open · Icebreaker · 10–15 min · 3-25 people · medium energy

Guess the Emoji Board

A social guessing game where team members try to match a screenshot of 'most used emojis' to the correct colleague.

When to use Guess the Emoji Board

To reveal personality traits and digital habits in a lighthearted way.

What it solves

Lack of personal connection or 'human' insight into remote colleagues.

How to run Guess the Emoji Board, step by step

  1. Ask everyone to take a screenshot of their 'frequently used' emoji section on their phone or Slack (Pre-work).
  2. Display one screenshot at a time anonymously (1 min per board).
  3. Participants vote or guess in the chat who the board belongs to (5-10 min).
  4. The owner reveals themselves and explains their most 'unusual' emoji (5 min).

Materials needed

  • Screenshots from participants
  • Slide deck or shared screen

Facilitator tips

  • Keep it anonymous until the very end to build suspense.
  • Look for the 'weird' emojis—they usually have the best stories.

Common pitfalls

  • Low-quality screenshots that are hard to read
  • Participants forgetting to send their screenshots in advance

Variations

  • Emoji Pictionary: Have participants describe their current project using only 5 emojis.

Running it online or hybrid

Participants can screenshot their 'frequently used' section on their phones and upload to a shared folder or Slack channel.

What it produces

A series of 'reveals' that spark conversation about personal habits.

Origin

Adapted from Museum Hack — source

Build a session around Guess the Emoji Board

METODIC places Guess the Emoji Board inside a complete, timed session plan — agenda, worksheets, facilitator guide and slides — matched to your group and goal.

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