10 Ice-Breaking Lottery Games Perfect for Team Building
10 Ice-Breaking Lottery Games Perfect for Team Building
"The atmosphere is stiff at the beginning of training sessions..." "I want to break the ice with new team members" "I want to create unity even in online meetings"
By effectively using lottery-based activities in team building and ice-breaking situations, you can naturally close the distance between participants in an enjoyable way.
This article introduces 10 ice-breaking lottery games you can use immediately, organized by difficulty level and situation.
Benefits of Using Lotteries for Ice-Breaking
1. Fairness Creates a Sense of Security
- Randomness means no one feels treated unfairly
- Less pressure from being "chosen"
- Failures can be blamed on "luck"
- Increases psychological safety
2. Unpredictability Creates Excitement
- The thrill of not knowing "who will be chosen"
- Unity at the moment results are revealed
- Conversations arise naturally
- Laughter and cheers occur easily
For more on fairness, see Lottery Method Comparison.
3. Participation Enhances Engagement
- Participatory amidakuji gets everyone actively involved
- Sense of ownership from "I drew a line too"
- No spectators, everyone is a protagonist
- Naturally blend into the atmosphere
10 Lottery Ice-Breaking Games by Difficulty Level
Level 1: Safe for First Meetings【Low Difficulty】
Game 1: Self-Introduction Roulette
Target: Members meeting for the first time Duration: 15-20 minutes Group Size: 5-20 people
How to Play:
- Prepare 5 self-introduction topics
- Examples: "Name and hometown," "Hobbies," "Recent interests," "Favorite food," "Today's motivation"
- Assign topics to each person using online amidakuji
- Talk about the assigned topic for 1 minute
Key Points:
- Easier to talk about than standard self-introductions
- No preparation needed since topics are predetermined
- Time limits prevent rambling
Online Compatible: ◎
Game 2: Common Ground Pair Match
Target: Members who don't know each other Duration: 10-15 minutes Group Size: Even number of people (6-30 people)
How to Play:
- Determine pairs with amidakuji
- Pairs converse for 5 minutes
- Find 3 or more things in common
- Present to the whole group
Key Points:
- Random pairs lead to new discoveries
- Searching for commonalities naturally leads to deeper conversations
- Sharing with the whole group
Online Compatible: ◎ (Use breakout rooms)
Level 2: Once You're Getting Comfortable【Medium Difficulty】
Game 3: Topic Presentation Battle
Target: Teams that have gotten somewhat comfortable Duration: 20-30 minutes Group Size: 5-15 people
How to Play:
- Prepare 10 unique topics
- Examples: "Why cats are cute," "The ideal breakfast," "The perfect weekend plan"
- Assign topics to each person with amidakuji
- Give an impromptu 2-minute presentation
- Evaluate by applause volume
Key Points:
- Impromptu with no prep time brings out personalities
- Random topics make it casual
- Laughter comes easily
Online Compatible: ◎
Game 4: Team Quiz Role Assignment
Target: Role distribution within teams Duration: 30-45 minutes Group Size: 12-30 people (3-4 teams)
How to Play:
- Conduct a team-based quiz
- Determine each team's roles with amidakuji
- Host
- Answerer #1 (Quick response)
- Answerer #2 (Careful thinker)
- Cheer captain
- Participate in the quiz while playing roles
Key Points:
- Roles make participation easier
- Playing different roles reveals new sides
- Teamwork emerges naturally
Online Compatible: ○
Game 5: Other-Introduction Challenge
Target: Members who have gotten to know each other a bit Duration: 20-25 minutes Group Size: 6-20 people
How to Play:
- Determine pairs of "introducer" and "introduced person" with amidakuji
- 5-minute interview time
- Introduce your partner to the group (2 minutes)
Key Points:
- Deeper information than self-introductions
- Introducers actively listen
- Random pairs build new relationships
Online Compatible: ◎
Level 3: Focus on Excitement【High Difficulty】
Game 6: Real-Time Improv Theater
Target: Flexible teams Duration: 30-40 minutes Group Size: 8-20 people
How to Play:
- Create teams of 4 people
- Assign each team a "situation" with amidakuji
- Examples: "Inside a spaceship," "Deserted island," "Time-slipped to Edo period"
- Assign each person a "role" with amidakuji
- Examples: "Leader," "Troublemaker," "Cool strategist," "Airhead character"
- Perform a 5-minute improv skit
Key Points:
- Unpredictable combinations are fun
- Requires creativity and teamwork
- Great for big laughs
Online Compatible: ○ (Camera on required)
Game 7: Mission Roulette
Target: Active teams Duration: 30-45 minutes Group Size: 10-30 people
How to Play:
- Prepare 15 missions
- Easy: "10-second speech," "Sing a verse of your favorite song"
- Medium: "Explain your job in 1 minute," "Show off your best impression"
- Hard: "Create an impromptu poem," "30-second plank"
- Assign missions with amidakuji
- Complete within time limit
Key Points:
- Fair because difficulty varies
- Exciting whether you succeed or fail
- Whole team cheers together
Online Compatible: △ (Adapt mission content)
Game 8: Shuffle Debate
Target: Teams that enjoy logical thinking Duration: 40-50 minutes Group Size: 8-20 people
How to Play:
- Prepare debate topics
- Examples: "Dog people vs Cat people," "Morning person vs Night person," "Remote work vs Office work"
- Assign "Pro" or "Con" sides with amidakuji
- Argue from assigned position regardless of personal opinion
- 5-minute debate
Key Points:
- Practice thinking from different perspectives
- Develops logical thinking skills
- Fun to argue opinions different from your own
Online Compatible: ◎
Level 4: Full-Scale Team Building【Maximum Difficulty】
Game 9: Random Project Challenge
Target: Long training sessions Duration: 60-90 minutes Group Size: 12-30 people
How to Play:
- Randomly form teams of 4-5 people
- Assign each team a "task" with amidakuji
- Examples: "New product idea," "Process improvement proposal," "SDGs contribution plan"
- Assign each person a "role" with amidakuji
- Project Manager
- Idea Generator
- Critic (Risk identification)
- Presenter
- Develop and present a plan in 45 minutes
Key Points:
- Realistic exercise close to actual work
- Clear roles create sense of responsibility
- Random teams create new chemistry
Online Compatible: ◎ (Collaborate with Google Docs, etc.)
