Easy & Complex Online Team Building Games for Remote Teams for 2025

Co-Founder and Chief Data Scientist

Remote work has been prevalent even before COVID-19 broke out. Yet, many concerns about this work arrangement have been raised, analyzed, and documented in a number of fields. Small talks in the corridor, working beside a coworker, and having lunch together are just some of the things that virtual employees are missing. Although remote work has helped many professionals survive the pandemic, it has also prevented others from accomplishing significant personal and career goals. One of these is team building online, which depends on bond development among employees (Kellogg et al., 2008).

Forbes recently reported that socialization, interaction, certainty, and visibility help the online workforce perform its jobs well (Luna, 2021). Organizations have since then turned to online games for virtual teams to make working in isolation more bearable.

Look into the definition of online team building, its importance, and several free online team games for remote teams in this article.

Online Team Building Games for Remote Teams Table of Contents

What is online team building?
Why is online team building important?
How can team leaders facilitate online team building games for remote teams?
How can online team building games boost career development?
Online Team Building Games for Remote Teams
What pitfalls should organizations avoid when organizing online team building games?
How can organizations ensure inclusive participation in online team building games?
How can organizations select the most relevant online team building game for their team?
What are the cost and budget considerations for online team building games?
How can organizations measure the success of their online team building games?
How can organizations address security and privacy concerns during online team building?

What is online team building?

Online collaboration games are means to gather online teams together and establish a work atmosphere that depicts the workplace. They can comprise numerous approaches, activities, and games that are devised to promote human connection to online work (The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, 2020).

Why is online team building important?

The physical distance caused by the virtual space can transform into the emotional distance. Thus, setting up a healthy office culture that online workers can depend on is of utmost importance. Icebreaker questions and online games for office teams can make employees highly functional, form pleasant relationships with each other, and feel more relaxed. These sessions can facilitate collaboration, work productivity, and positive business results.

In the January 2008 ResearchGate conference paper “Games for virtual team building," Wendy A. Kellogg et al. dug deeper into the challenges of virtual games for teams. “Early research on virtual teams focused on differences between face-to-face and virtual interactions, finding a variety of difficulties when teams rely almost exclusively on CMC to communicate. For example, virtual teams have been shown to communicate less effectively than face-to-face teams, even as they communicate more frequently. A greater volume of communication is not necessarily an indication of better communication; on the contrary, it may indicate a lack of clarity. Having more messages and more information to handle can itself lead to confusion and poorer understanding, creating a vicious cycle. In addition, conversations in virtual teams have been shown to be more task-focused, to the exclusion of social interaction, although this effect lessens over time. Paradoxically, an extreme task focus may lead to less effective communication, as it results in weaker relational links between team members. A lack of social communication is also associated with lower trust and cohesion in the team, and with difficulties in establishing a shared knowledge base. A lack of trust, low group cohesion and identification, and difficulties in communication are, thus, characteristic of virtual groups."

How can team leaders facilitate online team building games for remote teams?

Effective facilitation of online team-building games requires more than just picking an activity—it involves careful planning, communication, and leadership skills to ensure the games are engaging and align with the team's goals. Here are five key strategies that team leaders can implement to facilitate successful online team-building games for remote teams:

