Simon Says
A team building activity for small teams
A memorable classic game that helps colleagues connect, collaborate, and leave with shared energy.
Last updated: 2026-08-03
450+ corporate teams
Classic play for team energy
Quick overview
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Duration
20–60
Minutes total
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Group size
5–30
Participants
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Energy
Med–High
Energy level
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Format
In-person
Outdoor / on-site
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Category
Classic Game
Activity type
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Best for
Teams
Offsites & all-hands
What Is Simon Says?
Simon Says team building brings employees into a structured classic game format. Players follow instructions only when prefaced with 'Simon says'. Leaders choose it when they need corporate team building activities that feel human, not performative.
What makes Simon Says useful for modern companies is transfer: the behaviors you practice, listening, coordinating, encouraging, are the same behaviors hybrid teams need in everyday delivery work.
Compared with generic mixer time, Simon Says gives everyone a role and a finish line. That clarity helps startups move fast and helps larger enterprises keep quality consistent across locations. With light facilitation, it becomes a reliable block in your culture calendar.
How it works
A clear session flow from brief to debrief
Follow these steps to run Simon Says with confidence, timing included so you can plan the room or Zoom agenda.
Align on purpose
Name the business reason for Simon Says: onboarding, engagement, celebration, or skill practice. Then explain the mechanic: Players follow instructions only when prefaced with 'Simon says'.
2–3 minutesSet up for success
Confirm materials, teams, and tech. Preview how success looks for Simon Says so people know what “good participation” means.
3–6 minutesRun the core experience
Facilitate the heart of Simon Says: Players follow instructions only when prefaced with 'Simon says'. Keep coaching light, rotate attention across the group, and use a timer so momentum stays high. Keep scorekeeping light and celebrate creative attempts.
10–45 minutesShare highlights
Invite a few teams or individuals to share a surprising moment from Simon Says. Spotlight listening, creativity, or support, not only who “won.”
3–8 minutesDebrief into work
Ask what behaviors helped during Simon Says and where those show up in projects, meetings, or remote collaboration. Capture one team commitment before closing.
3–7 minutesTeam engagement & team building benefits
Simon Says works as one of our team building activities, scoped for employee engagement, team bonding, and outcomes HR teams can feel in the room.
A productive energy spike
A well-timed Simon Says session interrupts meeting fatigue and restores attention before strategic work continues.
Inclusive celebration
Simon Says can mark milestones without forcing a single personality style, useful for diverse employee populations.
Leadership reps without slides
Facilitating or spotting during Simon Says gives emerging leaders live practice in clarity, timing, and care.
Faster interpersonal trust
Simon Says gives colleagues shared reference points beyond job titles, which softens silos and speeds later collaboration.
Employee engagement lift
As one of the more memorable team building activities for employees, Simon Says creates recognition, laughter, and belonging without a heavy agenda.
Onboarding that feels welcoming
New hires can participate in Simon Says with clear structure, meeting peers without pressure to perform in a high-stakes exercise.
Remote and hybrid inclusion
With thoughtful facilitation, Simon Says gives distributed teammates equal airtime in corporate team building moments.
Less silo friction
When departments mix during Simon Says, shared wins reduce “us vs them” distance and open informal collaboration paths.
Who It’s Best For
Cross-functional groups
Simon Says works when departments meet for the first time: shared structure reduces status gaps and sparks informal collaboration.
Large enterprises
Enterprises scale Simon Says with breakouts, table hosts, or timed stations so intimacy survives even when headcount is high.
Remote & hybrid teams
Facilitators adapt Simon Says for video, chat, and breakouts so remote employees are not spectators in corporate team building.
Small teams
Among practical team building activities for small teams, Simon Says keeps airtime personal so everyone can contribute without rushing.
Startups
Resource-conscious startups use Simon Says to build culture quickly, high signal, manageable prep, and energy that fits a busy build cycle.
Preparation
What You’ll Need & Facilitator Tips
What You’ll Need
- A facilitator who can keep time and psychological safety
- A clear goal for the session (kickoff, bonding, celebration, or skill practice)
- Prepared prompts, word lists, or props matching the game
- A scoreboard or shared doc for light competition
- Space to move or a clear camera view if online
- A short rules sheet so everyone starts equal
Facilitator Tips
- Adapt prompts to your industry so jokes stay inclusive.
- End with a 3-minute debrief: what helped your team communicate under time pressure?
- Explain Simon Says with a 60-second demo round before scoring starts.
- Balance competitive energy with celebration of creative attempts.
- Rotate roles so the same people are not always performing.
- Keep scores light; the goal is energy and teamwork, not ranking coworkers.
Variations
Variations & Adaptations
Adjust the format for remote rooms, large groups, low prep, or themed workshops, without changing the core game.
01
Large-group adaptation
Split into tables or channels of 6–10. Each pod runs Simon Says, then nominates one highlight for the full group.
02
Remote adaptation
Run Simon Says on video with chat prompts, reactions, or breakout rooms. Keep instructions on screen and assign a chat moderator.
03
Low-prep / no-materials version
Strip Simon Says to verbal or chat-only prompts so you can launch in a regular meeting with almost no setup.
04
Themed variation
Theme Simon Says around onboarding stories, customer empathy, values, or a product launch so play reinforces a business narrative.
Browse the library
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Simon Says, quick team building exercises for work
Simon Says is one of the team building activities teams use when they want team building activities for work without a heavy workshop agenda. Gotezu facilitators scope the session for your group size, format, and outcomes, whether you are planning corporate team building activities for an offsite or team building activities for employees in-house.
When teams choose Simon Says
HR and people leaders pick this format for kickoffs, culture resets, and employee engagement days where the goal is genuine connection. It fits alongside other indoor team building activities in a longer office team building activities or stands alone as a focused quick team building activities.
Related team building ideas
- Team building activities, explore similar formats in our activities library.
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- Team building activities for employees, explore similar formats in our activities library.
- Indoor team building activities, explore similar formats in our activities library.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many people can do Simon Says?
Most teams run Simon Says with about 5–30 people. For larger headcounts, split into smaller rooms or tables so participation stays high.
How long does Simon Says take?
Plan for roughly 20–60 minutes, depending on group size, debrief depth, and whether you add competitive rounds.
Is Simon Says suitable for remote or hybrid teams?
Yes. Use video, chat, and breakouts so remote teammates get equal airtime during Simon Says.
What are the benefits of Simon Says for employee engagement?
Simon Says boosts employee engagement by creating shared energy, recognition, and safer familiarity, especially useful at kickoffs, offsites, and culture resets.
Is Simon Says good for small teams or startups?
Yes. Small teams and startups often prefer Simon Says because it creates visible culture signal without requiring a massive production budget or multi-day agenda.
Do we need special equipment for Simon Says?
Requirements vary by format, but most classic game sessions need only a prepared facilitator, a suitable space or platform, and the core materials for Simon Says, not a full event build.
How do you keep Simon Says workplace-appropriate?
Brief clear boundaries up front, model the tone, offer opt-in intensity levels, and redirect anything that risks exclusion, unsafe behavior, or oversharing.
Can Simon Says work as a corporate team building opener?
Absolutely. Many L&D and HR teams use Simon Says before workshops or strategy sessions because it warms the room without stealing the entire agenda.
Ready to turn Simon Says into a memorable culture moment? Explore related activities or connect with Gotezu to plan a session that supports employee engagement without the fluff.
