The dreary routine of day-to-day rhythms at work can often lead to disengagement and stifled creativity. That's why we're introducing 20+ fun games to play at work that can transform the daily grind into a dynamic and enjoyable experience and foster a vibrant and thriving company culture.
It's no secret that happy employees are more motivated and productive. That's where our curated list of games comes into play – these activities are designed to engage your team, stimulate their minds, and promote a positive atmosphere.
In this comprehensive blog post, we'll discuss the importance of games in the workplace, and present a diverse selection of game options. We’ll also recommend tools to facilitate implementation, explain the mechanics of these games, and address common questions in our FAQ section.
So prepare to discover innovative ways to invigorate your company culture, boost morale, and elevate overall performance.
How Playing Fun Games at Work Help
Marketing meetings, strategic planning, asset acquisition— we all get how those can help a business. But how can playing fun games at work help the company with its KPIs and bottom line?
Here are some great benefits that playing games at work can bring.
Boosts Morale
Incorporating fun games into the workplace can work wonders for employee morale. These engaging activities break the monotony of the daily routine, providing much-needed respite and rejuvenation.
Employee engagement has been reported to improve a company’s profitability by up to 21%. Employees engaging in an office game or two are more likely to feel a sense of team bonding and work satisfaction. These directly translate to improved motivation and higher levels of job satisfaction.
Improves Communication
Effective communication is vital for team building and growth, and fun games are an excellent platform to improve communication skills. Employees participating in games are encouraged to communicate openly, clearly, and efficiently.
This practice helps break down any communication barriers within the team, fostering a more open and transparent work environment that ultimately benefits the organization.
Encourages Problem-Solving Skills
Running an office or party game from time to time involves solving problems requiring participants to think critically and develop innovative solutions. Employees who engage in these team-building games sharpen their problem-solving skills and learn to approach obstacles from different perspectives.
This acquired skillset proves invaluable when tackling complex projects and dealing with unforeseen issues in the workplace. Furthermore, games that emphasize time constraints or resource limitations help employees develop the ability to prioritize tasks and make quick, well-informed decisions.
Promotes Collaboration
75% of teams agree that promoting collaboration is important in a company. Team-based games naturally encourage collaboration, requiring individuals to work together towards a common goal. Employees learn to pool their diverse skillsets and talents, fostering a sense of unity and shared accomplishment.
This collaborative spirit carries over into everyday work, creating a more cooperative and synergistic team dynamic. Additionally, these games can help employees understand their colleagues' strengths and weaknesses, enabling them to delegate tasks more effectively and work together more seamlessly.
Helps the Team Get to Know Each Other
Lastly, fun games at work allow employees to interact with their colleagues in a relaxed, informal setting. This allows them to form genuine connections and better understand each other's personalities, backgrounds, and interests.
By cultivating a sense of familiarity and trust among team members, games help create an environment in which employees feel comfortable sharing ideas, giving feedback, and seeking support. Ultimately, these strengthened relationships pave the way for a more positive and productive workplace.
Fun Games to Play at Work
So what sort of activities can you play at work for fun? Here are the best games to try out in your workplace.
1) Weekly Trivia Games
Playing trivia games weekly is a fun and easy activity to implement in your business or department. It takes very little preparation and can be done anytime— before meetings, during lunch breaks, or even between hectic projects!
If you’re planning to implement weekly trivia games at work, you can follow these simple mechanics.
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Choose a trivia game platform. There are various platforms available for creating a trivia game. Choose a platform that best fits your needs and budget.
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Decide on the game format. Choose the format for the trivia game, such as time-based rounds, multiple choice questions, power-ups, multiplayer mode, category selection, leaderboards, or daily challenges. Determine how each of these mechanics will work within your game.
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Develop the trivia questions. Create a set of trivia questions that will be used in the game. Ensure the questions are accurate, challenging, and relevant to the game format.
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Test the game. Test the game to ensure it is functioning properly and has no bugs or errors. Conduct playtests with a small group of players to get feedback on the game's mechanics and difficulty level.
