Random team generator

How to split a group into teams

1. Paste the names, one per line.
2. Choose the number of teams, or the people per team.
3. Press generate. Reshuffle until it feels right.
4. Copy the teams into your chat, or write them on a board.

Uses for random teams

• Game night: trivia, charades, relay races, escape rooms.
• Classroom: project groups, debate teams, lab partners.
• Work: workshop breakout groups, hackathon teams, volunteer shifts.
• Sports: pickup games when no one wants to pick captains.
• Chores and holiday prep: cleanup crew, cooking crew, decorating crew.
• Gift exchange party: split guests into tables for a game before the swap, such as white elephant.

What happens when the numbers do not divide evenly

Say you have 11 people and want 3 teams. The tool makes teams of 4, 4 and 3. A team of 3 against two of 4 is normal in casual games. If it matters, add a "wild card" player who rotates, or have the smaller team take a small handicap such as an extra minute.

If you want teams of exactly 4 from 11 people, choose by team size: you get two full teams and a team of 3.

Making teams fair when skill varies

Pure random is fair in chance, not always in skill. For a game where skill matters, split the group into a strong half and a weaker half, shuffle each, and deal one from each half to each team. For an office or class, keep the mix random but avoid putting people together who always work together.

For quick games and chores, pure random is the right answer. Nobody feels picked last.

Need only one winner instead of teams? Use the random name picker.

Teams for a holiday gift exchange game

Team games work well at a swap party. Try gift trivia, a wrapping race, or a relay where teams unwrap clues. Our Christmas party games for adults page has more ideas, and the Secret Santa draw can still run beforehand with Hollyhush.