Game 10: Survival Decision-Making Game
Target: Teams wanting to improve decision-making Duration: 45-60 minutes Group Size: 10-25 people
How to Play:
- Set up scenario
- Example: "Stranded on deserted island. Ship has 15 items. Can only take 5"
- Assign each person a "secret objective" with amidakuji
- Examples: "Want to be rescued ASAP," "Want to prepare for long stay," "Want to explore"
- Team discusses and selects 5 items
- Reveal each person's secret objective and selection reasoning
Key Points:
- Coordination between members with different objectives
- Tests negotiation and persuasion skills
- Experience team decision-making process
Online Compatible: ◎
Recommended Games by Situation
New Employee Training
Purpose: Building relationships among peers
Recommended:
- Self-Introduction Roulette (Day 1)
- Common Ground Pair Match (Day 1 afternoon)
- Topic Presentation Battle (Day 2)
Key Point: Gradually increase difficulty
Department Social Gathering
Purpose: Activate communication within department
Recommended:
- Mission Roulette
- Other-Introduction Challenge
- Shuffle Debate
Key Point: Role assignment by lottery is also fair. Also great for company party lotteries.
Project Kickoff
Purpose: Strengthen teamwork
Recommended:
- Random Project Challenge
- Survival Decision-Making Game
Key Point: Practical with content close to actual work
Online All-Hands Meeting
Purpose: Unity while remote
Recommended:
- Self-Introduction Roulette
- Topic Presentation Battle
- Team Quiz
Key Point: Utilize screen sharing features in Zoom, etc.
Facilitation Tips
Preparation Phase
Understand Participant Characteristics
- Meeting for first time or already acquainted
- Age range and positions
- Personality tendencies (introverted/extroverted)
Select Appropriate Games
- Allow plenty of time
- Gradually increase difficulty
- Match to objectives
Advance Preparation
- Prepare amidakuji URL
- Prepare topic and role cards
- Designate timekeeper
During Implementation
Keep Rule Explanations Concise
- Avoid complex rules
- Demonstrate
- Allow time for questions
Strict Time Management
- Use timers
- Minimize extensions
- Create clear rhythm
Encourage Full Participation
- Reach out to non-speakers
- Communicate "no wrong answers"
- Create atmosphere that laughs off failures
Reflection
Verbalize Learnings
- Share "how you felt"
- Good teamwork points
- What to apply next time
End Positively
- Praise efforts
- End with smiles
- Create anticipation for next time
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Will it work well online?
Yes, it can be exciting online. Key points:
- Camera on as default
- React more enthusiastively
- Also use chat features
- Use breakout rooms strategically
Also see Online Event Lottery Methods and School Lottery Guide.
Q2: What if someone doesn't want to participate?
- Don't force participation (observation is OK)
- Start with easy roles
- Support in pairs or teams
- Build success experiences
Q3: What if we run out of time?
- Prepare "shortened version" in advance
- Reduce presentation time
- Reduce number of teams
- Decide to carry over to next time
Q4: What if it fails?
Failure is also learning:
- Declare "failure is OK" at the start
- Facilitator actively enjoys failures
- Discuss "what to do next time" in reflection
- Use humor to lighten the mood
Q5: Can you do this with large groups (50+ people)?
Yes:
- Split into smaller groups
- Only representatives present
- Use large-group amidakuji
- Allocate more time
Summary
Using lotteries for team building and ice-breaking:
Benefits:
- Security through fairness
- Excitement through unpredictability
- Enhanced engagement through participation
Recommended Tool:
- Online Amidakuji
- Supports large groups
- Start immediately just by sharing URL
- Works both online and offline
Tips for Success:
- Gradually increase difficulty
- Strict time management
- Create atmosphere that enjoys failures
- End positively
Try using lottery games at your next training session or social gathering to enhance teamwork!
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