Halloween at work doesn’t have to be just about candy bowls and pumpkin décor. A Halloween scavenger hunt can bring the whole team together, spark creativity, and make the office feel festive.
It’s a fun, low-pressure way for everyone to participate, whether they’re competitive or just in it for the laughs. In this guide, I’m sharing creative scavenger hunt ideas that actually work in a professional setting.
I’ve tried to keep them doable, office-appropriate, and easy to set up without requiring a big budget or endless prep time. These ideas work for in-person teams, hybrid setups, and even remote workers.
1. Spooky Desk Item Hunt
This is one of the easiest hunts to set up. You create a list of Halloween-themed items that people might already have at their desks or can easily decorate. Examples include a black pen, a pumpkin sticker, or something orange.
You can give out the list in the morning and let people complete it throughout the day. The first person or team to gather every item wins a prize. This keeps the game running quietly in the background while people still get their work done.
2. Haunted Office Clues
Hide printed clues around the office that lead to the next location. Each clue should have a small Halloween riddle or pun to keep the theme alive. The final clue can lead to a “treasure” like a candy-filled cauldron.
To make it even more engaging, add props like mini skeletons or cobwebs near each clue location. It creates a more immersive atmosphere and keeps people excited to find the next hint.
3. Trick-or-Treat Station Search
Set up mini trick-or-treat stations around the office. Each one can be hidden behind a plant, inside a drawer, or on top of a filing cabinet. Participants must find as many stations as possible within a set time.
You can mix in “tricks” like fake spiders or silly dares to keep everyone guessing. The thrill of not knowing whether they’re getting candy or a goofy task makes it more entertaining.
4. Pumpkin Emoji Hunt (Digital Friendly)
If you have a hybrid or remote team, send a list of digital locations where you’ve hidden a small pumpkin emoji. This could be in shared documents, internal chat channels, or even email signatures.
The first to spot all the pumpkin emojis wins. It’s a lighthearted way to involve everyone without requiring them to be in the same physical space.
5. Monster Match Challenge
Print or email a sheet with close-up photos of Halloween characters like witches, mummies, or famous horror movie villains. The challenge is for teams to match each photo to its correct name.
You can even include staff members who have dressed up, cropping the image so only part of their costume shows. This personal twist makes it more hilarious and engaging.
6. Creepy Clue Crossword
Create a Halloween-themed crossword puzzle using clues related to the office, popular Halloween movies, and seasonal treats. The answers to the crossword reveal the location of the prize.
You can place the crossword sheets at everyone’s desk in the morning and let them solve it in teams. This is a great low-movement option for offices where walking around a lot isn’t practical.
7. Haunted History Hunt
Hide facts about Halloween’s history around the office, each on a small printed card. Participants must find all the cards and arrange them in chronological order.
This idea works especially well if your team enjoys learning fun trivia while playing games. You can also add a twist by including one fake fact and awarding a bonus point for spotting it.
8. Candy Corn Count
Place a jar filled with candy corn in the breakroom. The twist is that you hide mini clues around the office that hint at the correct number. This makes it more of a scavenger hunt than a guessing game.
For example, a clue might read, “Look where the printer sleeps,” leading to another hint with part of the number. It adds a playful detective element to a simple guessing contest.
9. Costume Piece Hunt
Ask participants to find small costume pieces hidden around the office. This could be vampire fangs, witch hats, or cat ears. Each person collects pieces until they can complete a silly Halloween look.
When the hunt ends, have everyone wear what they found. This creates great photo opportunities and adds a playful, shared memory to the day.
10. Haunted QR Code Trail
Place QR codes around the office that link to Halloween-themed challenges or riddles. Each completed challenge unlocks the location of the next code.
You can include mini games like guessing a creepy sound or identifying a famous horror movie scene. This blends tech with fun and is perfect for a modern workplace.
11. Themed Word Hunt
Hide Halloween-related words printed on cards in different areas. Words like “ghost,” “bat,” or “pumpkin” can be scattered in desk drawers, under keyboards, or near coffee mugs.
