An organiser’s guide · By Wurder

Networking games for events: choose your format

The best networking game for your event depends on what you want people to do. Meet lots of new faces? Spend longer with a few? Find someone outside their usual team? Choose the format around that aim.

This guide compares seven formats, including Wurder. The recommendations are practical planning judgements, not measured rankings or promises of results.

Choose by the conversation you want

No phones, little preparation: try conversation prompts or networking bingo.
A dedicated slot for introductions: try speed networking.
Longer conversations in small groups: try a shared challenge or a simple tabletop game.
Meeting people while a reception continues: consider a people-focused hunt or Wurder.

Compare the formats

These are relative planning considerations. The work and group size you can support depend on the room, the people and the version you run.

Networking games by format, participation, organiser effort and best fit
Format	How it runs	Group arrangement	Organiser effort	Good fit
Networking bingo	Roaming conversations	People can play simultaneously	Prepare and distribute cards	A light opener with a clear reason to approach
Speed networking	Scheduled rounds	Pairs or small tables	Plan rotations and keep time	Introductions within a dedicated agenda slot
Conversation prompts	At tables or around the room	One pair or several small groups	Write prompts and make them visible	An optional opening without competition
A people-focused scavenger hunt	Roaming tasks	Individuals or small teams	Design tasks and check the venue	Exploring the event while meeting people
A shared challenge	A facilitated activity block	Small groups working in parallel	Prepare materials and facilitate	Time together around a common task
Tabletop and physical games	A designated games area	Small groups per station	Provide space, equipment and support	An informal social with a shared activity
Wurder’s conversation games	Alongside the event	People play across the room	Set up the game and support joining	Giving people a reason to approach another attendee

Networking bingo

Give everyone a card of things to discover about other attendees. They find people who match the squares and learn a little about them in the process. Use prompts connected to the event, rather than a page of arbitrary facts.

How to run it

Choose approachable prompts, such as ‘has worked in another industry’ or ‘is attending for the first time’. Keep personal disclosures optional.
Ask people to introduce themselves before filling in a square. Set a limit on how many squares one person can fill, so a single conversation cannot complete the card.
Leave a short window to play, then invite people to carry on a conversation they enjoyed. Completing the card should not be the only reason to stay.

The trade-off

Bingo is simple to explain and needs no phone. It can turn into collecting names if you reward speed alone. If your real goal is a useful conversation, ask attendees to learn something about the person, not just get a signature.

Speed networking

People meet in pairs or small groups, then move on when the round ends. It is a practical choice when you can reserve a networking slot and want to give everyone a clear opportunity to speak.

How to run it

Prepare the pairings or table movement before people arrive. Decide what happens when numbers are uneven, and explain how to rotate.
Give each round a useful question, such as ‘What are you working on, and where could another person help?’ As a starting point, try a few minutes per conversation and adjust after a rehearsal.
Leave time afterwards for people to reconnect. A rotation is an introduction, not a complete relationship.

The trade-off

You get a predictable structure, but you interrupt conversations on a timer. It needs audible instructions and a way to move comfortably. Use small tables or seated pairings where movement would be difficult. Choose another format if your event has no space for a scheduled activity.

Conversation prompts

Put a small selection of questions on tables, badges or cards. People choose one when they want a starting point. This is a useful low-effort option for a meal, reception or a group that would rather talk than compete.

How to run it

Choose questions people can answer without revealing private information. ‘What brought you here?’ and ‘What would make this event useful for you?’ give the conversation a direction.
Offer a choice of prompts and permission to skip. One relevant question is more useful than a long interrogation.
Make space for people to join existing conversations. Prompts on a table cannot help a newcomer if the group is physically closed off.

The trade-off

Prompts offer an opening but do not decide who meets whom. People can still talk only to their colleagues. If mixing across groups matters, combine prompts with a gentle invitation to meet someone new or introductions from the organiser.

A people-focused scavenger hunt

Set a short list of discoveries that require conversation: find someone with a different role, learn about a project, or get a recommendation from an exhibitor. The focus is people, rather than racing around the venue collecting objects.

How to run it

Write tasks that create a short exchange. For example, ‘Find someone in another industry and ask what they wish people understood about their work.’
Keep the route within areas people can comfortably access. Avoid turning exhibitor stands, doorways or registration desks into queues.
Let people complete tasks in any order. Finish with a chance to share a discovery or return to someone they met.