Choose Inclusive and Accessible Games: It's essential to select games that are inclusive and accessible to all team members, regardless of their location, technical abilities, or time zones. Avoid overly complicated games that require too much preparation or a high level of technical knowledge. Opt for simple, engaging games that everyone can enjoy, such as virtual trivia, icebreaker questions, or short collaborative puzzles.
Set Clear Objectives and Expectations: Communicate the purpose of the activity and set clear objectives for the team-building game. Whether the goal is to boost morale, improve communication, or enhance collaboration, outlining the purpose helps participants stay engaged and understand how the game ties into the team's overall development.
Ensure Active Participation from Everyone: Encourage full participation by setting expectations for involvement and creating a comfortable environment where everyone feels encouraged to contribute. Leaders can involve team members by assigning roles, using break-out rooms for smaller group interactions, or calling on individuals to share ideas during the game to keep everyone engaged.
Create a Relaxed and Fun Atmosphere: The success of virtual team-building games depends on the environment set by the leader. A relaxed and fun atmosphere fosters greater participation and creates positive experiences for the team. Leaders should avoid making the games feel like work by incorporating humor, keeping the tone light, and celebrating victories, no matter how small.
Gather Feedback for Improvement: After the activity, asking for feedback is crucial. This helps the leader understand what worked well and where improvements can be made for future team-building activities. Collecting feedback also shows that the leader values team input, which can help refine future activities and ensure they are tailored to the team's preferences.

How can online team building games boost career development?

Online team building activities not only enhance team cohesion but also cultivate essential soft skills such as leadership, effective communication, and strategic problem-solving. These competencies are critical for professional growth and can pave the way for career advancement in remote work environments. By engaging in well-structured virtual activities, employees gain experience that translates into increased adaptability and innovation in daily tasks. Furthermore, integrating continuous team building with professional development strategies allows organizations to foster a culture of lifelong learning. Such initiatives empower individuals to explore new pathways for career progression, including insights on competitive industries and academic preparation, such as those found in the highest-paying bachelor degrees.

Online Team Building Games for Remote Teams

Working from home is not an excuse to skip training sessions, applicant selections, meetings, workshops, seminars, or conferences. Get the team in the mood with the following free online games for virtual teams.

Fast and Easy

Opening Chit Chat

Opening Chit Chat is regarded as one of the easiest team building activities for conference calls. It is one of the best free online games for remote teams that can be joined by three participants and only spans five minutes.

Before your meeting, let employees have a chit-chat with each other. This game can allow them to be familiarized with each other. It can be better done using video conferencing. Icebreaker questions can be also entertained while performing this game. See how entertained, friendly with each other, and more comfortable your employees are after their chit-chat.

Word Association

To play Word Association, choose a prompt that is associated with your meeting. Then, ask participants to share what word they can think of first with such a prompt. For instance, if the meeting is about explaining the company’s mission and vision, ask them to share words that perfectly describe the organizational mission and vision. After the game, you may discuss the outcome with them.

As one of the most enjoyable online work games, Word Association can be conducted in five to 10 minutes, and three or more participants can join. A list of prompts must be also prepared beforehand.

Online Coffee Break

In-office employees typically hang out with each other over coffee or break rooms. Have them recreate these fun moments with one of the most engaging free online office games.

For 10 to 30 minutes, three or more participants can have their online coffee break over Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or other video conferencing mediums.

Mirror Image

This two-minute game asks participants to view themselves in gallery mode, where the entire team can be seen in a tile layout. They will sit in the same neutral spot in their camera angles. They all must look at whoever pops up in the top left tile on their view and copy their movements quite exaggeratedly. As this game goes on, you will find that their gestures are becoming wilder.

Via Email

Reply All

Four or more participants divided into smaller teams (if you’re holding team building online full sessions) can play Reply All for 10 to 15 minutes. Ask questions to the team via email before the meeting, instructing them to “reply all" to the thread to make their replies visible to everyone. Then, let the team explain their replies during the meeting. You can also give the answers yourself.

If you want to play this game a little longer, ask the team to guess who gave what reply and then have the senders explain their choices once they have been discovered. But answers must be anonymous for this option and participants must not hit the “reply all" button.

Who Is It?

Who Is It? is another 10- to 15-minute email thread game that can be performed by four or more participants. Prior to the meeting, ask each of them to email you one fact about themselves that is yet unknown to many. Read the emails during the meeting, but the senders are still to be kept anonymous. This is when the rest of the team guesses whose facts were mentioned.

Not That Easy

Throwback

In this teambuilding online activity, a playlist consisting of 10-year-old songs must be prepared. You can also use playlists available online. Play the songs and have the participants guess the song titles via chat.

