Engage, Connect, and Thrive: 8 Virtual Games for Team Building

Imagine transforming your typical workday into an oasis of connection and laughter, all from the comfort of your desk. In the digital age, where remote work can feel isolating, staying connected has never been more important.

Luckily for your team, that's where virtual team-building games' joy (and fun) come in – a realm where engagement, connection, and thriving workplace relationships bloom.

Whether it's through the thrill of solving puzzles in an online escape room, laughter sparked by a game of virtual charades, or the friendly competition created in a round of trivia, games offer a tried and true method to form stronger bonds with our colleagues, boost collaboration, and infuse a sense of fun into the professional world.

But it's not just about fun and games. These virtual activities are a testament to the creativity and resilience of teams navigating the remote work landscape. They highlight the importance of taking a break, indulging in play, and appreciating each other's company, even if it's through a screen.

We've curated a list of 8 virtual games that promise to transform your team meetings into sessions of joy and connection.

🧠 Online trivia

Playing online trivia with coworkers encourages learning and a little friendly competition. To get started, choose a platform where you can create your trivia game.

If you want to skip the hard part, choose a pre-made game with a live host from platforms such as Confetti.

If you're creating your own game, come up with a set of questions that cater to your team's interests and industry or offer a range of fun general knowledge.

Encourage communication and collaboration by allowing team members to discuss answers during the rounds.

To keep the engagement high, award points for correct answers and keep a visible scoreboard going throughout the game so everyone can keep tabs on the competition.

After the final question, announce the winners, celebrate everyone's participation, and acknowledge the shared knowledge and teamwork that made the game so fun to play!

🚪 Virtual escape room

Virtual escape rooms are an immersive and collaborative online team-building game that promotes teamwork and problem-solving.

To get started, select an online escape room platform or design your game using digital tools and puzzles.

Gather everyone in a video conferencing platform to communicate and collaborate throughout the game. Set the scene and storyline, presenting the objective or mission for the team to complete within a specified time frame, usually an hour.

To escape, participants must work together, solve puzzles, decipher clues, and navigate complex challenges.

Encourage teams to use critical thinking skills and divvy up tasks so each team member has a chance to shine.

The game progresses as participants uncover clues, requiring collaboration and brainstorming to advance.

Once the team completes the final challenge or solves the mystery, reconvene to discuss the experience, share highlights, and reflect on the teamwork and problem-solving skills exhibited during the event.

🎱 Bingo

Online team building Bingo is a fun and laid-back way to enjoy a game with your virtual team. To start:

Create bingo cards using online bingo card generators or design them manually, ensuring each card is unique.
Distribute the cards to participants before the game begins.
Nominate a bingo caller or use a virtual bingo caller tool that generates random numbers or phrases.
Gather everyone in a video conferencing platform and share your screen displaying the bingo caller and the numbers being drawn.

Participants will mark off the spots on their cards as they are called out.

Make it a lively event by allowing teammates to unmute and cheer when they get Bingo.

This engaging game fosters camaraderie among coworkers and creates a relaxed and enjoyable environment for team members to connect while remotely participating in a classic game of Bingo.

🎭 Charades

Virtual charades are an easy way to get your employees laughing as a team. To play, gather your team in a video conferencing platform that allows screen sharing.

First, designate a moderator to generate the charades' words or phrases without revealing them to the other players. Participants can use online charades word generators or create a list beforehand.

Once the host selects a word or phrase, have them privately message it to the player whose turn is to act.

Without speaking, the actor must mime or use gestures to convey the word or phrase to the rest of the team within a time limit, typically one minute. The teammates observe and try to guess the word or phrase based on the actor's actions.

To keep it fair, ensure all participants get a chance to go, and use a timer to keep the game on schedule.

At the end of the game, tally the points and celebrate the collective effort of all the teams!

🔪 Online murder mystery

Hosting an online murder mystery game with coworkers can be an exhilarating and interactive experience. Start by choosing a pre-made murder mystery game or creating your storyline with characters and clues. If you have an extroverted team, assign roles to each participant and provide character backgrounds, objectives, and information via email or a shared document before the event. Groups that are a little more reserved can enjoy a hosted Murder Mystery party with professional actors instead.