The trade-off

A hunt can spread participation around a venue, but competitive tasks may encourage rushing. Team play can also keep people within their original group. Design tasks that require a new conversation, and avoid photo requirements where a simple verbal answer is enough.

A shared challenge

Give mixed groups a small task to complete together. They might solve a puzzle, choose a response to a fictional event problem, or build something from simple materials. Conversation comes from working on the same problem.

How to run it

Mix the groups deliberately if you want people to meet outside their existing teams. Check that the task does not rely on specialist knowledge.
Give a clear finish point and enough time for everyone to contribute. Assign different roles if one confident person could otherwise take over.
Use a short debrief: what did you learn about someone else, and what would you like to continue talking about?

The trade-off

A shared task gives people more time together, but it takes a slot in the programme and needs facilitation. It is a better fit for a planned session than a drinks reception where attendees come and go.

Tabletop and physical games

A short card game, tabletop puzzle or simple physical game gives people something to do together. Choose an activity people can learn quickly and join without needing to know a whole rulebook.

How to run it

Pick short rounds so new people can join. Make the rules visible and have someone demonstrate the first round.
Plan enough space and equipment to avoid long waits. Offer a seated option and a conversation area away from noisy games.
Invite mixed groups to play, rather than assuming a games station will automatically bring strangers together.

The trade-off

An activity can take pressure off starting a conversation, but it can also keep a small group occupied in one corner. Competitive or skill-heavy games will not suit everyone. Use them where the social activity itself belongs in the programme.

Wurder’s conversation games

Wurder turns conversation into gameplay. There are two different formats. Discovery sends participants towards a target group with a mission. Classic gives each player a secret target and a secret Wurd to get them to say. Both confirm a successful Wurder by scanning the other person’s live QR.

How to run it

Choose the format for your audience. Discovery suits an organiser who wants to shape conversations between groups. Classic suits an informal social where covert gameplay is part of the fun.
For Discovery, request access before making plans. Set your Participant Groups and missions around the people attending. For Classic, use the web’s Start a game flow.
Share the joining QR, explain the game and try it on the venue’s internet connection. Let people take part during social moments, leaving talks and focused sessions uninterrupted.

The trade-off

Wurder gives people an individual reason to meet without gathering everyone for a fixed activity block. It needs phones, internet and a brief introduction. It does not guarantee that everyone will participate or form lasting connections. If you need a phone-free activity, choose bingo or prompts. If you need scheduled introductions within a short slot, speed networking may fit better.

Explore Wurder for networking events

What changes with a larger group?

For a room of around 20 people, you can often explain an activity once and answer questions yourself. For 50 or 100, plan for people arriving late, several conversations happening at once and someone needing help while you’re busy.

With hundreds of attendees, avoid formats that make everyone queue for one station or listen to each person introduce themselves. Let pairs or small groups participate simultaneously. Put joining instructions in more than one place and give helpers a clear role.

For a phone-based game, rehearse joining, connectivity and QR scanning at the venue. For a physical activity, check the number of stations and the space around them. These are planning examples, not capacity guarantees for a particular game.

Put the activity into the event plan

Before the event: Decide who you want to meet whom, choose the format and test the instructions with someone new to it. Tell attendees there will be an optional activity and what they need to bring.
At arrival: Give one short explanation and show the first step. Keep a helper near registration and avoid making the activity another queue.
During the event: Use the moments intended for socialising. At a conference, that might mean breaks, lunch or an evening reception. Leave talks uninterrupted. Make it easy to stop playing and continue a good conversation.
Afterwards: Ask whether people met someone new and which part helped. Participation counts can tell you how much an activity was used; attendee feedback helps you understand the experience. Neither alone proves a lasting social outcome.

Give people an opening, then let them talk

A useful networking activity makes the first approach easier and leaves room for a real conversation. Start with your audience and the time you have. A simple format done well can be more useful than an elaborate game that doesn’t fit the evening.

If missions alongside the event sound like the right fit, explore Wurder Discovery. If your social calls for a secret target and a little mischief, look at Classic.

See Wurder for your event How Classic works