Office party games help break the ice at what could be an otherwise uncomfortable occasion. They encourage people to interact and break up cliques that may form. Because office parties are a business event, the games must be kept appropriate. There are several office party games that get people moving and interacting without being sexual or offensive in nature.

One of the most popular office party games that get people laughing is musical chairs. Set out one less chair than you have people and place them in two rows, back to back. Turn on the music and have the participants walk in a circle around the chairs. When the music stops unexpectedly, everyone races to sit in a chair and the person left standing is out. Remove one chair and repeat the process until you have a winner.

If you notice that people at the office party aren't mingling, it may be time for the grouping game. This game involves gathering everyone in one big group and calling out a number less than half the number of people present. When the number is called, everyone rushes to gather in a group of that many people. When the number is met, everyone links arms so no one else is let in. Whoever is left standing without the proper group size is out of the game.

The Noah's Ark game is a sure way to break the ice at a professional office party. Make two sets of animal cards and pass them out to the participants. The objective of the game is to find your animal mate without talking in the human language. Once two people think they have found their mate, they take their cards, without looking at each others, to the referee. The game continues until everyone has found their mate.

If spouses or significant others are invited to the party, it may be fun to play a game of imitation. Have the spouse or significant other imitate what they think their partner acts like at work. This game will have people laughing in no time, as long as they have a sense of humor.

Christmas parties are great for having a white elephant gift exchange. Have everyone who wants to participate bring a wrapped gift that costs less than $5 US Dollars (USD). Place numbers in a hat and have everyone pull one. The person who picks number one gets to choose a gift and unwrap it. The person who picks number two gets to choose a new gift and unwrap it or steal the first gift. If the first person gets his gift stolen, he gets to pick a new gift and unwrap it, then it is on to number three.

Games like spin the bottle and truth or dare are not appropriate office party games. They place people in embarrassing situations that can carry over to the workplace. Because it is a work-related event, coworkers may also claim sexual harassment. Keep the games clean, as it is a job related function.