WORK
A team warm-up that earns its place on the agenda.
A good work game lowers the cost of speaking without forcing personal disclosure. Alias gives a team a shared task, fast feedback and plenty of small recoveries when the first explanation does not land.
- Session
- 30 min Including debrief
- Team
- 4–6 Mixed functions
- Round
- 45 sec Low waiting time
IN THIS GUIDE
QUICK ANSWER
The useful version.
For a 30-minute team-building session, make mixed teams of four to six, run one unscored practice rotation, then play 45-second rounds to a modest target. Use neutral categories, rotate every explainer and finish with a five-minute discussion about which communication strategies helped people understand quickly.
KNOW WHY IT IS HERE
Connect the game to communication.
Use Alias when the group needs energy, cross-team interaction or practice adapting a message. Do not promise that one game will build trust or solve collaboration problems. Its real value is a safe, visible example of how people rephrase, listen and recover.
Tell participants the purpose in one sentence before starting. People engage more willingly when they understand why the activity belongs in a work session and exactly how long it will take.
LOW PRESSURE FIRST
Run a practice rotation before scoring.
Build teams across roles or departments, but avoid isolating a new employee in a group of close colleagues. Use neutral categories rather than company trivia. Everyone should explain once during an unscored rotation before the competitive match begins.
A 45-second timer and 20- to 25-point target normally fit the session. Keep the skip penalty off unless the team specifically wants a competitive version. The facilitator owns rulings so colleagues do not negotiate every disputed word.
- 5 minutes: briefing and teams.
- 5 minutes: unscored rotation.
- 15 minutes: scored match.
- 5 minutes: communication debrief.
MAKE ROOM FOR DIFFERENCE
Design for accents, languages and thinking speed.
Speak clearly about what counts as a legal clue, and allow a short pause before teammates start guessing over one another. Longer processing time is not lower ability. A group can choose 60-second rounds when participants use different first languages.
Do not use performance in the game as a proxy for workplace communication skill. Fast cultural references can win a round while excluding someone who joined the team recently. Praise adaptable clues and active listening, not only the scoreboard.
BRING THE LEARNING BACK
Ask three concrete questions.
After the match, ask: Which clue made sense immediately? What did an explainer change when the first approach failed? What did good guessers do besides shout possible answers? Keep the discussion connected to observed moments rather than abstract personality labels.
Close by inviting one workplace application, such as naming the audience before explaining or switching from definition to example when a message stalls. The game becomes useful when the team can carry one behaviour into the next meeting.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Clear before you start.
Is Alias appropriate for workplace team building?add
Yes, when participation is respectful, categories are neutral and the facilitator connects the activity to a clear communication goal.
Should managers and employees be on the same team?add
They can be, but the facilitator should watch power dynamics and make passing or opting out easy without penalty.
What should the debrief cover?add
Discuss successful clues, useful rephrasing and listening behaviour—not who is supposedly a good or bad communicator.
READY FOR A ROUND?
Put the guide into play.
Download Alias, choose the setup that fits your group and let the first sixty seconds do the rest.
