8 Fun Icebreaker Games for Video Calls

When you create a group chat for people who have just met, good group names can set the tone, while interactive icebreaker games give everyone an easy way to start talking. A video call can still go quiet after everyone has said hello, especially when no one knows what to say next.

The 8 group icebreaker games below can be played during online video calls on imo, and most require little or no preparation.

1. Two Truths and a Lie

Each person prepares three statements about themselves. Two statements are true, and one is false. Read the statements in a random order without giving extra clues. The other players decide which statement is the lie. They can say their answer, type the number in the chat, or hold up one, two, or three fingers.

For example:

1. I have met a famous actor.
2. I cannot swim.
3. I have visited five countries.

After everyone votes, reveal the lie and briefly tell the stories behind the two true statements. Keep each statement short. A long and detailed false statement is often easier to spot than two simple true ones. In a group call, give each person about one minute so everyone gets a turn.

2. Would You Rather

Give players two choices and ask them to select one. The choices should be clear, but neither should feel obviously better. Try questions like these:

• Would you rather live near the sea or in the mountains?
• Would you rather give up music or movies for a year?
• Would you rather travel ten years into the past or ten years into the future?
• Would you rather speak every language or play every musical instrument?

Ask each person to give one reason for their choice. For a larger call, label the options A and B. Players can type their choice in the chat before discussing the results. This prevents the first speaker from influencing everyone else.

Avoid choices that require people to share private information. Questions about food, travel, daily habits, entertainment, and imaginary situations work well when people do not know each other yet.

3. Three Things in Common

Two or more players have three minutes to find three things they share. They find these connections by asking each other questions. Do not count facts that are already obvious, such as being on the same call or using a phone. Look for more specific connections:

• Both people have a younger sister.
• Both like spicy food.
• Both have watched the same movie more than five times.
• Both wake up before 7 a.m.
• Both have kept the same hobby since childhood.

Start with broad questions about food, family, music, travel, school, or daily routines. Once a shared interest appears, ask a more specific question about it. For groups of four to six people, set a harder goal and find three things shared by everyone. If the group gets stuck, try finding one shared preference, one shared experience, and one shared habit.

4. Quick Scavenger Hunt

One person names an object or category. Everyone has 20 to 30 seconds to find something that matches and show it on camera.

Try prompts such as:

• Something blue
• The oldest object in the room
• Something that came from another country
• An item used every day
• A snack beginning with the letter C
• Something with a funny story behind it

Award one point to the first player who returns with a valid object, or skip scoring and let everyone explain what they found. If someone brings back a personal item, give them a few seconds to explain its story. Five rounds are usually enough for a quick opening activity. For a longer version, let the winner of each round choose the next prompt.

5. Show and Tell

Each person chooses an object nearby and talks about it for up to one minute. The object does not need to be valuable or unusual. Its story is what gives the other players something to respond to.

Useful prompts include:

• Show something you have owned for more than five years.
• Show an item that reminds you of a trip.
• Show something you use almost every day.
• Show a gift that you still keep.
• Show something connected to one of your hobbies.

After each turn, another player asks one follow-up question. Show and Tell works well in one-to-one calls because one object can lead to a longer conversation. In a group, set a time limit before starting so later players are not left waiting.

6. Draw and Guess

Players need paper and a pen. One person chooses a word and draws it on paper, holding the page up to the camera every few lines. The other players try to guess the word before time runs out. Do not use letters, numbers, or spoken clues. Set a drawing time of 45 to 60 seconds.

Choose simple categories that can be drawn quickly:

• Animals
• Food
• Jobs
• Places
• Household objects
• Sports

To draw “pizza,” start with a round base, then add cheese and toppings. The first person to guess correctly gets a point and draws in the next round.

7. Emoji Guessing Game

One player uses two to five emoji to represent a movie, place, food, activity, or phrase. The other players type or say their guesses.

Examples include:

• 🦁👑 for The Lion King
• ✈️🏖️ for a beach holiday
• 🍎🥧 for apple pie
• 🌧️☕📖 for reading on a rainy day
• 🚌🏫 for going to school

Agree on a category before each round. The first person to guess correctly creates the next puzzle. If nobody solves it after one minute, the creator can add one emoji as a clue. This game also works when someone has turned off their camera or has an unstable video connection because the main clues appear in the chat.

8. Finish the Story

One player starts with a single sentence. Each person then adds one sentence to continue the story. A starting line could be:

“When I opened the front door, a small red suitcase was waiting outside.”

Give each player about ten seconds to add their sentence. Quick answers produce unexpected changes and stop people from planning the entire story before their turn. Set a theme if the group needs direction. The story might be a mystery, a journey, a school adventure, or a comedy. Players should continue from the previous sentence rather than starting a separate event.

For groups larger than six, stop after eight to ten turns and begin a new story with another opening line. One person can type each new sentence in the chat. At the end, read the complete story aloud exactly as the group created it.

Choose a Game for Your Call

The number of people and how well they know each other affect which game will work smoothly.

Call setup	Games to try	Why they fit
One-to-one call	Would You Rather, Show and Tell	Each answer can lead directly into a longer conversation.
Three to six people	Two Truths and a Lie, Draw and Guess	The group is small enough for everyone to take a turn without a long wait.
Larger call	Quick Scavenger Hunt, Emoji Guessing Game, Finish the Story	Several people can answer, or play during the same round.
People meeting for the first time	Three Things in Common, Would You Rather	Players can learn about one another without being asked for sensitive details.
Call with limited preparation	Would You Rather, Emoji Guessing Game, Finish the Story	These games need no physical materials.
Call with children	Quick Scavenger Hunt, Draw and Guess	The rules are visual and do not require long explanations.

If several people are quiet at the beginning, start with a game that allows chat answers. Emoji Guessing and Would You Rather let people participate before they feel ready to speak for a full turn.

For a group that already knows each other, use prompts based on shared memories. Try past trips or childhood stories; even close friends may hear something new.

Play Icebreaker Games on imo

These online icebreaker games work on imo in both one-to-one and group calls. Voice and video calls, including international calls, are free and have no fixed time limit, so no one has to rush an answer or stop a round halfway through. Group video calls support up to 20 participants, making it easy to bring friends, classmates, or family together. Choose a game and see where the chat takes you.