Need to shake up your remote team meetings? Discover these 30 virtual games to play with co-workers that will boost engagement and create lasting connections, from interactive quizzes to collaborative challenges.
Let’s explore how these games can transform your remote team dynamics and discover the best options for your workplace.
Table of Contents
Why Virtual Team Games Matter
Remote work, while offering flexibility and convenience, often leaves team members feeling disconnected. That’s why incorporating virtual games to play with co-workers has become a crucial strategy for modern businesses. These activities serve as digital bridges, connecting team members across different time zones and locations while fostering genuine connections.
3 Key Benefits of Virtual Team Games
When you implement virtual games to play with co-workers, you’re investing in more than just fun – you’re building the foundation for a stronger, more cohesive team. Here’s how these games make a difference:
Team Bonding and Connection
Remote work can be isolating, but regular virtual games to play with co-workers create opportunities for genuine human connection. These interactions help break down the digital barriers and allow teammates to see each other as real people, not just names on a screen.
Improved Communication and Collaboration
Through virtual games to play with co-workers, teams naturally develop better communication patterns. When people are relaxed and engaged in play, they’re more likely to share ideas openly and work together effectively.
Boosting Morale and Engagement
Regular virtual games to play with co-workers can significantly boost team morale. These activities provide something to look forward to and create shared experiences that team members can reference and bond over.
30+ Virtual Games to Play with Co-workers: Simple & Engaging
Icebreaker Games
Two Truths and a Lie
A timeless icebreaker where participants share three statements – two true and one false. Team members vote on which statement they think is the lie, leading to fascinating revelations and often humorous discussions. This game works particularly well for new teams as it helps uncover interesting facts about colleagues that wouldn’t typically come up in work conversations.
Virtual Scavenger Hunt
Transform homes into treasure troves with this digital twist on a classic game. Create a list of items for participants to find within a time limit – from “something that makes you nostalgic” to “your favorite coffee mug.” Players must quickly locate items and share stories about why they chose each one, creating natural conversation starters.
Online Bingo Create
Custom bingo cards with work-related achievements or fun personal facts. Fill squares with prompts like “Has traveled to more than 5 countries” or “Makes the best chocolate chip cookies.” As participants mark off squares, they share brief stories about each accomplishment, fostering team connections.
Guess the Emoji
Players create short stories or describe work situations using only emojis, while others try to decode the message. This game highlights how different people interpret the same symbols and often leads to hilarious misunderstandings and great conversations about communication styles.
Would You Rather
Present teams with thought-provoking or funny dilemmas, like “Would you rather have unlimited vacation days but can only travel to one country, or have standard vacation days but can travel anywhere?” These questions spark interesting debates and reveal team members’ decision-making processes.
Share a Funny Story
Each team member shares a short, humorous anecdote from their work or personal life. Stories could range from embarrassing first-day-at-work moments to funny client interactions. This activity helps humanize remote team members and creates shared memories.
Virtual Background Challenge
Participants compete to create the most creative, themed, or hilarious virtual background. Themes could include “Your dream vacation spot” or “If you had a different career.” This game showcases personality and creativity while providing visual entertainment.
Desert Island Picks
Team members share and explain the three items they’d bring to a desert island. The choices often reveal interesting aspects of personality and problem-solving approaches, leading to engaging discussions about priorities and survival strategies.
Online Team Time
Capsule Teams collaboratively create a digital time capsule, with each member contributing something representing the current moment – could be a screenshot, a news headline, or a personal photo. This activity builds a shared history and can be revisited later for nostalgia.
“Never Have I Ever” (Virtual Edition)
A workplace-appropriate version of the classic game where participants hold up fingers and lower one for each experience they’ve had. Prompts might include “Never have I ever fallen asleep during a video call” or “Never have I ever sent an email to the wrong person.”
Team Building Games
Online Escape Room
Teams collaborate to solve digital puzzles and riddles within a time limit. Using platforms like AhaSlides, participants must communicate effectively and share different perspectives to “escape.” This game builds problem-solving skills and demonstrates the importance of combining different thinking styles.
Virtual Murder Mystery
Transform your team into digital detectives investigating a fictional crime. Players interview suspects (can be pre-recorded or written scenarios), analyze clues, and work together to solve the mystery. This game exercises critical thinking and teaches the importance of paying attention to details.
