Check-in and Check-out Games for Virtual Meetings
A good check-in brings everyone into the meeting; a good check-out makes sure they leave with a smile. Here you'll find short, fresh icebreaker games for both – built for remote and hybrid teams. Everyone plays on their own phone, and the results appear live on the shared screen.
Check-in games
Check-ins are the first five minutes of a meeting: they lighten the mood, get everyone talking and turn video tiles back into people. Perfect before stand-ups, retrospectives, workshops and kick-offs.
- 🧠 Mind Reader – One clue, one secret position – how well do you know each other?
- 🐑 Herd Mind – Don't think original. Think like the herd.
- 🔢 Number Duel – One number, lots of tactics – who can outthink the rest?
- 📖 Bluff Dictionary – Invent an answer everyone believes is real.
- 🎯 Majority Bet – Answer anonymously – and guess how your team ticks.
- 💰 The Auction – 100 coins, absurd items – what will you bid on?
- 📸 Snapshot Hunt – Grab something within reach – and show it!
- 🔗 Common Ground – Who on your team thinks exactly like you?
- 🔀 Line Up! – Secret numbers, one theme – find the right order together.
- 💡 One Clue Only – One word each – duplicate clues are out.
- 🕵️ Who Wrote It? – Anonymous answers – can you tell who wrote what?
- 📏 Range Finder – Estimate a range – as narrow as you dare.
Check-out games
Check-outs close a meeting on purpose: with a takeaway, a thank-you or a laugh. They take one to three minutes and make sure the meeting doesn't just fizzle out with an awkward “Okay, bye then”.
- 📰 Headline of the Day – The meeting as a front page – the best line wins.
- 🙌 Kudos Round – A sincere thank-you at the end – and everyone leaves with a smile.
- ☁️ Word Cloud – One word per person – and the meeting has its takeaway.
- 🎬 The Meeting Movie – What genre was today? And what's the film called?
- 😶 Three-Emoji Minutes – The meeting in exactly three emojis – the world's shortest minutes.
- 🤝 Pledge Wall – One next step each – and the team keeps their fingers crossed.
Ideas & guides
- Check-in questions for meetings that actually work – Check-in questions for Teams, Zoom and in-person meetings: 40 questions by occasion, tips for hosts and free check-in games – no app, no sign-up.
- Meeting check-out activities: end every meeting on a good note – Check-out activities for meetings: one-word summary, kudos, pulse check and more – with questions, hosting tips and free check-out games, no app needed.
- Warm-up games and energizers for virtual meetings – Warm-up games and energizers for virtual meetings: quick team building for Teams, Zoom and Meet – free, no app, played in 2 to 5 minutes.
FAQ
What is a check-in in a meeting?
A check-in is a short opening round at the start of a meeting in which everyone gets a quick turn. It helps people mentally arrive and lowers the barrier to speaking up later – especially in virtual meetings with cameras off.
What is a check-out?
A check-out is the counterpart at the end: a short ritual to close the meeting – for example a one-word summary, a thank-you to a colleague or a headline for the day.
Do the games work in Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Google Meet?
Yes. You simply share the browser window showing the stage. Everyone else scans the QR code or opens the link from the chat and plays along on their phone or laptop.
Can I try it out without participants?
Yes. Start a check-in and click 🤖 in the stage toolbar – three test players will join and play automatically. Their answers are random and not exactly clever, but you can see how a game works beforehand: from the explanation to the reveal and the leaderboard. Click 📱 to open the participant view and play along yourself.
How much does it cost?
Nothing. There's no sign-up for participants or hosts, no cookies and no tracking, and our servers are in Germany. All rooms and answers are deleted after 10 hours at the latest.