The game begins with an introduction to the storyline or scenario, setting the stage for the mystery. Participants interact, investigate, and interrogate each other, sharing clues or information they've gathered. Participants must work collaboratively to solve the mystery by sharing findings and theories. After the game has been played and everyone has made their accusations, reveal the truth. Give participants a chance to discuss their journey and how the clues aligned, fostering a sense of teamwork and accomplishment among colleagues through reflection.

🔍 Virtual scavenger hunt

Organizing a virtual scavenger hunt for coworkers is a collaborative game that promotes teamwork and creativity.

Create a list of items or tasks that team members must find or complete within a specified time frame and share the list with each team before the hunt begins. Participants can use video conferencing software to stay connected throughout the game.

When the hunt begins, have teams embark on their scavenger hunt, searching their homes or online for items to complete tasks on the list. Each item found or task completed earns the team points.

Encourage creativity and teamwork by allowing participants to strategize and collaborate virtually. Teams can share their progress, discoveries, or completed tasks through video, photos, or verbally confirm their findings within the video call.

At the end of the designated time, reconvene and tally the points earned by each team!

🤐 Never have I ever

There's a reason 'Never have I ever' is such a beloved party game!

Don't worry - you can easily make this game HR-friendly.

Designate one person to start the game by saying, "Never have I ever [followed by an action or experience related to work]." Participants who have shared that experience will reveal this by holding up a finger or using a digital polling feature.

This game allows for engaging conversations, laughter, and sharing unique experiences among team members.

Encourage an open and non-judgmental environment, reminding participants that the goal is to have fun, bond, and celebrate shared experiences while learning more about each other.

Team members can initiate new statements as the game progresses.

🎶 Name that tune

Sharing music with your team is a wonderful way for colleagues to learn more about their shared interests and different backgrounds.

Name that tune is an easy, free online team-building activity. All you need is your music library and some work-appropriate tunes.

To begin, select a virtual meeting platform that allows screen sharing or audio sharing capabilities, ensuring all participants can hear the music. Designate a moderator or DJ who will play short snippets of songs from various genres or eras.

Participants can use a chat function to buzz in or verbally guess the song title and artist. Set clear rules, such as a time limit for each song snippet or specific scoring criteria.

Consider creating teams or playing individually, depending on the number of participants.

Encourage friendly competition and interaction by allowing discussion among teammates before finalizing their guesses.

🕹️ Why should you play games as a team?

Playing online games as a team offers numerous benefits that contribute positively to workplace dynamics and team cohesion:

Enhanced communication: Games encourage open communication among remote teams, fostering collaboration and the exchange of ideas in a relaxed setting. This improved communication often translates to better teamwork in work settings.
Strengthened relationships: Remote team-building activities allow employees to interact on a personal level, building trust that is harder to build outside the physical office.
Improved problem-solving skills: Many online team games require strategic thinking and problem-solving. Collaborating to solve challenges or puzzles in games helps develop critical thinking skills. It enhances the team's ability to tackle complex problems together in the workplace.
Boosted morale and engagement: Participating in games can inject fun and energy into the workday, boosting morale and motivation. Breaking up the monotony of daily tasks gives employees a refreshing break, leading to increased engagement and job satisfaction.
Encourages healthy competition: Healthy competition within games can motivate individuals to perform better and strive for improvement. Promoting a positive competitive spirit encourages teammates to support each other while aiming for collective success.
Facilitates learning and development: Certain games or activities can be designed to build specific soft skills or experience towards the team's L&D strategy, such as public speaking or teamwork. Through games, individuals can learn and practice new skills in a fun and engaging way.

So, playing games as a team is not just about having fun; it's a strategic way to promote teamwork, communication, and problem-solving, leading to a more cohesive and productive hybrid work environment.

By playing virtual games together, teams can nurture a sense of togetherness and belonging. These team-building games improve team morale and enhance communication, teamwork, and overall job satisfaction.

Create a workplace where colleagues can bond, laugh, and collaborate beyond work-related discussions.

Get playing, and watch your company culture skyrocket!

Author bio

Kaylyn Carter is a marketing assistant and content writer at Confetti, a virtual team-building platform helping companies build stronger company cultures in a distributed workspace. She uses her background in arts education to create thoughtful, data-driven content on team building, learning and development, and employee engagement initiatives.