Team Trivia
Create custom trivia games using interactive platforms. Categories can include company history, industry knowledge, and fun facts about team members. Teams compete in breakout rooms, fostering healthy competition and knowledge sharing.
Pictionary
Using online whiteboard tools, players take turns drawing while others guess. The digital format adds an extra challenge and often results in hilarious interpretations. This game helps develop visual communication skills and creativity.
Code Names
Teams compete to identify their agents using one-word clues. The digital version maintains the excitement of the original while teaching careful word choice and interpretation. Perfect for developing strategic thinking and communication precision.
Online Team Building Bingo
Create bingo cards with professional achievements and team goals. Squares might include “Helped a colleague meet a deadline” or “Learned a new skill.” This game encourages collaboration and recognition of team accomplishments.
Virtual Scavenger Hunt (Team Edition)
Teams compete to complete tasks or find items that require collaboration. Tasks might include “Create a team photo collage” or “Write and perform a team jingle.” This version emphasizes teamwork and creative problem-solving.
Build a Story
Teams collaboratively create a story, with each member adding a sentence. The challenge is to maintain coherence while incorporating everyone’s ideas. This exercise develops listening skills and creativity.
Online Puzzle Challenge
Teams work together to solve digital jigsaw puzzles or logic problems. This activity demonstrates how different perspectives can contribute to solving complex problems.
Virtual Charades (Team Edition)
Teams compete in acting out words or phrases while others guess. The digital format requires extra creativity in how actions are portrayed through video. This game builds non-verbal communication skills and adaptability.
Quick & Easy Games
Online Charades
A fast-paced version of the classic game, adapted for video calls. Players act out words while staying in frame, adding an extra challenge and often resulting in creative solutions.
Quick Trivia Short
The themed trivia rounds that can be completed in 5-10 minutes. Perfect for meeting warm-ups or quick breaks during long workdays.
This or That
Present quick-fire choices between two options, like “Email or chat?” or “Morning meetings or afternoon meetings?” Participants can use reaction buttons to vote, making it fast and engaging.
Storytelling Prompts
Provide a creative prompt and give each person 30 seconds to contribute to the story. This quick exercise builds listening skills and creativity.
Virtual Rock-Paper-Scissors Tournament
A tournament-style version of the classic game, perfect for quick energy boosts. Create a bracket and let teams compete in rapid-fire rounds.
Guess the Song
Play short clips of songs and have participants guess the title or artist. Can be themed around decades, genres, or movie soundtracks.
Two Truths and a Lie (Quickfire Round)
A condensed version where participants have just 30 seconds to share their statements, making it more challenging and exciting.
Virtual “Heads Up!”
An online adaptation of the popular game where players describe words to others without saying the word itself. Perfect for quick vocabulary building and communication practice.
Quick Draw
Give everyone 60 seconds to draw the same prompt, then share screens simultaneously. The time pressure and varied interpretations make this activity both fun and fast.
Word Chain
A rapid-fire word association game where each person must quickly say a word beginning with the last letter of the previous word. Builds vocabulary and quick thinking skills.
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How to Pick the Right Game
Selecting appropriate virtual games to play with co-workers requires careful consideration of several factors:
Team Size and Dynamics
Consider your team’s size and familiarity with each other when choosing games. Smaller teams might benefit from more intimate games like Two Truths and a Lie, while larger groups might need more structured activities like team trivia or virtual escape rooms.
Time Commitment
Be mindful of everyone’s schedules when planning virtual games to play with co-workers. Quick games can be perfect for busy teams, while more complex activities might be better suited for dedicated team-building sessions.
5 Tips for Successful Implementation
To make the most of virtual games to play with co-workers, consider these best practices:
- Always test the technology beforehand
- Provide clear instructions and rules
- Assign a dedicated facilitator
- Create a safe and inclusive environment
- Follow up with brief discussions about the experience
Conclusion
Virtual games to play with co-workers are more than just fun activities – they’re essential tools for building and maintaining strong remote teams. By carefully selecting and implementing these games, you can create a more connected, engaged, and productive workplace culture.
Remember, the key to success with these games is consistency and participation. Start small, gather feedback, and adjust your approach based on your team’s preferences. With time, these virtual games will become an integral part of your company culture, fostering stronger connections and better collaboration among team members.
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