While team cohesion can be a challenge, especially in today's remote work environment, it is very much achievable, all thanks to virtual games. Apart from injecting fun into the workweek, these games also strengthen team bonds, enhancing collaboration and trust.
The Best Games for Virtual Team Building
Here’s a look at the best games for team bonding that you can consider.
Virtual Pictionary
Virtual Pictionary is a drawing and guessing game that can be played using online whiteboard tools like Miro or Zoom’s whiteboard feature. Teams are split into groups, and one person from each group is given a word to draw. No letters, numbers, or words are allowed in the drawing, and the rest of the team must guess the word within a minute.
This game encourages creativity and also sharpens communication skills, as team members must convey ideas clearly and quickly without the use of words. Pictionary is simple and spontaneous, and this is what makes it perfect for breaking the ice and putting some fun into meetings.
Virtual Scavenger Hunt
A virtual scavenger hunt is a fantastic way to get your team moving and thinking creatively. Here's how it works: the organizer prepares a list of items or tasks that participants need to find or complete within a set time frame. These items can be anything from a specific household object to a photo of something blue. Participants then race against the clock to find as many items as possible.
In this game, team members often need to strategize and share their findings, which encourages communication and collaboration.
Guess Who - Emoji Version
This twist on the classic "Guess Who" game is both entertaining and insightful. Team members take screenshots of their most-used emojis and send them to a moderator, who then shares these anonymously with the group. The challenge is to match the emojis with their respective users.
This game offers a playful way to get to know colleagues better by revealing a bit about their personality through their favorite emojis. It’s a light-hearted way to promote team bonding, especially if your team members do not know each other well.
Heads Up with a Twist
This online version of the well-known party game Heads Up by Ellen DeGeneres is both entertaining and challenging. For this game, you have to split your team into two, with one member holding a list of words on their screen. The other team member must guess the words based on clues provided, but here’s the twist: they only have two minutes.
This fast-paced game pushes team members to think on their feet and communicate efficiently, all of that while having a good laugh. It’s particularly effective in energizing a meeting and bringing a competitive, yet friendly, spirit to the group.
The Worst Five
In this fun and unique twist, team members are asked to share their "worst five" picks in a specific category, such as movies, books, or games. For example, instead of naming the top five movies they love, they might list the five they found the worst.
As a result, team members could begin to engage in lighthearted debates and discussions, encouraging a healthy exchange of differing opinions. It’s a great way to get people talking and laughing and loosen up a formal atmosphere.
Final Thoughts
The way games help build team bonds is through the relaxing atmosphere that they bring. These games allow employees to feel at home while working remotely and not the opposite. The next time you feel the team needs a morale boost or just a break from the routine, consider giving one of these games a try. They might just become the highlight of your virtual team-building efforts.