Top 10 ‘Get To Know You’ Games For Adults

With children and teenagers, interactions tend to be a lot easier. That is because kids have less on their minds, are almost always full of energy, and are up for a game… like now.  If you want students to get to know each other, team building activities and outdoor games are a great way to do that. However… with adults, socializing might be a little tricky, especially if we are talking about the introvert ones.

So, if you`re about to introduce yourself to a new group of people and you want to get to know them better, the solution is pretty simple: have some fun! We have prepared for you 10 ‘get to know you’ games for adults, that will definitely turn socialization into an enjoyable process, with no hassle!

P.S. ‘Getting to know each other’ icebreakers are also a great idea for adult socialization!

1. Top Five

This is one of the ‘get to know you’ games for adults that requires making some categories first. Here are some examples: traveling destinations, pets, desserts, apps, books, TV shows, movies, songs, bands, and the list can go on, depending on how much time you have for this activity. 

Once you have decide on the categories, the players have to come up with their best-of lists, by sharing with the others their top 5 choices. 

• You can play this game in real time. If that is the case, the person in charge announces the categories one at a time, while the participants take their time to create the lists. 
• However, if you`re looking forward to it in your virtual coffee break, you can send out the categories first thing in the morning and have the participants prepare lists ahead of time. 

*Tips:

1. If you have already gotten through the basic stuff, do not hesitate to create categories that are a bit more specific: workout songs, interior design styles, influencers, etc.
2. Make it more interesting by swapping the game for ‘Bottom Five’. In this case, each participant has to name the least favorite five options in each category.  

2. Spill It or Eat It

This is a fun ‘get to know you’ game for adults that digs a bit deeper. It involves asking personal questions. If the player refuses to answer, he/she has to eat or drink something gross, messy, spicy, or a large quantity of a certain food/beverage. Some examples would be swallowing a full spoon of hot sauce, stuffing six crackers in your mouth, or drinking a liter of milk at once. 

The participants take turns asking each other questions. If you`re running out if ideas, we`ve got a list with some funny icebreakers. Check them out! This is a great game to play during lunch break. 

3. Show and Tell

How could you get to know someone better if not by the things that mean something to them? This is the ‘Show and Tell’ game. 

It is great because it can be played both virtually, as well as face to face. All you have to do is show the other participants something that is important to you and explain its meaning. You can do that by telling a story, sharing a memory, or showing a picture. If you show them a sweater your mother knitted for you, they will know that family is an important value for you.  

*Tip: Make the game more specific by assigning specific themes to it, for example, hometown, first love, job, hobbies.  

4. Never Have I Ever

This is one of the ‘get to know you’ games for adults that will never get dull.

The rule is that all players start the game by holding up ten fingers. Then, the participants take turns making ‘Never Have I Ever’ statements. If a player is ‘guilty’ of a mentioned behavior, he/she must lower one finger. Choose your prompts wisely! Here are some examples:  

• Never have I ever met a celebrity.
• Never have I ever read an entire book in one day.
• Never have I ever ridden a horse.
• Never have I ever been a bridesmaid/best man.
• Never have I ever been skydiving.
• Never have I ever driven a sports car.
• Never have I ever been Black Friday shopping.
• Never have I ever owned a pool.
• Never have I ever bought a piece of clothing that cost more than $400.

The game ends when only one player has one or more fingers up. 

5. Trivia

‘Trivia’ is one of the games that dives into subjects such as literature, math, history, and sciences, but you can customize it as you wish, based on the players` interests. To organize it, you have to do your research first. 

1. Create a survey meant to gather data on the participants, and ask them to fill it out. 
2. Make a multiple-choice style quiz, by using an online tool (eg. Kahoot).
3. Then, players enter the game room pin and answer the questions on their devices. The app automatically keeps the score. 

You could test how well they know each other by asking them the following: 

• Which player went viral on TikTok?
• Which player owns a spider?
• Which player built their own boat?
• Which player was born on Christmas Eve?
• Which player backpacked across Africa?
• Which player’s favorite food is risotto?
• Which player memorized pi to 100 digits?
• Which player used to be in the army?

6. Neighbors

This is a great outdoor team building activity, similar to Name Game. It`s also one of the best ‘get to know you’ games for adults that can help with remembering people`s names. 

It requires at least 10 participants and you should have at least 30 minutes for this activity. 

• Everyone must stand in a circle, while one player is in the middle. 
• You have 3 minutes to memorize the first, middle, and last names of both your neighbors. Then, the person standing in the middle will point to one of the players and will ask for his left or right neighbor`s full name. 
• If the appointed participant gets it wrong, he/she must trade places with the person in the middle. 

The game ends when everyone knows the names of everybody else.