Players collect as many words as possible. Bonus points can be awarded for creating a spooky sentence with the words they found.
12. Mystery Sound Challenge
Hide small Bluetooth speakers or sound devices in various spots. Play short Halloween sounds like creaking doors, evil laughs, or cat screeches. Participants must track down the source.
It’s a great way to add some atmosphere and works well in large offices where sound can travel unexpectedly.
13. Office Pumpkin Patch
Hide mini plastic pumpkins around the office. Some pumpkins have candy inside, while others contain small slips with “bonus points” or silly challenges.
This works best when you hide them in creative spots like the copier tray or inside a desk organizer. The surprise factor keeps the energy high.
14. Haunted Book Clues
Use any books or magazines in the office to hide clues between pages. Each clue sends the player to another book until they reach the final prize.
You can add riddles related to the book titles for an extra layer of fun. It’s a quiet, thoughtful hunt that still feels exciting.
15. The Ghostly Photo Hunt
Give teams a list of things to photograph around the office, such as “someone pretending to be a zombie” or “a shadow shaped like a bat.”
The photos can be reviewed at the end, and the funniest or most creative shots win. This is a perfect way to include everyone without too much running around.
16. Trick Card Search
Hide playing cards with Halloween stickers on them throughout the office. Each card has a point value, and some are “trick” cards that subtract points.
Players must decide whether to take the risk of collecting more cards or stop early. It adds a strategic twist to the hunt.
17. Haunted Lunchbox Swap
Participants look for hidden lunchbox notes that tell them to swap snacks with another teammate. Each note leads to a different snack exchange.
This idea works especially well for offices with a friendly, close-knit culture where people enjoy sharing food.
18. Glow Stick Hunt
Turn off the lights in a designated area and hide glow sticks. Participants have to collect as many as possible within a time limit.
For a Halloween twist, attach tiny plastic spiders or bats to the glow sticks so they feel more thematic.
19. Cobweb Corner Hunt
Stretch fake cobwebs across different office areas and hide small items inside them. Participants must gently pull out the items without tearing the web.
This works best when you place cobwebs in unexpected spots like under tables, between chairs, or across a doorway. It adds a tactile challenge and a lot of laughs.
20. Potion Ingredient Search
Hide jars or small containers labeled as “potion ingredients” such as bat wings, frog eyes, or dragon scales. These can be candies, beads, or other small items.
Players collect all ingredients to “complete” their potion and win a prize. You can even have a decorative cauldron for them to drop their finds into.
21. Skeleton Bone Assembly
Scatter plastic skeleton parts around the office. Teams must find all the pieces and assemble a full skeleton before time runs out.
This is great for teamwork and can get competitive, especially if multiple teams are racing to finish first.
22. Haunted Hallway Relay
Set up clue stations down a hallway. Each team must complete a mini challenge at one station before moving to the next.
Challenges can include balancing a pumpkin on a spoon or answering Halloween trivia. The first to complete the full route wins.
23. Cauldron Key Hunt
Hide small keys around the office that unlock a prize-filled cauldron. Not every key will work, so the more they find, the better their chances.
This adds an element of suspense and luck, making the win even sweeter.
24. Monster Footprint Trail
Cut out large monster footprints and place them around the office. Some lead to real prizes, while others lead to “trick” zones with goofy challenges.
The randomness keeps people moving and laughing as they follow the trail.
25. Horror Movie Quote Match
Print famous Halloween or horror movie quotes and hide them around the office. Players must find them and match each to its correct movie title.
For extra fun, have some staff members dramatically act out the quotes during the hunt.
26. Witch’s Hat Ring Toss Hunt
Hide small rings or glow necklaces around the office. The goal is to collect them and toss them onto a witch’s hat for points.
It blends scavenger hunting with a carnival-style mini game, which works great for group energy.
27. Haunted Locker Clues
If your workplace has lockers or storage cabinets, hide clues inside them. To open each one, participants must solve a riddle or complete a mini task.
