What is Company Botticelli?
Company Botticelli splits the room into small teams and hands one player per team a stack of slips, each one a well-known company. That player has to get their team shouting the right name before the clock runs out, using nothing but description — no saying the company's name, no part of it, no rhyme, no describing the logo.
It works because the constraint is the whole game. Explaining what a company does without naming it, its products, or its slogan forces genuinely inventive language, and teammates end up piecing together half-formed clues as fast as they can shout guesses — a different kind of listening than most icebreakers ask for.
It's built for teams that already share a base of company knowledge — coworkers, an industry group, a room that would recognize the same handful of household names. A group with wildly different professional backgrounds will stall on an unfamiliar slip; build the list from companies everyone in the room actually knows, or skip to the classic Botticelli if you'd rather not curate a list at all.
The rules
- Split into teams of two to four; each team gets a turn as the guessing side.
- One player per team, the Clue Giver, draws a company name from the slips.
- The Clue Giver describes the company without saying its name, part of its name, a similar-sounding word, or its logo.
- Teammates call out guesses until the timer runs out or someone gets it.
- A correct guess scores a point, and the Clue Giver moves to the next slip.
- After every team has gone, rotate the Clue Giver role and start the next round.
Before you start
- Group size: 4–10 across teams of two to four. However the room divides evenly. Smaller teams keep everyone calling out guesses instead of watching one person carry the turn.
- Build the company list first. At least 10 well-known companies, familiar to everyone playing. Write each one on its own slip and drop them in a hat or bowl.
- Gather a timer, plus paper and pens if you're scoring. The timer keeps each turn moving — usually 1 minute. Paper and pens are only needed if you want a running scoreboard.
- Pick a moderator. One person explains the rules and keeps the game moving; they can double as scorekeeper if nobody else volunteers.
- Set the clue boundaries before the first turn. Say it out loud upfront: no using the company's name, part of it, a similar-sounding word, or a description of its logo.
How to run it
- Explain the rules 1–2 min
Lay out the goal in one breath: one player per team describes a company from the list without saying its name, part of its name, a similar-sounding word, or its logo, while their teammates shout guesses against the clock.
- Divide into teams 1–2 min
Split the room into teams of two to four. Each team gets a turn as the guessing side, with one of their own playing Clue Giver.
- Clue Giver describes, teammates guess 1 min
The Clue Giver draws a slip and describes the company by any means except its name, part of its name, a similar-sounding word, or its logo. Teammates call out guesses until the timer runs out or the slip's solved.
- Score and rotate 30 sec
A correct guess scores a point and the Clue Giver moves to the next slip. Once every team has had a turn, rotate the Clue Giver role and start the next round.
- Play to the end 25–50 min
Keep going until the slips run out or the round's out of time. Most points wins.
← company names are surprisingly hard to describe without cheating.
Why it works
Reflection questions
For teams that want the debrief — these turn the clue game into an actual conversation about how you work together.
- What did you learn about your colleagues through this activity?Points at skills and interests the org chart doesn't show — a fuller picture of who's actually in the room.
- How does this activity relate to the values or goals of our company?Ties the game back to why you're doing this at all — team building and communication aren't separate from the goals, they're part of hitting them.
- What strengths did you discover in yourself during this game?A confidence check — naming a strength out loud tends to stick better than having it named for you.
- How can the insights from this icebreaker improve collaboration or communication on our team?The bridge from game to workday — asks the room to name one habit worth carrying back to the desk.
- What challenges did you face during the game, and how did you work through them?Normalizes getting stuck — every team hits a slip nobody can describe, and how they recovered is worth naming.
- How did it feel to be in the spotlight during your turn, and how did you manage the pressure?Puts words to the pressure of the clock — useful for a team that also has to think fast in meetings.
- What was your favorite part of the activity, and why?The easy closer — gets the best moments retold once more before everyone moves on.
- How might you adapt or build on this icebreaker for future team activities?Turns a few players into facilitators — ask who'd want to build the next company list.