Top 5s gets a room of strangers talking — without the cringe of "tell us one fun fact about yourself." It's personal, playful, and genuinely free.
Why It Works
The classic icebreaker — everyone states their name, role, and one fun fact — is universally dreaded. People freeze up, recycle the same fact they've used for five years, and immediately forget every other person's answer.
Top 5s works differently. Instead of putting someone on the spot with a blank question, it gives them a specific topic to respond to. "What are your Top 5 favorite foods?" is much easier to answer than "Tell us something interesting about yourself." And the guessing mechanic means everyone is actively paying attention, not just waiting for their turn.
The result is real conversation. After the round, people ask follow-up questions. "Wait, you have anchovy pizza in your top five?" That's the kind of connection an icebreaker is supposed to create — and it happens organically here without a facilitator having to manufacture it.
Best Topics
"Top 5 favorite foods of all time" · "Top 5 movies you could watch on repeat" · "Top 5 things you can't start the day without"
"Top 5 things on your bucket list" · "Top 5 apps you actually use every day" · "Top 5 things you wish you had more time for"
"Top 5 places you want to travel before you die" · "Top 5 shows you've binged in one sitting" · "Top 5 childhood obsessions"
"Top 5 things you'd do with a million dollars" · "Top 5 superpowers you'd want" · "Top 5 things that instantly improve your mood"
How to Run It
Open topfives.io before the meeting, create a room, and set 2–3 rounds. Paste the room code in the meeting chat as people trickle in.
No account required — just the room code. Using real names makes the guessing personal and the results more memorable than a random username.
Start with something low-stakes like favorite foods or movies. Once people are warmed up, later rounds can get more personal or creative.
The reveal screen shows what the active player actually had on their list. Pause here — surprising answers always spark organic follow-up discussion before moving on.
FAQ
It's built around personal lists, so every round reveals something real about the active player. The guessing mechanic keeps everyone engaged rather than just waiting for their turn.
About 3–5 minutes per round. Two or three rounds makes a perfect 10–15 minute warmup before getting into the actual agenda.
Excellent for onboarding. New people get to share something about themselves through their list, and the guessing naturally generates real follow-up conversations.
Yes — drop the room link in the Zoom chat before the call starts. People join from their own browser while on the call and play alongside everything else.
Low-stakes personal topics work best: favorite foods, movies, things you'd take to a desert island. Avoid topics that feel like performance reviews or could make anyone uncomfortable.
Completely free. No account needed to join, no software to install. Just share the room code in your meeting chat and everyone's in.
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Check out our full team building guide with structured formats, best category packs for remote teams, and tips for facilitators running Top 5s with larger groups.
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