Whether they are housemates, coursemates, or the faces you see every day on the bus, those strangers are just friends you haven’t met yet. If those initial conversations feel a little challenging, here are some low-pressure ideas to help break the ice.
If you’re living in our halls of residence, you may havefound a pack of conversation cards in your student kitchen. It’s time to grab them, round up whoever is nearby, and dive in.
If you’re not living on campus, no problem at all – you don’t need our pack of cards to play. Whether you’re waiting for a lecture to start, or chilling at the Students’ Union, you can use the virtual “conversations starter” generator below, and try these low-pressure games to get to know the people around you.
Quick ways to play with the conversation prompts!
No complex rules here. These are designed to get the conversation moving in less than 60 seconds.
Pick a Card
The simplest way to play.
Take turns drawing a card and reading the question out loud. Anyone who wants to answer can jump in, and it’s always okay to pass and move on to the next card.
Vote First
Perfect for the “would you rather…” style questions.
Read the card, then everyone votes before sharing their answer. For example:
- Fly for a day or be invisible for a day?
- Never clean a bathroom or never wash up?
Once everyone’s chosen, go around and explain your reasoning. You might be surprised by what people pick!
Guess My Answer
Before someone answers, everyone else has to guess what they’re going to say.
For example, if the question is “What’s your favourite breakfast?”, let the group make their predictions first, then reveal the real answer. It’s a fun way to find out how well you know each other already.
That’s it — pick a game, grab a card, and see where the conversation goes!
Want something more competitive?
If you’ve got a pack of cards handy, you can also try some classic card games.
Chase the Ace
Players: 3+
How to play:
- Everyone starts with one card.
- On your turn, decide whether to keep your card or swap it with the player next to you.
- The aim is to finish the round with the highest-value card.
- Reveal cards at the end and see who wins.
A quick, easy game that’s perfect when you’re chatting at the same time.
Rummy (adapted)
Players: 2–6
How to play:
- Deal out cards evenly.
- Take turns drawing and discarding.
- Try to collect matching sets (e.g. three cards of the same number) or runs (e.g. consecutive numbers in the same suit).
- The first person to play all their cards wins.
Snap
Players: 2+
How to play:
- Deal the cards out.
- Take turns placing cards face-up into a central pile.
- If two matching cards appear one after another, shout “Snap!”
- The first player to spot the match wins the pile.
Fast, noisy and good for larger groups.