Leaving Do And Retirement Party Games: 16 Warm Ones

A leaving do is really a tribute with drinks. The games that work are the ones that are about the person going, and the best of them get everyone saying something nice without having to make a speech.

Everything here works in a pub, a meeting room or a canteen.

Games about the leaver

• How well do you know them - twenty questions about the leaver, they mark the answers.
• Guess the year they joined, the first project they worked on, how many desks they've had.
• Their greatest hits: quotes and catchphrases read out, everyone guesses if it was really them.
• Guess the baby photo, or the photo from their first week here.
• The CV game - three real things from their career and one invented, spot the lie.

Instead of a speech

• One word each round the room. Fast, genuine, and nobody has to write anything.
• A memory jar - everyone writes one memory on a slip, they read them later at home.
• The big card, signed by everyone, passed round in the week before so nobody is put on the spot.
• A video of thirty-second clips from people who can't be there.
• Advice for their successor, written anonymously and read out. Funnier than it sounds.

For a retirement specifically

• The year they started quiz - number one single, price of a pint, what was on telly.
• Then and now photos of the building, the team and the technology.
• Predictions for their retirement, sealed and posted to them in a year.
• A bucket list board where everyone adds one suggestion.
• Guess the total years of service in the room - a good one when several long-servers are present.

Keeping it kind

• Check with them first if they hate being the centre of attention. Some people want a card and a quiet pint.
• No roast-style jokes unless you know for certain they'd enjoy it, and even then, not in front of senior management.
• If they're leaving under difficult circumstances, drop the games and just do the card and the drinks.
• Make sure part-time and remote colleagues can contribute to the card or the video in advance.

Shop thank you and leaving cards

How to write it so it lands

• Ask the leaver what they'd actually like first.
• Start the card a week early so nobody is missed.
• Keep it warm rather than funny if you're not sure which they'd prefer.

Where to shop next

• Work team building games
• Icebreaker games for a new team
• Remote and virtual team games
• Games for an away day or conference
• Games for a work BBQ or family fun day
• Two-minute games to start a meeting
• Work quiz rounds (non-Christmas)
• Training day games adults won't hate
• Office games HR won't object to
• Office Christmas party games
• Board games hub
• Quiz questions and rounds
• Free feel good tools
• Shop leaving and thank you cards
• Retirement party decorations
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What games can you play at a work leaving do?

A 'how well do you know them' quiz with the leaver marking the answers, guess the baby photo, their greatest-hits quotes and a one-word-each round instead of speeches.

What can you do instead of speeches at a leaving do?

Go round the room with one word each, or run a memory jar where everyone writes a slip for the leaver to read at home. Both get the sentiment across without anybody having to stand up.

What are good retirement party games?

A quiz about the year they started - number one single, price of a pint, what was on telly - plus then-and-now photos, a bucket list board and sealed predictions to post to them in a year.

How do you organise a leaving card for a remote team?

Send the physical card round the office a week ahead for anyone in, and collect messages from remote colleagues by email to write in or print and tuck inside. Never leave the card out on a desk on the day itself.

Do you sell team building kits or games?

No - we make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK. Every game here runs with what's already in the room, and the only products on this page are our own cards.