommodates competition through races or collaborative challenges like synchronised paddling. The setting removes participants from typical work environments, encouraging different interactions and conversations. The physical challenge demands focus, whilst the natural setting promotes relaxation.
Partner with professional outdoor activity centres to manage equipment, ensure safety, and provide instruction. The investment pays dividends through unique experiences that standard conference rooms cannot replicate.
14. Musical Chairs
Pi bon pou: High-energy icebreaker, quick physical activity, all ages
Gwosè gwoup: 20-50 patisipan yo
Tan: 10-15 minit
Fòma: Nan-moun
The childhood classic translates surprisingly well to adult groups. Participants circle chairs whilst music plays, scrambling to find seats when the music stops. Each round eliminates one participant and removes one chair until a winner emerges.
The frantic energy generates laughter and breaks down professional barriers. The quick pace maintains engagement, and the simple rules require zero explanation. Use music selection to set tone—upbeat pop for casual events, motivational anthems for competitive groups.
15. Swiv Lidè a
Pi bon pou: Physical warm-up, energiser, simple coordination
Gwosè gwoup: 20-100+ participants
Tan: 5-10 minit
Fòma: Nan-moun
One person demonstrates movements whilst everyone mimics simultaneously. Start simple—arm circles, jumping jacks—then increase complexity as groups warm up. The designated leader rotates, giving multiple people opportunities to guide the group.
What makes it effective: zero preparation, works in confined spaces, provides physical activity after sitting, and accommodates all fitness levels through adjustable difficulty.
Classic Party & Social Games (10-30 minutes)
These familiar formats work brilliantly for casual team events, celebrations, and social gatherings where the atmosphere should feel relaxed rather than structured.
16. Bengo
Pi bon pou: Casual events, mixed groups, easy participation
Gwosè gwoup: 20-200+ participants
Tan: 20-30 minit
Fòma: An pèsòn oswa vityèl
Bingo's universal appeal makes it perfect for diverse groups. Customise cards around your context—company milestones, industry trends, team member facts. The simple mechanics accommodate all ages and backgrounds whilst creating moments of collective excitement as participants near completion.
Digital platforms eliminate card preparation, automate calling, and highlight winners instantly. The random nature ensures fairness, and the waiting between calls creates natural conversation opportunities.
17. The Bomb Explodes
Pi bon pou: Fast-paced energiser, thinking under pressure
Gwosè gwoup: 20-50 patisipan yo
Tan: 10-15 minit
Fòma: An pèsòn oswa vityèl
Participants pass an imaginary "bomb" whilst answering questions. When time expires, the bomb "explodes" and the holder faces elimination. The time pressure creates urgency, the random elimination adds suspense, and the simple format requires minimal setup.
Customise questions to your needs—trivia, personal facts, creative challenges. The game works equally well as a getting-to-know-you activity or a test of specific knowledge.
18. Candyman
Pi bon pou: Adult social events, evening gatherings
Gwosè gwoup: 20-40 patisipan yo
Tan: 15-20 minit
Fòma: Nan-moun
Using a standard card deck, assign secret roles: the Candyman (Ace), the Cop (King), and Buyers (number cards). The Candyman surreptitiously "sells candy" to buyers through winks or subtle signals. Buyers exit the game upon successfully purchasing. The Cop must identify the Candyman before all candy sells.
The deception element creates intrigue, the secret signals generate laughter, and the cop's investigation adds suspense. The game naturally generates stories participants share long after the event ends.
19. Pyramid (Drinking Game)
Pi bon pou: Adult social events, casual after-hours gatherings
Gwosè gwoup: 20-30 patisipan yo
Tan: 20-30 minit
Fòma: Nan-moun
Cards arranged in pyramid formation create a drinking game with escalating stakes. Players flip cards following specific rules, making strategic decisions about when to challenge others or protect themselves. The format combines memory, bluffing, and chance.
Note: This works exclusively for appropriate social contexts where alcohol consumption is welcomed. Always provide non-alcoholic alternatives and respect participants' choices.
20. 3 Hands, 2 Feet
Pi bon pou: Physical coordination, team problem-solving, quick challenge
Gwosè gwoup: 20-60 patisipan yo
Tan: 10-15 minit
Fòma: Nan-moun
Teams receive commands requiring them to arrange themselves so specific numbers of hands and feet touch the ground. "Four hands, three feet" forces creative positioning and collaboration as team members support each other, lift legs, or create human sculptures.
The physical challenge generates laughter, requires communication and coordination, and works as a quick energiser between longer activities. Increase difficulty with more complex combinations or faster commands.
Vanse
The difference between memorable team experiences and forgettable time-wasters often comes down to preparation and appropriate activity selection. The games in this guide work because they've been tested across contexts, refined through repetition, and proven effective with real groups.
Start simple. Choose one or two activities that match your upcoming event's constraints. Prepare thoroughly. Execute confidently. Observe what resonates with your specific group, then iterate.
Large group facilitation improves through practice. Each session teaches you more about timing, energy management, and reading group dynamics. The facilitators who excel aren't necessarily the most charismatic—they're the ones who choose appropriate activities, prepare diligently, and adjust based on feedback.
Ready to transform your next large group event? AhaSlides provides free templates and interactive tools specifically designed for facilitators managing groups of any size, anywhere in the world.
Kesyon moun poze souvan
How many people constitute a large group for games?
Groups of 20 or more participants typically require different facilitation approaches than small teams. At this scale, activities need clear structure, efficient communication methods, and often subdivision into smaller units. Most games in this guide work effectively for groups ranging from 20 to 100+ participants, with many scaling even larger.
How do you keep large groups engaged during activities?
Maintain engagement through appropriate activity selection, clear time boundaries, competitive elements, and active participation from everyone simultaneously. Avoid games where participants wait extended periods for turns. Use technology like AhaSlides to enable real-time participation from all attendees, regardless of group size. Rotate between high-energy and calmer activities to manage energy levels effectively.
What's the best way to divide one large group into smaller teams?
Use random selection methods to ensure fairness and create unexpected groupings. AhaSlides' Dèlko ekip o aza divides groups instantly.
