🖥️ What's on Your Desk?

How to Play

What's on Your Desk? takes advantage of the fact that remote workers are already at their desks. Each person scans their workspace for something interesting — a quirky mug, a family photo, a gadget, a plant, or anything with a story — and shares it with the group. The objects people keep near them reveal more than they realize, making this a surprisingly intimate and revealing icebreaker. It is also the easiest game to set up for remote teams: everyone is already at their desk, and the props are already there.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Announce the activity: 'We are going to share one interesting object from our workspaces.'
2. Give everyone 60 seconds to look around their desk and choose an object.
3. Use the tool above to generate a prompt for inspiration (e.g., 'Find the oldest item on your desk').
4. Each person takes 30-60 seconds to show their object on camera and share its story.
5. Invite the group to ask curious follow-up questions.
6. After everyone has shared, highlight the most surprising or heartwarming stories.

Tips for Hosts

• Encourage people to pick objects with a story, not just expensive or impressive items.
• The most mundane objects often have the best stories. A coffee mug from a memorable trip beats a generic gadget.
• If someone's desk is sparse, broaden it to anything in their home office or room.
• Keep the tone light and curious. This is about connection, not judgment.
• For non-remote groups, adapt to 'What is in your bag?' or 'What is in your pocket?'

Best Use Cases

• Remote team meetings: The go-to icebreaker for distributed teams on video calls.
• Online classrooms: Helps students see each other's learning environments.
• Virtual onboarding: New hires share something from their setup as an introduction.
• Casual Friday calls: A low-key alternative to more structured icebreakers.

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