About Virtual Team Building Games

Virtual team building activities and games are used to foster employee engagement and connection, increase productivity and efficiency, encourage teamwork, and boost morale—even over a Zoom call. Because many remote employees lack any in-person interaction with their fellow coworkers, virtual team...

Virtual Team Building Games Tips & Tricks

Best Practices
When choosing a team building activity, first consider what your team enjoys. Are they into crime mysteries? Are they mostly trivia buffs? Are they game show junkies? If you’re not sure, ask them for input. Or you might have a specific purpose in mind like improving project management, so you’ll want to select a game that helps build that skill. Consider the different personality types of your team members and try to organize a game that allows both introverts and extroverts to participate equally. Incentivize the experience by awarding prizes during the game. Be sure to ask your employees for feedback following the activity and determine whether it’s something you might want to incorporate into your plans on a regular basis.
Other Tips & Tricks
Some vendors offer self-hosted options, which include an instruction guide, so employers can run the game on their own time. These options are usually cheaper than professionally hosted games. If you’re planning to hire a vendor, ask for an online demo of the game before making your decision. Like all virtual events, if your team is spread out across different time zones, select a date and time that works best for everyone or plan multiple events so that all team members can participate.

Virtual Team Building Games FAQs

  • A: Prices for virtual team building games, on average, range from $25 to $100 per person, or they can be cost a flat fee starting at around $1,000 for 25 participants.
  • A: You’ll find listings for digital versions of popular team building games such as virtual game shows, trivia, poker, scavenger hunts, escape rooms, bingo, and playful takes on TV game shows like The Price Is Right and Jeopardy.
  • A: Virtual team building games typically last 30 minutes to two hours, but shorter options that run 15 minutes are also available.
  • A: Many team building games providers use a proprietary app along with a video conferencing platform such as Zoom to host the event.
  • A: Since most virtual team building games do not require the shipment of supplies or materials, you most likely can book the event a week in advance.
  • A: The group size really depends on the size of your team. Some team building companies can accommodate groups of as many as 2,000+ people. Virtual hosts may divide groups into smaller teams in order to complete challenges.
  • A: If you can’t dedicate an entire meeting to a virtual team building game, aim to allocate 30 minutes at the end of the meeting to the activity, or try to sprinkle meetings with a small dose of fun. Think five minutes for every hour of meeting time. Also, to introduce new remote employees, kick off a meeting with a virtual icebreaker game like “two truths and a lie” where a team member shares three “facts” about themselves—two of which are true, one is a lie. The others in the group have to guess which is which.
  • A: No. Virtual team building games generally don’t involve any supplies, tools, or materials, unlike other interactive activities like arts and crafts. Certain games may require the use of a smartphone in order to download an app to play. For example, some games ask players to take photos, videos, and enter text answers via their phone to earn points.
  • A: Most vendors provide a host like a pro quizmaster to facilitate the game. Or you can appoint a team member to host. Some vendors will provide an instruction guide, so employers are able to play the game at their convenience. These options are generally less expensive than professionally hosted games.
  • A: Working from home can lead to feelings of isolation among your remote team members. Virtual team building games can help you maintain and boost morale, as well as promote team cohesion. Plus, it can serve as a welcome distraction from stress and can offer a fun way to decompress. Ultimately, strong morale among employees can contribute to greater productivity and engagement. Just as you would in an in-person work environment, you’ll want to organize social activities, like virtual team building games, to foster a sense of camaraderie and togetherness even if you’re working from a distance.