21 Football
10–14 players 45–60 min Minimal materials
In "21 Football," teams take turns attempting to score points by completing passes from the quarterback to receivers in designated zones, each with different point values. Teams…
337 games
Games for 12 People
Twelve is the most flexible group size there is. It splits into two sixes, three fours, four threes or six pairs, which means one group can run almost any structure a game asks for without anyone sitting out.
It is also the size at which people start being able to hide. In a group of six everyone is visible; in a group of twelve, two or three quiet players can pass an entire session without saying anything, and it will not be obvious until afterwards. Games that assign explicit roles — rather than relying on people to volunteer — are worth more here than they are with eight.
If the group is a team that works together, twelve is around the size where a facilitated session starts costing real money to buy in. A hosted virtual team-building session at twelve people runs several hundred dollars.
Ordered by fit, with games built for this count first.
Last reviewed:
Kho-Kho
10–12 players 30–60 min No equipment needed
A popular Indian game played on a rectangular field with two teams, where players from one team try to tag players from the other team before they can "sit" on the ground and av…
Escape The Monster
10–15 players 5–15 min No equipment needed
Escape the monster is one of the interesting birthday party games for kids. Where all the children are supposed to be lined up on one side of the room. Then, one or two other ch…
Circle Untangle
8–15 players 10–20 min No equipment needed
Everyone stands in a big circle and then grabs onto two different peoples hands (not the people standing on either side of them). Once everyone is holding onto two other peoples…
Traffic Jam
8–14 players 20–30 min Paper squares or floor markers
Lay a line of paper squares on the ground — one more square than there are players. Two teams stand on the squares facing each other, with the single empty square in the middle.…
Willow in the Wind
8–12 players 10–15 min No equipment needed
A trust-building circle. One volunteer — the willow — stands in the center, feet planted, body straight, arms crossed over the chest, and eyes closed. The tight circle around th…
Bubble Soccer
6–14 players 30–60 min Minimal materials
Players wear large inflatable bubbles and play soccer. The bubbles protect players from impacts, making the game safe and hilarious.
Cutting Wood
6–14 players 10–20 min Minimal materials
Set up one log or thick piece of lumber per team on a stable sawhorse, with one handsaw per team. Teams line up, and on "Go!" the first player saws until the leader calls "Switc…
Find a Wordle
6–15 players 20–30 min No equipment needed
1. Use a book to get the text for a larger section of scripture - maybe a whole chapter - that you are studying. 2. Copy that into the Wordle site and let it generate a Wordle f…
Group Juggle
6–15 players 10–20 min Soft balls (several)
Stand in a circle. Establish a fixed throwing pattern: each person throws to the same partner every time, saying their name, until the ball has visited everyone once and returne…
Helium Stick
6–14 players 10–20 min Long lightweight pole (tent pole or dowel)
Two rows of players face each other and hold out index fingers at chest height. Rest a long, light pole (a tent pole or dowel) across everyone's fingers. The task sounds insulti…
Newcomb Ball
6–18 players 20–40 min Volleyball or similar ball, Net or rope
Volleyball for groups that can't rally yet. Two teams face off across a net or rope, but instead of striking the ball, players catch it and immediately throw it back over. A poi…
Nine Square in the Air
6–15 players 20–45 min Nine square frame kit, Playground ball
A head-height frame of nine open squares (built from PVC pipe or a bought kit) turns four square into a volleyball-style battle. Each player defends the square above their head,…
Paper Maze
6–12 players 5–10 min Minimal materials
Lay out paper on the floor in a grid. On a separate piece of paper, draw a path through this grid that only the game host can see. Teams take turns trying to go through the grid…
Paper Telephone
6–14 players 20–30 min Paper, Pens or pencils
Every player writes a phrase at the top of a paper — "a giraffe learning to skateboard" — and passes it left. The next player draws the phrase, folds the writing out of sight, a…
Toothpaste Challenge
6–18 players 30–45 min Minimal materials
Give the kids either in pairs or as individuals a plate and a tube of toothpaste. The bigger tubes work best. Tell them the challenge is to get all the toothpaste out of the tub…
Wizard in the dark
6–15 players 30–45 min Minimal materials
Make a room be able to go from pitch black to full light with the flick of a switch, and I'm serious pitch black. Cover up emergency lights and exit signs, unless it's illegal i…
Down by the Banks
5–15 players 10–15 min No equipment needed
Sit in a circle, each player's right hand resting palm-up on their neighbor's left palm. As the group chants the traditional rhyme — "Down by the banks of the hanky panky…" — ea…
Helicopter
5–15 players 10–15 min Long rope, Soft beanbag (optional, tied to rope end)
Players form a circle around one person holding a long rope (or a rope with a soft beanbag tied to the end). The center player spins, sweeping the rope around the circle at ankl…
Balloon Volleyball
4–20 players 15–25 min Balloons, Rope (for the net)
Stretch a rope or line of chairs across the room as a net and swap the volleyball for a balloon. The balloon's slow float gives everyone time to react, which makes long, dramati…
Bat and Moth
8–20 players 10–15 min Blindfold
The group forms a tight safety circle. Inside it, one blindfolded player is the bat and two or three players are moths. The bat hunts by echolocation: every time the bat calls "…
Black Magic
6–20 players 10–15 min Small household objects to point at
A two-person trick disguised as mind-reading. The "psychic" leaves the room while the group picks any object in sight. On returning, their secret partner points to objects one b…
Blindfolded Obstacle Course
10–20 players 10–15 min Minimal materials
"Blindfolded Obstacle Course" is a thrilling team-based game where participants navigate a traditional obstacle course, but with a twist: one member of each team is blindfolded.…
Bobbing for Apples
4–15 players 10–20 min Large tub, Apples, Towels
Fill a large tub with clean water and float a dozen apples. With hands clasped behind their backs, players take turns trying to grab an apple using only their teeth — far harder…
Bunny Bunny
6–20 players 10–15 min No equipment needed
A gloriously silly focus game. The player who is "it" makes bunny paws and chants "bunny bunny bunny bunny" before throwing the bunny — a two-handed point — to anyone in the cir…
Buzz
4–20 players 5–15 min No equipment needed
The group counts upward around the circle — but every number containing a seven or divisible by seven must be replaced by "Buzz!" So: five, six, buzz, eight… thirteen, buzz, fif…
Candy Color Icebreaker
5–20 players 10–20 min Bowl of colorful candy
Pass a bowl of colorful candy around and tell everyone to take as many pieces as they like — but not to eat them yet. Then reveal the catch: each color is a question category (r…
Codenames
4–12 players 45–60 min Minimal materials
Codenames is a word association game played on a 5x5 grid of word cards. Each team has a spymaster who provides single-word clues followed by a number, indicating how many words…
Concentration (Categories)
4–15 players 10–20 min No equipment needed
Set the rhythm in a circle: slap thighs twice, clap twice, snap right, snap left. Once the beat is locked in, the leader chants "Concentration… category is… fruits!" and on each…
Count to 20
5–20 players 5–15 min No equipment needed
The group sits in a circle, or better, scattered with eyes closed. The mission: count to twenty out loud as a group, one number per voice, with no order agreed in advance. Anyon…