It adds a puzzle-solving element while making use of everyday office spaces.
28. Black Cat Photo Bonus
Add a hidden challenge where spotting or photographing a black cat decoration earns double points. The catch is that the decoration moves during the hunt.
This keeps players alert and adds an extra layer of excitement to the game.
29. Spooky Snack Hunt
Hide individually wrapped Halloween snacks around the office. These can be candy bars, mini popcorn bags, or themed cookies.
You can leave clues about where the snacks are hidden, or simply let participants roam freely. The combination of food and fun makes this idea a hit every time.
30. Zombie Escape Challenge
Set up a scavenger hunt where participants must collect items that “protect” them from zombies, like garlic, flashlights, or wooden stakes.
Once they have all the items, they can “escape” to a safe zone for the final prize. This one works well for a storyline-based game.
31. Witch’s Brew Recipe Hunt
Hide different “recipe steps” around the office. Each clue reveals an ingredient and an action, like “Add one pinch of ghost dust while stirring counterclockwise.”
Once a team collects all steps, they can read their full recipe aloud for laughs before claiming their prize.
32. Haunted Photo Frame Search
Place Halloween photo frames around the office. Participants must find them, take a photo, and bring it back to the judge.
This adds a fun social media angle if your workplace enjoys sharing event photos online.
33. Potion Bottle Code Hunt
Hide small potion bottles with numbers or symbols. Participants must collect them all to crack a final code that opens a locked prize box.
It’s part scavenger hunt, part escape room, and great for puzzle lovers.
34. Office Haunted House Path
Decorate a section of the office like a mini haunted house. Inside, hide clues or tokens for participants to collect while making their way through.
The spooky setting makes the hunt more immersive and memorable.
35. Bat Mobile Hunt
Cut out paper bats and stick them to various moving objects in the office, like chairs or carts. Participants have to spot them before they move again.
The unpredictability keeps the energy up and gets people moving fast.
36. Themed Desk Riddle Search
Leave Halloween-themed riddles on different desks. Solving each riddle points players to the location of the next clue.
This is a good way to incorporate everyone’s workstations without creating clutter.
37. Creepy Color Hunt
Assign each participant a Halloween color, like orange, black, purple, or green. They must find items in the office matching that color.
The person who finds the most in their color wins, making it a visual and quick-paced challenge.
38. Haunted Elevator Clues
If your building has an elevator, place clues on different floors. Players must visit each one to collect their full set of hints.
It encourages movement and gives people a reason to explore parts of the building they might rarely see.
39. Glow-in-the-Dark Token Hunt
Hide glow-in-the-dark tokens or coins around the office. Turn off the lights in certain rooms for a more dramatic effect.
The glowing items make the hunt visually exciting and a little eerie.
40. Team Relay Scavenger Hunt
Break participants into teams and assign each team a different list of Halloween items to find. The first team to complete their list wins.
This format works well for large groups and promotes teamwork while keeping things competitive.
Conclusion
A Halloween scavenger hunt at work is more than just a seasonal activity—it’s a way to boost morale, encourage collaboration, and add a burst of creativity to the office.
The key is keeping it inclusive, flexible, and suited to your workplace culture. Whether your team prefers brain-teasing riddles, fast-paced chases, or food-focused games, there’s an idea here to make everyone smile.
FAQs
Most office hunts work best when they last between 30 minutes and one hour. This keeps energy high without pulling too much time away from work tasks.
Yes, several ideas like the pumpkin emoji hunt or themed word hunt can be adapted for online platforms, making them perfect for remote or hybrid workplaces.
Gift cards, snacks, small desk gadgets, or extra break time are always popular. Choose prizes that are fun but also practical for a work setting.
Avoid overly physical challenges and make sure there’s a mix of mental and visual clues. Keep all content lighthearted and workplace-appropriate.
Absolutely. In fact, combining ideas often makes the hunt more engaging. Just make sure the rules are clear so participants don’t get confused.