Remote work is great, but it can make you miss simple things like having fun in the office and during coffee breaks. Luckily, there’s a simple way to get it done online!
There are plenty of quick games to play on Zoom with colleagues that will increase the team spirit and assemble deeper relationships between colleagues. Some of these games are simply fun, while others are full-on ice-breakers that will unite any team. And if you’ll ever want to level up such meetings, try out some drinking games for Zoom as well.
Here’s the list of the 13 best games in such a category you may try. Have a look!
Powerpoint Karaoke
Let’s start with an improvisation game perfect for a Zoom conference.
We all know that work calls are usually filled with presentation show-ups. So why not host a game fully based on it? The only trick is—that you’ll need to give a presentation with slides you’re not aware of it at all. That’s basically the whole point of a PowerPoint karaoke.
It’s a web game with a wide compilation of slides you may use as a base. Herewith, there are 3 packs of slides, and none of them is free. However, you get to make custom slides and load them into the game if required.
Some rules are adjustable, so you can make the game ideal for any occasion. You’ll get to customize the way of judging the game, and some extra rules for presenters. There’s a long list of intrusions on how to do it properly, so no concerns about that. In case you wanna go bigger, and host an entire event with this one, there’s a manual on how to do that as well.
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Wordle
Next, we have a word quiz you can host at work conferences.
The rules are quite some—you’ll have to assume the hidden word in 6 tries. Herewith, all the letters will have individual colors that will switch to show how close you’ve got to the solution. The fun thing is, you may customize the length of the hidden word—from 4 to 11 letters, but the number of tries always remains the same.
To start the game, you should type any word in the first line. If you’ve assumed the letter correctly, it will be labeled green. In case the letter is in the word, but is not in the right place—it will turn yellow. And if the letters are not in the word at all, it will stay gray.
Plus, it comes with classifications such as city names, puzzles for kids, and all that. If you wanna make it personal, you can also add your own hidden words. The activity is entirely free and available 24/7 so no corners about that.
Taboo
This is another classic that has been transformed into a web game. Plus, it’s one of the top picks for a Zoom conference, especially if you have a large team.
As for the controls, two teams will have to contend to uncover a hidden word in a little time. Herewith, one connector of a team will need to give others clues to guess the word right. The laws here are simple—describe the word without saying it.
Besides, there may also be a list of so-called taboo words connected to the main one ad the player shouldn’t use them as well. The web version of the game is free and runs 24/7, so you can play at any time. In fact, there are plenty of web versions of the game, the now below is just a personal fave.
The paly comes with a list of hidden words to choose from, but you can also add custom ones. The guessing time is limited to 1 minute, so you’ll have to think as quickly as possible.
Codenames
Here is another guessing quiz, that is best hosted with an even number of players.
Just like the previous one, this is the game for two squads —the red and the blue ones. Sooth to say, the rules are pretty similar to the Taboo game, so just pick the one you like most. So, there’s a grid with 25 words, some of which are connected to the red squad and others to the blue one.
However, only one participant on each squad will see the words. The main goal of that person is to give his teammates clues for them to get the words. Herewith, it’s not permitted to use any form of any word on the board.
The players will take turns, and the team who will guess all the words first will win. Besides, the teams may use clues to guess the word faster. The competition includes two versions—for small groups of 2+ people, and bigger ones with 4+ participants.
Scavenger Hunts
Here’s a well-known game that is often played at family meetings. So why not play it on Zoom with your coworkers? You’ll be surprised by how it turns out.
Before you start playing, make sure to pick a moderator who will ask the others to search for things. Now, to the rules—the online version is the same as the offline one. You’ll need to create a list of things other players will search for in their houses.
It may be a list of items or features to make it more fun. For instance, you may ask people to find smth pink, smth edible, smth that starts with a specific letter, and all that. Feel free to get creative, cause the odder the list—the funnier it is to play.
Plus, the searching time will be limited (with whatever you feel is needed), which makes the game more intense. For each thing a player finds, he gets a point. The one who’ll get more points by the end of the round—wins.
Something in Common
If you’re here for an icebreaker contest that will bring you closer to your associates—this one is one of the best for that.
As you may guess by the name, the main goal of this game is to let players know each other a little better. The unusual thing about this game is that it doesn’t have any particular winners. At that point, everyone wins cause they build stronger bonds with coworkers.
To start playing, you’ll need to split your colleges into different Zoom rooms, and it’s better to not add over 5 people in a group. Then, split the attendees into even smaller companies for them to chat and find smth that they have in common.
Herewith, the goal is not to find unique common things and not smth physical, and all that. With each round, you can add extra rules like searching among hobbies, fave things, music, and all that. In case you struggle with questions, just google the list of the best ones—there are plenty of options on the Internet.
Truth or Dare
Does this game even need an introduction? We’ve all been there, and we’ve all played at least once in a lifetime.
This game also has no winners, and the central point here is to find out some fun facts about your associate(and just get closer, you know). Of course, it may seem not that fun to play such a game online because of the dares, but a little creativity solves that problem very quickly.