Play Throwback for 10 to 15 minutes and with three or more participants.

Shark Teams

A paper and pen or a computer drawing tool, four or more participants, and 25 to 30 minutes of the team’s time are needed for Shark Teams. Based on the Shark Tank show, participants can either: give ideas to be used in their own businesses, team up with a charity and donate, or have endless ideas about what they want to do.

Each group will go through product creation, process enhancement, and marketing. They have to impress the sharks by putting in much effort into their presentation as their creation. Funny creations are also allowed. If possible, invite the big bosses during their presentations.

The Most Boring Award

For this team games online activity, ask everyone to compete over who has the most boring life during the COVID-19 lockdown. Commence this game by stating a boring fact about yourself, challenging the next one to come up with a more boring one.

Team Building

Kahoot!

Kahoot! is a website that enables you to make your own and free trivia sets and quizzes.

First, create an account on the website. Then, make your own trivia or quiz game. During the meeting, share your screen with the team. Everyone can join using a certain code and pinning their names. Lastly, have fun playing the game.

Name, Place, Animal, Thing

Instruct the team to check their chat box first. Next, mention a letter that everyone can think of a popular person’s name, place, animal, and thing that starts with such a letter. The first participant to answer all the required categories gains a point.

Name, Place, Animal, Thing is one of the most interesting online teambuilding games for teams there is as it is a fast-paced game that can be played for several rounds.

PSYCH!

Created by the minds behind Ellen DeGeneres and Heads Up!, PSYCH! is among the best online team building games free. To play this game, pick a number of interesting categories in which each participant answers trivia questions with false answers. Points are given to those who get the correct answer and for each one a participant psychs.

What pitfalls should organizations avoid when organizing online team building games?

Organizations must steer clear of overly complex technical setups that can hinder smooth participation. A lack of clear objectives and insufficient facilitator training often leads to unengaged sessions and misaligned outcomes. Focusing solely on competitiveness without balancing collaborative elements may result in uneven participation and reduced morale. Additionally, neglecting to integrate structured feedback and post-activity debriefs can impair continuous improvement in team dynamics. Investing in targeted leadership and technical training—such as pursuing the shortest masters degree—can mitigate these challenges and promote effective online team building.

Online Team Building Games: A New Phase in the Remote Work Era

Remote work is not new to many—fully remote team building games are—and they are even more complicated due to time and distance differences. That’s why many of them still have plenty of room for improvement, but workers do not seem to mind. More than the online games for office teams themselves, workers play them because they want to connect with their friends, share happenings in their lives, and feel engaged at work (Kellogg et al., 2008).

How can organizations ensure inclusive participation in online team building games?

Organizations should design activities that cater to varied communication styles, technical proficiencies, and cultural backgrounds. Leaders can begin by selecting games with adjustable difficulty levels and options to engage both extroverted and introverted team members. Adopting flexible timing and providing alternative participation formats—such as chat, audio, or visual inputs—helps accommodate different time zones and accessibility needs. Implementing pre-session orientations and post-activity feedback loops further refines engagement strategies. Additionally, investing in professional development through resources like cheap online graduate certificate programs can equip facilitators with the skills to create a more inclusive and effective virtual team environment.

How can organizations select the most relevant online team building game for their team?

Organizations should begin by analyzing their team’s unique dynamics and objectives. Assess factors such as team size, communication style, and desired outcomes—whether fostering creativity, building trust, or stimulating problem-solving—to match the game’s structure and complexity with team needs. Consider technical limitations and scheduling constraints to ensure smooth execution without hindering participation. It is important to review past session feedback and adjust subsequent game choices to align with evolving team dynamics and organizational goals. In addition, exploring rapid skill development opportunities, such as an associate's degree online in 6 months, can further empower team members and enhance overall performance.

What are the cost and budget considerations for online team building games?

