This Christmas finish-the-phrase game for work gives coworkers a low-pressure way to laugh, compare answers, and discover how well they think alike. The 60 prompts below work for in-person office parties, team lunches, or remote celebrations—without requiring anyone to sing, perform, or share personal information.
Best for: 6–40 players Time: 20–35 minutes Supplies: paper and pens, or a shared form/chat
How the matching game works
- Pair coworkers or create teams of three.
- The host reads an unfinished phrase.
- Each player privately writes the first ending that comes to mind.
- Partners reveal answers together. An exact match earns two points; a close match that clearly means the same thing earns one.
- After 10 prompts, rotate partners or total the scores.
Unlike survey-style Christmas Family Feud, there is no official top answer. The fun comes from matching a teammate. For a varied office game night, add the Christmas emoji quiz or choose an activity from our large-team Christmas office games.
Simple scoring options
- Fast play: one point for any sensible match.
- Competitive play: two for exact wording, one for an agreed synonym.
- Large group: everyone answers; one point goes to each person who matches the room’s most common response.
- No-score version: vote for funniest, most festive, and most unexpected ending after each round.
Quick workplace warm-ups
- Christmas morning is…
- The best holiday snack is…
- A perfect office party needs…
- December meetings should be…
- The first sign of Christmas is…
- My desk in December looks…
- The best winter drink is…
- A holiday playlist must include…
- The office tree needs…
- Friday before the holidays feels…
Festive favorites
- My favorite Christmas smell is…
- The best stocking filler is…
- A holiday movie is better with…
- Christmas dinner is incomplete without…
- The best tree decoration is…
- A winter evening calls for…
- The most useful gift is…
- The best cookie flavor is…
- A great Secret Santa gift is…
- The coziest holiday clothing is…
Funny office prompts
- Santa’s performance review would say…
- The copier’s Christmas wish is…
- The office fridge in December contains…
- Our team’s holiday mascot should be…
- An elf working here would…
- The meeting invite should have said…
- The quickest route to holiday cheer is…
- The break room needs more…
- The most festive spreadsheet contains…
- If our office had a sleigh, it would…
Common holiday pairings
- Christmas…
- Candy…
- Snow…
- Gingerbread…
- Gift…
- Holiday…
- Winter…
- Santa…
- Jingle…
- Mistletoe…
Team personality prompts
- Our team is best at…
- The person most likely to save the party is…
- Our unofficial team tradition is…
- Next year we should celebrate by…
- The best thing we achieved this year was…
- Our team deserves an award for…
- The most useful office superpower would be…
- A new holiday dress code should include…
- Our group chat in December is full of…
- The perfect team photo needs…
Creative tie-breakers
- A reindeer’s side hustle is…
- Santa’s least favorite email begins…
- The snowman applied for a job as…
- The North Pole needs a new department for…
- A holiday invention we need is…
- The title of our team’s Christmas movie is…
- A mystery gift should never contain…
- The elves’ meeting agenda includes…
- The worst place to hide a present is…
- Christmas in three words is…
Host script and 25-minute plan
- Minutes 0–3: Explain that answers should be workplace-safe and brief.
- Minutes 3–10: Play prompts 1–10 as a warm-up.
- Minutes 10–18: Choose 10 prompts from festive favorites and funny office prompts.
- Minutes 18–23: Use five team-personality prompts.
- Minutes 23–25: Play one tie-breaker and announce the winning pair.
Remote and hybrid version
Send each pair to a private breakout room for 30 seconds, or have everyone message answers privately to the host. Reveal two responses side by side on screen. For hybrid teams, use the same digital answer method for everyone so people in the room do not get an advantage.
Make it inclusive
- Call it a winter or end-of-year round if not everyone celebrates Christmas.
- Let players skip any prompt without explanation.
- Avoid jokes about alcohol, religion, relationships, pay, or appearance.
- Use team achievements instead of “most likely to” prompts that single people out.
- Keep answers to five words so language speed matters less.
Frequently asked questions
Does finish the phrase have correct answers?
No. Partners score by independently writing the same or equivalent ending. The familiar-phrase round is easier because it suggests a common ending, while the creative rounds create funnier differences.
How many prompts should we use?
Use 15 for a 15-minute icebreaker, 25 for a standard party round, or all 60 across several breaks during a longer event.
Can this work with 40 or more coworkers?
Yes. Use tables of four to six and let each table submit one response. Award points when two or more tables match.
What if coworkers debate whether answers match?
Let the host decide quickly or ask the room for a thumbs-up vote. The one-point synonym rule keeps the game moving.
Image credit: Maxime via Unsplash. Editorial assistance, including idea organization and copy refinement, may involve AI tools; every prompt is reviewed for workplace suitability before publication.
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