Virtual Team Games For Zoom And Teams: 20 That Work On A Call

Remote games fail differently to in-person ones. There's no side conversation, one person always talks over another, and anything requiring props means half the team is rummaging in a drawer.

These are built around what a video call actually is: faces in boxes, a chat window and a screen share.

Five minutes at the start of a call

• Show and tell: fetch one object within arm's reach and explain it in twenty seconds.
• The chat storm - one question, everyone types the answer, all hit enter on three.
• Emoji check-in: how's your week, in three emoji, no words.
• Guess the background - one person shares an old photo, everyone guesses where.
• Two truths and a lie with a poll for the voting.

Games that use the screen

• Pictionary on a shared whiteboard - Miro, the Teams whiteboard or a plain drawing app.
• Guess the zoomed-in photo, revealed slowly.
• Slide roulette: five random slides, one presenter, they improvise. Very funny with the right team.
• Where in the world - a Street View screenshot, everyone guesses the country.
• The music intro round with a shared audio tab.

Breakout room games

• Four-minute breakouts with one question, then one sentence back to the main room.
• Scavenger hunt in breakouts: five household items, first team back with all five.
• Codenames online - free browser versions, teams of three or four.
• Team puzzle: each breakout gets part of a clue, they have to reconvene to solve it.

Async games for teams across time zones

• A weekly channel question posted Monday, answers all week.
• Photo of the week - a theme, everyone posts, votes with reactions on Friday.
• A running quiz thread, one question a day, honour system.
• Guess the baby photo posted anonymously through one organiser.
• A shared playlist everyone adds one track to each month.

Making remote games not painful

• Fifteen minutes maximum. A video call is tiring in a way a room isn't.
• Say clearly that cameras optional and participation is optional. It raises the take-up, oddly.
• Have the chat as a valid way to take part, so quieter people can join without unmuting.
• One person runs it and holds the timer. Free-for-all doesn't work over video.

Shop thank you and leaving cards

How to write it so it lands

• Fifteen minutes, hard stop.
• Make the chat window a real way to play.
• Test the whiteboard or audio share before the call, not during it.

Where to shop next

• Work team building games
• Icebreaker games for a new team
• Games for an away day or conference
• Games for a leaving do or retirement party
• Games for a work BBQ or family fun day
• Two-minute games to start a meeting
• Work quiz rounds (non-Christmas)
• Training day games adults won't hate
• Office games HR won't object to
• Office Christmas party games
• Board games hub
• Quiz questions and rounds
• Free feel good tools
• Shop leaving and thank you cards
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What games can you play on Zoom or Teams with your team?

Show and tell with an object from your desk, a shared-whiteboard Pictionary, guess the zoomed-in photo, a music intro round and Codenames in the browser. All work with just a screen share and the chat window.

How do you make virtual team building fun rather than awkward?

Keep it to fifteen minutes, have one person running it with a timer, and make the chat a legitimate way to join in so nobody has to unmute to take part.

What works for a team across different time zones?

Async games - a weekly question in a channel, a themed photo contest voted on with reactions, or a daily quiz thread. Nobody has to be awake at the same time.

Should cameras be on for remote games?

Optional. Insisting on cameras is the fastest way to make a game feel like a compliance exercise, and people who'd rather stay off will still play in the chat.

Do you sell team building kits or games?

No - we make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK. Every game here runs with what's already in the room, and the only products on this page are our own cards.