Nearly half of all remote workers surveyed by Slack said that working remotely affected their sense of belonging negatively. While remote work has its pros, a big con can be the lack of camaraderie and team-spirit.
This is where virtual team games enter the picture. Teams that play together stick together. Here’s a complete guide to hosting a virtual team games event at your workplace.
General Guidelines for Virtual Team Games
From our own experiments with virtual team-building activities, here’s what we’ve learned:
- Break the group up: To host a team game with 10 or more people, break the group up into teams of two or three. This helps team members collaborate and get to know each other. Bonus points if you keep the teams cross-functional so that people from different departments interact with each other.
- Have a scoring system: Keeping score is a great way to engage your employees and make sure they give their best in the competition. Virtual team games with scoring can be more fun and inspire some healthy competition.
5 Ideas for Virtual Team Games
1. Know Your Colleague Quiz
A “Know Your Colleague Quiz” is an excellent way to break the ice and help team members learn more about each other. Create a quiz with fun and interesting questions about each team member’s hobbies, interests, and unique facts. Use PuzzleMe to host the quiz online, and add more details about each employee as an explanation. This game encourages interaction and helps build a stronger sense of community within the team.
2. Multiplayer Crosswords
Multiplayer crosswords are a fantastic way to promote teamwork and problem-solving skills. PuzzleMe allows you to create custom crosswords that up to four team members can solve together in real-time. Consider incorporating clues related to your industry or company culture to make it more relevant and engaging. This game not only challenges participants intellectually but also fosters collaboration as they work together to complete the puzzle.
3. Word Search with Company Lingo
A word search featuring company-specific terminology can be both fun and educational. Create a word search puzzle that includes key terms and phrases related to your company’s products, services, or internal jargon. Platforms like PuzzleMe make it easy to design and share these puzzles with your team. This activity helps reinforce company knowledge while providing a light-hearted break from daily tasks.
4. Sudoku Competition
For a more competitive and mentally stimulating game, consider organizing a Sudoku competition. Sudoku puzzles are great for enhancing logical thinking and concentration. With PuzzleMe, up to four players can solve sudokus together in a team. Offer small prizes or recognition for the top performers to add an extra layer of motivation and excitement.
5. Multiplayer Jigsaws
Multiplayer jigsaws are perfect for encouraging teamwork and communication. Create an online jigsaw with a picture of your team, and have team members work together to assemble it. This game can be particularly effective for team-building, as it requires participants to coordinate their efforts and strategize together. PuzzleMe offers various multiplayer options that can be easily integrated into your virtual team activities.
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