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We first put this list together during lockdown, when another Zoom quiz was enough to drive everyone round the bend. Hybrid and remote work never really went away — and managers still need fresh ways to keep distributed teams connected.
Here are 30 virtual team games and activities that still work today. Some came from our own team. Others came from people in internal comms and L&D who were solving the same problem in the moment. If you are tired of the usual quiz format, try a few of these and tell us how you get on.
#1 Among Us
This one came from Martin, our Co-founder. It is a free multiplayer game on iOS and Android where you work out who among your team is an imposter. Think wink murder, except the murderer is an alien. Full game details here. There is cartoon blood for drama, but it stays light-hearted and works well as a short virtual team session.
#2 Camera race
Created by Kate Beall, Internal Comms Business Partner at Virgin Media. Employees race to be the first person to bring a particular item back to the camera. The host picks the item and crowns the winner of each round. Simple, energetic, and ideal when you need a quick lift on a video call.
#3 GeoGuessr
Virtual team games work best when they give people a break from the day. Our Co-founder Ben introduced GeoGuessr, and it gave the team half an hour of proper escapism. It drops you somewhere in the world and you have to guess where you are. You can play in the UK, across the world, or around famous landmarks. A fresher alternative to another quiz.
#4 Team challenges
Brought to our attention by Hélène Bejjani, Global Learning and Development Leader at Antalis. Split people into small groups and give each group a personalised challenge to complete. Regroup each week to discuss results. It should not add pressure — it is a light activity that helps people feel included and gives them something to finish together.
#5 Which team can find the most…
Another idea from Kate. Split employees into small teams and ask each team to find household products. The team with the most of a given item wins. For example, each person counts the toilet rolls in their house, then totals them with teammates. A lockdown classic that still works for hybrid teams who want something silly and inclusive.
#6 Partner or friend confessions
Ask each team member to get a partner or friend to write down one of their worst habits. Give the answers to the host and guess who each habit belongs to. They may look a little like this: ________ never washes their hair during the week. Light-hearted, and usually gets a proper laugh.
#7 Guess the emoji sentence
👁 ❤️ 🐈 Ask people to come up with their own emoji sentence and get the rest of the team to guess what they mean. Add a timer, or you could be guessing all afternoon. A quick creative warm-up for any call.
#8 Make a costume
Kate introduced this one too. Staff make a costume out of household items in five minutes. Everyone presents at the end and the host picks a winner. Fast, ridiculous, and good for morale.
#9 Best photo
Every week, challenge your team to take a photo of the best thing they have seen. It could be a plant in the garden, a funny pet, a cooking creation, or a photo of their kids. Share them on the weekly call. A simple way to keep people noticing the good stuff — useful for positivity and mental wellbeing when work feels relentless.
#10 Celebrity or character impersonator
Half the team picks a character or celebrity to impersonate for one minute each. The other half scores them out of 10. Switch sides the next week so everyone gets a turn. A good way to shake off a heavy week.
#11 Psych
Luke Thompson from Hays Tech Recruitment introduced Psych. Players invent fake answers to trivia questions and colleagues have to guess which ones are true. Great for creative thinking and competitive bluffing.
#12 Virtual Pictionary using MS Paint
Classic games still work on a call. Kate suggests Pictionary with Microsoft Paint. Split into teams and take turns drawing. The team that guesses the most pictures wins. Use this Pictionary generator to come up with prompts quickly.
#13 Random stories
Split people into groups of at least four. Each person says one word after the person before them. Give them five minutes to go round as many times as they can and build a story. Hesitate and you are out — the next team starts. The host picks the funniest story.
#14 Through the keyhole
Inspired by the classic TV programme. Ask people to photograph a room in their house and send it to the host. The host gives clues about whose room it is. Everyone holds up their answer on paper. Most correct guesses wins.
#15 Motivational Mondays
Not everything has to be a game. Ask people to find a favourite quote during the week and share it on Monday. It gives the team a motivational start and sets a better tone for the week ahead — especially useful when remote work starts to feel repetitive.