7. Ready, Set, Reorganise

One of the ‘get to know you’ card games for adults is ‘Ready, Set, Reorganise’. The aim is to reveal as many interesting things as possible about the players, and for that it`s preferable to be more than 12 people involved. 

It shouldn`t take longer than 10 minutes, so be aware – this game is all about moving around. 

• First, you want to divide the participants in two groups and make them stand in two lines, facing each other. 
• Second, you name a category (eg. last name, job title, height, birthday, hometown, continents visited in their lifetime etc.). 
• Third, every team has to organise itself – alphabetically, numerically, chronologically, geographically etc. – as quickly as possible, based on the category given.
• The team who wins is, of course, the one that organises itself correctly, the quickest.

Keep on switching categories, so as players find out as much as possible about each other.

8. Gossip Time

This is another ‘get to know you’ card game for adults. It can take longer – between 30 and 60 minutes – and there should be at least 5 people involved. 

• Every player needs a card and a pen.
• One of them is asked to leave the room, while the rest write on the card one thing about the ‘target’.
• Then, all the cards are gathered and the main character is asked to return to the room. 
• The ‘target’ randomly selects one piece of paper and reads it out loud. He/she has to guess who wrote that ‘gossip’ about him/her. 
• If he/she gets it right, another ‘target’ is chosen. If not, he/she keeps on reading out prompts until he/she guesses one author.
• Keep on playing this ‘get to know you’ game for adults until everyone has had a shot at being the ‘target’.

9. Sweet Stories

Let`s sweeten the process of getting to know each other. ‘Sweet stories’ can be played both by small and large groups of people. You just need to make sure that there are enough candies for everyone. Then, you can pick the treat – M&M`s, Skittles, or whatever colorful sweets the crowd craves.

• First, every player takes a candy.
• Second, they are told to relate a story based on the color of the candy they have. 
• Only after sharing it, they can eat the sweet. 

Let us suggest you some ideas for your candy colors: 

• Green – A reason why you are happy to belong to this group.
• Yellow – The funniest moment during a Thanksgiving dinner.
• Blue – A superior you respected and why.
• Organe – An embarrassing moment during college.
• Red – Your biggest working success.
• Purple – A time at work where you have failed, and what you learnt from it.

10. Human Billboards

This is the perfect game to play if you`re about to meet new people, and you`re looking for a way to make things fun and interesting. 

However, you should keep in mind that ‘Human Bilboards’ is difficult to organize in groups larger than 10 participants. The game shouldn`t last more for than 20 minutes, therefore it is a great way to break the ice in a group full of strangers.

• It is one of the ‘get to know you’ card games for adults, so every player will need a piece of paper, colored markers, and scissors. 
• Everyone has 6 minutes to describe themselves on their own bilboard. They can use words, drawings, and colors as they wish. 
• When the time is up, the players have to cut a hole in the paper and put it over their heads so that it drapes in front of them. 
• Participants are asked to mingle and ask each other icebreaker questions regarding their bilboards. In this way, they will be able to get to know each other, but also to bond at a deeper level – if the bilboards allow them to do so – and the conversation becomes more engaging.

What are ‘get to know you’ games?

Just as their name shows, ‘get to know you’ games are activities meant to connect people for learning more about each other. 

There are ‘get to know you’ card games for adults, but also options that do not require any materials, such as Truth or Dare, This or That, Never Have I Ever, or Show and Tell. You can play them virtually (there are great such games on Facetime), or in-person, as outdoor team building activities. 

What are the benefits of ‘getting to know you’ games for adults?

‘Get to know you’ games for adults can be a little intimidating at first for some of the players. However, once you get the rules and start playing, things get easier and funnier. 

• Their main purpose is to speed up the formation of relationships, by sharing personal facts in a group of people. 
• These are great when it comes to integrating yourself in a new environment. This can be work-related, school-related, joining a new group of friends, and so on. 
• They are  an informal way of getting to know the people around you. No hassle, no pressure!
• Just like icebreaker questions for virtual meetings, these games can also lighten up the atmosphere before an important call. 
• Fun ‘get to know you’ games for adults are meant to create common ground within groups, build trust and rapport. 
• They engage, motivate and energize the participants, no matter their age, job positions, or interests.
• ‘Get to know you’ games for adults tend to relax them, while allowing them to bond far more easily and quickly. 

How to play ‘get to know you’ games for adults?

First of all, you have to do your research. But thank God Team Building Games did it for you, so you now have a clear list of the coolest ones. 

In order to play ‘get to know you’ games for adults and to reach the results you are looking for, you should be able to connect on a deeper level. Choose games that allow you splitting into smaller groups, so that you facilitate more intimate conversations. Explain the rules, start the clock, and let people get to know each other. At the end of the game, give players the chance to reflect on what they have been discussing, and ask them to share the facts they have learned.