At first, you’ll need to pick a moderator who will ask all the attendees whether they want a truth or a dare. This player will define truth or dares for the round, so keep that in mind. In case someone won’t agree to answer or finish the task, he’ll need to turn the camera off.
The match will last until there’s only one cam that will get left on. The last standing player may be assumed the winner, but that’s not the matter of the game. In case you want to make it one, make sure to prepare a special prize for the winner.
Check also: 15 Cool Games to Play over Facetime or Skype Calls
Guess The Movie
The name of this game speaks for itself. It’s a guessing contest based on uncovering movies.
In the first place, this contest requires a little preparation, so make sure to plan it and pick the one accountable for the movie list. You’ll need to make a YT playlist with movie clips that will be shown to other attendees in order for them to guess the film.
As for the scenes, you may pick some well-known scenes or something small and unimportant to make the match harder. In case you struggle with picking up the movies, just search for the best movie clips, or smth. You may even host thematic rounds with action films, or the film released in one year.
Once the game starts, you’ll need to share your screen and play the clips. Just make sure to mute all the attendees so no one would get an accidental clue. The player who’ll guess the movie first gets a point, and the one who gets more points wins.
Would I Lie To You?
This game is based on a famous TV show from the UK, and it’s incredibly fun to host it on Zoom with associates.
The rules are quite simple—first, you need to split the attendees into two teams. It’s better to play with an even number of players, but it’s not an essential rule. Plus, in order for the teams to communicate confidentially, make sure to use a breakout room tool on Zoom.
Each team will need to come up with a crazy, unbelievable story that they will share with the opponents. Herewith, the story may be fully faked or based on real events—it’s totally optional. The possibilities here are truly endless, cause the crazier the story -the funnier it is to play.
Once the stories are ready, the teams will take turns asking questions to find out if the story is true of falls. Each participant has one question and once all are asked, the teams should decide if they consider the story true or falls. The team who guesses right gets the point, and you can play an unlimited amount of rounds.
Read my Lips
It’s another old-school game that is amazing for Zoom conferences.
Try to guess—what all the online meeting platforms have in common? That’s right—sound problems! Just remember how many times someone has forgotten to turn the sound on during the call or the connection was unstable! It’s not a Zoom-only issue, and it’s not permanent, but this game is here to make fun of it.
As for the rules, one participant will need to turn off the mic and say smth – a word, or a phase. It’s totally optional, and you can set some rules for it if needed. The purpose of all the other attendees is to get the word as fast as possible. Herewith, the attendees only have 1 min to uncover the phrase, or it will be skipped.
Besides, make sure to pick a moderator who will watch over the players and give them some clues if required. The player who will get the word first gets the point, the amount of rounds is unlimited. To start with, let all the players to code a word.
Two Truths and a Lie
It’s always fun to guess if you’re being lied to (game-wise, of course). This game lets you lie in a fun way.
Just like all the similar icebreaker activities, this one doesn’t have winners in general. The main goal here is not to win, but to get loser with your associates and learn some fun facts about these lives. Of course, the player who’ll uncover most lies may be considered a winner, but once again—it’s not the main point here.
The rules are pretty simple, the attendees will take turns telling two truths and one lie about themselves. The goal of all the other payers is to uncover which fact is a lie. It may seem simple, but it’s actually easy to make a lie seem believable, especially if you have some crazy stories.
You may also complicate the game a little by letting participants ask queries about all the facts. The best option is to let each participant ask once about any fact needed. You may also play as many rounds as required, there are no limits.
Murder Mystery
Well, it’s pretty obvious what this contest is about. The players will need to solve a murder mystery on Zoom.
This kind of game is suitable for companies of any size, so no concerns about that. The main goal here is to find a proper scenario and a moderator to lead the attendees through the game. As for the scenario, you may search for them online, there are enough free and paid options on the web.
Solving a mystery is a pretty famous team-building activity, cause it’s quite simple to unify to uncover the truth. Plus, the whole process improves teamwork and teaches the associates how to solve troubles together.
Of course, the effect fully depends on how good and involving the plot is, so make sure t take your time searching for the right one. In case you want to make the exp more immersive, put on a dress code to match the plot. You may even ask your associates to find some matching Zoom backgrounds if needed.
You may also check: 25 Best Facebook Messenger Games to Play Chatting in 2022
Rock, Paper, Scissors
And lastly, we have a well-known childhood game you can now play on Zoom calls.
The chances are you already know the rules, but just for a reminder—rock crushes scissors, scissor cuts paper, and the paper covers the rock. Everything is beyond simple and easy to remember. In fact, you can use Zoom’s reaction update and use emojis instead of gestures.
Just make sure to estimate what emoji stands for, to avoid misunderstandings. There are a few ways to play this game on Zoom. First of all, you may ask all the attendees to answer with an emoji in 3 secs. Once all have answered, count all the emojis and find the winners.
Plus, you can make a full-on tournament by splitting all the participants into pairs to play in duels. Then, the winners will contest with each other until there’s only one winner left. You can also use this game to estimate turns during the regular work calls if needed.