#16 Best jokes
Not brand new, but it works. Everyone shares the best joke they have found on a weekly call. Funniest joke earns a longer lunch break. Laughter still helps when things feel uncertain.
#17 Creative tip of the week
Ask people to note anything useful they learned during the week — at work or outside it. On a weekly catch-up, each person shares one tip. Examples: easier ways to manage tasks, how to stay productive through the day, or how to fit exercise into a routine. More of a team-building habit than a game, and it helps people feel productive and inspired.
#18 Funniest meme
We all have weeks where nothing goes right, or customers are particularly demanding. Turn those moments into a meme. They are easy to make — use this free meme generator — then vote on a favourite and announce a winner. A simple way to remind people you are in it together.
#19 Baby photos
Everyone sends in a baby photo and the team guesses who is who. Add a bonus point for the funniest photo. Reliable conversation starter.
#20 Team portrait time
Pair people up and give them 10 minutes to draw portraits of each other. Expect a few masterpieces. At the end, pairs present their work to the team.
#21 GIF game
Ideal if you use Slack or Teams. Set up a GIF game channel and run it alongside a video call. The host starts a sentence and everyone sends a GIF that fits. For example: “This week has been so …….”
#22 Backstabbr
Jonathan, our software engineer, introduced this twist on Diplomacy. Players outmanoeuvre everyone who opposes them, and the winner is first to hold 18 supply centres. Full details on how to play Backstabbr.
#23 Best thing that happened yesterday
A simple wellbeing habit: each morning, ask everyone to share the best thing that happened the day before. It might be a great dinner or a strong customer review. Focusing on positives is a useful team ritual for hybrid and remote groups.
#24 Exercise competition
Ditch the quiz and get people moving. Rotate who hosts an exercise challenge with a short series of moves — for example a two-minute plank, 100 star jumps, and 100 squats. Last person standing wins.
#25 Quick-fire music game
Pick a theme such as songs about animals. Each person takes a turn naming a relevant song with that theme in the title or lyrics. Hesitate and you are out.
#26 Deal or no deal
The classic TV show, adapted for a video call (full game details here). Each person gets a sum of money in their “box”. One main player picks boxes while a host guides the game — and do not forget the banker making offers to quit. The main player cannot see their own box until the end. Aim: leave with as much virtual money as possible.
#27 Random endurance tests
One person picks an item and holds it in a position. Everyone copies and the last person standing wins. Example: hold two cans of food over your head while standing on one leg. Silly, active, and good for a short energy boost.
#28 Virtual Countdown
Head to this Countdown word game, pick a host to share their screen, and see who can make the longest word from the letters. Do not forget the classic Countdown timer.
#29 Fun twist on Antiques Roadshow
Take the famous show and turn it into a virtual team game. You need a host and four judges. The host announces what they are looking for — for example a floral china item. Everyone brings back whatever they have that is closest. Host and judges pick the winner.
#30 Most likely to…
Another idea from Kate Beall. Ask people to hold up the name of the person they think is most likely to do certain things. Keep it light and fun, with prompts such as:
- Most likely to burn their dinner
- Most likely to join a circus
- Most likely to be a cat in their next life
- Most likely to accidentally sleep in
- Most likely to stay up all night watching box sets
We first shared these ideas when lockdown forced teams online overnight. Hybrid work is still part of how many organisations operate — and connection still matters. If you try any of these, tell us how it went on our LinkedIn page.
Fun helps people feel human. For day-to-day performance, frontline teams also need clear knowledge and follow-through. Knowledge & Learning gives people one place to find answers and reinforce know-how with microlearning — so engagement is not only about games, it is about knowing what to do next.
Need clearer follow-through across sites?
If you are struggling to keep track of who has done what across stores or sites, Inspections & Checklists helps teams run digital audits and action follow-ups in one place — the same approach used by Next and Virgin Media.