Organizations must evaluate both direct and indirect expenses when planning online team building activities. This involves analyzing licensing fees for virtual platforms, potential training costs for facilitators, and any technology investments needed to support smooth execution. Budgeting should also consider staff time, facilitator resources, and post-session analysis to optimize the return on investment. Balancing cost-effectiveness with quality may involve exploring educational resources and certification options, such as those offered by the best online college, to enhance internal capabilities and reduce reliance on third-party services.

Key Insights

Importance of Social Interaction: Remote work can lead to feelings of isolation, making social interaction and team bonding crucial for maintaining a healthy office culture.
Online Team Building Defined: Online team building involves activities and games designed to promote human connection in a virtual workspace, mirroring the social aspects of a physical office.
Benefits of Online Team Building: These activities can improve collaboration, productivity, and employee relationships, ultimately leading to positive business outcomes.
Challenges of Virtual Communication: Research indicates that virtual teams often struggle with effective communication and building trust compared to face-to-face teams.
Variety of Games: A range of online team building games exists, from quick icebreakers like "Opening Chit Chat" to more complex activities like "Shark Teams."
Employee Engagement: The primary motivation for participating in these games is to feel connected with colleagues and stay engaged at work.

How can organizations measure the success of their online team building games?

Organizations can assess the impact of online team building by implementing both quantitative and qualitative measures. Post-activity surveys, real-time feedback sessions, and analysis of employee engagement analytics help capture immediate reactions and long-term trends in team cohesion and productivity. Data such as increased communication frequency, smoother collaboration, and improved project outcomes can be tracked via integrated analytics tools within virtual communication platforms. Additionally, periodic assessments and review cycles provide opportunities to adjust strategies based on measurable outcomes. For those interested in integrating innovative game-based learning into team building, consider exploring programs offered by an online game programming college.

How can organizations address security and privacy concerns during online team building?

Organizations must implement secure access protocols and data protection measures to prevent unauthorized intrusion and safeguard sensitive participant information. Utilizing encrypted communication tools, enforcing multi-factor authentication, and regularly updating software minimize vulnerabilities across virtual platforms. Additionally, establishing clear guidelines on data sharing and retention during interactive sessions ensures compliance with privacy standards. For further professional development on secure digital practices, consider exploring programs offered by online colleges with no application fee.

FAQ

What are some quick and easy online team building games?

Fast and easy games like "Opening Chit Chat" and "Word Association" can be conducted in under 10 minutes and require minimal preparation. These activities help team members become familiar with each other and set a positive tone for meetings.

How do complex online team building games benefit remote teams?

More complex games such as "Shark Teams" and "Throwback" require longer time commitments and deeper engagement, fostering creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving skills among team members.

What are the key benefits of online team building?

Online team building promotes human connection, enhances communication, builds trust, and improves overall team cohesion. These benefits lead to higher productivity and better business results.

How can organizations ensure effective communication in virtual teams?

To ensure effective communication, organizations can incorporate regular online team building activities that encourage both task-focused and social interactions. Clear guidelines and structured communication channels also help mitigate misunderstandings.

Are there free resources available for online team building games?

Yes, many online team building games are free and accessible. Websites like Kahoot! offer free trivia and quiz sets that can be customized for team activities, while games like "PSYCH!" provide free platforms for interactive and engaging team experiences.

How often should remote teams engage in team building activities?

The frequency of team building activities can vary based on team needs and goals. Regularly scheduled activities, such as weekly or monthly sessions, can help maintain team cohesion and keep remote employees engaged.

References:

Hivemind. (n.d.). Online Teambuilding Activities. Hivemind.
Kellogg, W., Bessière, K., Luther, K., & Ellis, J. (2008, January). Games for virtual team building. ResearchGate.
Luna, S. (2021, October 28). The 10 Best Online Games for Remote Teams in 2021. Cozymeal.
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. (2020, April). Virtual Team Building Ideas. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.