QR Code Icebreaker Games

QR Code Passport Games are a facilitation tool used to incentivize people to visit specific locations, booths, or people. They are also sometimes used as an activity to help people practice using QR code technology.

Why QR Codes? The QR code aspect comes in because previously, people would have to use paper handouts and physically get a stamp.

For a large group of 100, 500, or 1,000 people, that is simply not possible logistically speaking (it is possible, but very difficult to manage).

Do you want people to explore a particular space?

Help students get familiar with campus or a new city?

Or make onboarding fun for new employees? Whatever the use case, if you’ve got 50 or more people, then handing out paper sheets and having people check things off with pens or pencils is not the best option for a large group.

A QR Code Scavenger Hunt allows people to participate using their phones by scanning QR codes. There are plenty of scavenger hunt apps, and they help people explore a physical space.

These QR Code Scavenger Hunts are in no particular order:

• Goosechase (The OG)
• Let's Roam (Individual Exploring)
• Scavify
• Deckle App (For Universities)
• ReadySet
• EventZee
• SocialPoint (For Tradeshows)

There are different variations of the matchmaking game. You have speed dating or networking, where each person is paired with one person and they get to talk with that person for a set time (1 minute).

The QR Code Matchmaking game makes it possible to matchmake with a large group. There are a handful of platforms that do this.

These QR Code Matchmaking Games are in no particular order:

• Matchbox (surveys)
• Jam Bingo (IRL networking)

Music Bingo is a game where the facilitator or DJ plays 10 seconds of a random song, and everyone playing has to check off which song they think it is. At the end, the person who identified the most songs correctly wins!

The QR Code Music Bingo is a tech solution to the issue of using paper handouts and pens, and in most settings this game is played in public spaces (bar, restaurant), where spills and stains can be a challenge for paper.

These QR Code Music Bingo games are in no particular order:

• Rockstar Bingo (The OG)
• Lime DJ
• Jindo

QR Code Networking Bingo makes networking less awkward and incentivize people to interact with others they wouldn’t normally meet.

Will you have 100 or more people?

The attendees don’t all know each other, and they are coming from different departments, locations, schools, organizations, or groups.

You're looking for a simple way to incentivize people to interact with each other and get out of their bubble.

The QR Code Networking Bingo is especially useful when you’re looking for simple ice breakers for large groups to get your attendees, colleagues, or partners mixing and talking with each other at your event.

Quizzes and polls are the OG (OG means original) in the QR code space.

The reason being is that polling and public quizzes can be extremely tedious...

Back in the day, you would have someone manually collect each participant’s votes, tally up the results by counting each one, and then write it out on the board or display it.

Assuming that there were no errors and every result was counted correctly, then you’d have a result.

These QR Code Quizzes & Polls are in no particular order:

• Slido (Companies)
• Mentimeter (Universities)
• Kahoot (K-12 Classrooms)

If you're focused on helping adult learners practice scanning and using QR codes (to get comfortable with the technology), here's an easy activity to help. It helps people practice scanning QR codes and also encourages guests to get to know each other.

This is how the Jam Bingo Icebreaker (QR Code Networking Bingo) works.

• The Display. You display the Jam Bingo game QR Code.
• The Scan. Guests use their own phones to scan the game code.
• The Prompts. With Jam Bingo, each guest will receive conversation prompts & challenges on their device.
• The Mingle. Attendees mingle and scan each other’s QR codes to unlock the next prompt.

When you create space for attendees to play and engage with one another, you give them permission to play and practice networking. It also empowers the more introverted people in the room to step out of their shell and genuinely connect.

QR Code games are the best alternative to using paper:

We write extensively about the benefits of QR Code Networking Bingo, and traditional "Human Bingo" requires designing, printing, and distributing hundreds of paper sheets, not to mention providing pens that inevitably go missing. With a digital QR code approach, you eliminate:

Unlike paper bingo where a signature is often forgotten, digital bingo acts as a smart networking tool. When guests scan each other's QR codes to "mark a square," the system can save those connections. This ensures your attendees leave with a digital list of new contacts rather than a pocket full of lost business cards.

Large mixers can be daunting for introverted attendees. Digital Networking Bingo provides a gamified networking "mission." Instead of having to think of an icebreaker, the phone gives them a specific prompt (e.g., "Find someone who speaks three languages"). This shifts the focus from "socializing" to "playing," making it much easier for everyone to join in.

One of the biggest pain points for organizers is measuring if guests actually networked. A digital platform provides the opportunity to validate who the winners are, and how many new connections they made.

Icebreaker activity for company networking session

Icebreaker activity for 100+ people

Help adult learners practice QR Code

Help students practice networking skills

Oftentimes, these QR Code icebreaker activities take classic icebreaker games and ideas, utilizing technology to make setting up and playing the game easier to manage and play.