Best Board Games for a Company Outing in Eindhoven

Picture this: your team walks into Joto's on a Tuesday evening, slightly unsure what to expect. An hour later, someone from accounting is giving their best one-word clue while the entire group argues over whether "moon" counts as cold or warm on a spectrum. By the time you leave, you know things about your colleagues that three years of Zoom calls never revealed.

That's what good board games do. And it turns out they're genuinely great for company outings.

Not in a forced "now let's do a trust fall" kind of way. More in a "we're all a little competitive and now we're laughing" kind of way. Whether you're welcoming new employees, looking for a way to get different departments talking, or just want to do something more memorable than drinks at a random bar in Eindhoven, board games are a surprisingly solid choice.

Here are some of our favourite picks from the Joto's library for exactly that.

For Getting to Know Each Other

Just One is one of the best icebreakers we have. The whole table works together to help one person guess a mystery word, and everyone writes a single clue at the same time. The catch: duplicate clues get cancelled out. So you're suddenly trying to think the way your colleagues think, which leads to a lot of "wait, why did you write THAT?" moments. It's cooperative, quick to learn, and tends to produce more conversation than the game itself.

Wavelength takes that idea further. One player gives a clue somewhere on a spectrum between two opposites, like "hot vs. cold" or "boring vs. exciting," and the team tries to guess where on the dial they placed it. The discussions that follow are what make it special. You'll learn very quickly that your CEO thinks jazz is closer to "noise" than "music," and that your newest intern has surprisingly strong opinions about soup.

Dixit: Odyssey is the quieter, more creative option. Players give abstract clues for beautifully illustrated cards and try to match the storyteller's image without being too obvious or too obscure. It reveals a lot about how people think and communicate without anyone feeling put on the spot. Works especially well for mixed groups where some people are more comfortable expressing themselves visually than verbally.

For Friendly Competition Between Teams

Codenames is an absolute classic for a reason. Split into two teams, each with a spymaster giving single-word clues to help their teammates identify the right cards on the grid, while avoiding the other team's words and the assassin. It's fast, tense, and endlessly replayable. It also tends to produce strong opinions about what constitutes a "valid" clue, which is where the real personality comes out.

Decrypto works along similar lines but adds a layer of interception. Your team has a secret code that only you can see, and you give clues to guide your teammates each round. The trick is that the opposing team is listening and learning your patterns over time. It rewards players who think laterally and punishes people who are too predictable. Great for groups who want a bit more strategic depth than a pure party game.

The Chameleon is perfect for slightly larger groups. Everyone shares a secret word except one person, the Chameleon, who has to bluff their way through a round of clues without revealing that they have no idea what the word is. Then everyone votes on who they think the Chameleon is. It's short, silly, and very good at exposing who in your team can keep a straight face under pressure.

For Pure Chaos and Laughs

Telestrations is Telephone meets Pictionary, and it reliably produces results that belong in a museum of miscommunication. You draw what someone wrote, the next person writes what they see in your drawing, and by the end of the chain the original word "birthday cake" has somehow become "alien explosion." No artistic skill required. In fact, it's funnier without it.

Captain Sonar is one for bigger groups who want something more immersive. Two teams operate submarines in real time, each with a different role: navigator, engineer, radio operator, captain. You're all talking at once, tracking the other team's movements, and trying to blow them up before they blow you up. It's organised chaos in the best way, and it genuinely requires everyone to communicate and trust each other to function.

TEAM3 is a physical one. One player describes a structure using only words. Another builds it with coloured blocks. The third? They can see the target image but cannot speak. Just gestures. It sounds impossible and it kind of is, which is exactly why it works so well as a teambuilding game. Available in two versions at Joto's: TEAM3 Green and TEAM3 Pink.

A Note on New Employees

If you're specifically bringing in a new team member or running an onboarding outing, we'd point you toward the cooperative games first. Just One, Wavelength, and The Crew: Mission Deep Sea all put everyone on the same side, which takes the pressure off the new person and gives them a chance to contribute and connect without having to "perform." No gaming experience needed for any of them. Our staff can explain the rules in a few minutes, and we're always happy to help you pick something that fits your group.

Come Plan Your Company Outing at Joto's

We're based in Strijp-S, Eindhoven, and we're open for groups of all sizes. Our day pass is just €4 per person, which gives you access to our full library of over 700 games.