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Launch the game. Launch the game on your chosen platform once it has been tested and refined. Promote the game on social media or other channels to attract players.
Alternatively, you can check out a multiplayer trivia game like TriviaNerd to simplify the whole process. With this tool, you can run trivia games anytime at work and get fun features like leaderboards, sound effects, GIFs AI-generative trivia questions and answers, and a collection of over 100,000 trivia questions.
Click here to check out TriviaNerd
2) Office Icebreaker Questions
Running icebreaker questions at work are popular, and short-team building activities and games you can run at work. This classic game is a great way to get to know team members at a deeper level. They also help create a culture of vulnerability, trust, and openness.
There are all kinds of icebreaker questions you can use at work, including:
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"What's your favorite" Questions. Asking about someone's favorite book, movie, song, or food can be a great way to get to know their interests and spark conversation.
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"If You Could" Questions. Asking hypothetical questions such as, "If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?" or "If you could have any superpower, what would it be?" can be a fun way to get people thinking creatively.
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"Would You Rather" Questions. Would you rather questions involve presenting two difficult choices and asking which one someone would choose. For example, "Would you rather be invisible or be able to fly?"
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"What's Something” Questions. Asking someone to share something unique or interesting about themselves can be a great way to break the ice. For example, "What's something you've always wanted to try but haven't yet?"
We highly recommend you try a tool like Quizbreaker to help you run these kinds of icebreaker activities in your team.
They help you run asynchronous icebreaker rounds with your team so they get to know each other better. You can run it with remote or offline teams from different departments.
Check out QuizBreaker here now.
3) Escape Games
Escape rooms have become a popular form of entertainment in recent years, with people flocking to physical locations to test their problem-solving skills and escape before time runs out.
But if you don’t want to leave the office, you can also enjoy the thrill of online escape rooms. These online games allow you to experience the excitement and challenge of an escape room without ever leaving your house.
These virtual experiences typically involve solving puzzles, deciphering clues, and working with your team to escape before time runs out. But how can you make online escape rooms even more fun and engaging?
One that we highly recommend is Modern Genius, an online Escape Room that you can play with your colleagues no matter where you are. You can do it in the office or if you're working from home.
If you’re looking for more great online escape rooms to try out, you should visit these lists of online escape rooms that work perfectly for the workplace.
4) Murder Mystery Games
Murder mystery games are a form of interactive theater where players take on the roles of characters in a fictional story and work together to solve a murder. Involve all members of the team. Assign each person a character in the story, and give them a specific role in the investigation. This will encourage teamwork and communication, as everyone must work together to solve the mystery.
Don’t be afraid to get creative with the murder mystery game. Create clues relevant to your workplace, such as emails or memos that the players must decipher. You can even incorporate inside jokes or references to your workplace culture to make the experience fun.
One of our personal favorites is Blood, Gold, and a Night of Jazz by team break. It's a fun game that could cater up to sixteen players at a time. Check it out here now.
Do you want to find more ready-made murder mystery games for your team? Check out this list of 14 murder mystery games you can play online or offline.
5) Office Bingo
Playing office bingo is simple. Each player gets a bingo card with tasks or events that might happen in the office, such as "someone spills coffee on their shirt" or "the boss tells a bad joke."
As these events happen, players mark off the corresponding square on their bingo card before the time limit runs up. The first player to get all squares marked off (or the one with the most squares filled before the time limit) wins the game.
Create bingo cards that are specific to your office or workplace. Include inside jokes or references to your workplace culture to make the game more engaging and enjoyable. Don’t forget to offer a prize for the winner of the game, such as a gift card or a small trophy. This will add friendly competition to the game and encourage players to participate.
6) Two Truths and One Lie
Two Truths and one lie is a classic icebreaker game perfect for getting to know new people or sparking conversations among coworkers. The game is simple: each person shares three statements about themselves, two of which are true and one a lie. The other players then have to guess which statement is the lie.
You can customize the game to fit your group's interests or the occasion. For example, if you're playing with coworkers, you could make statements about work-related experiences or funny stories from the office. If you're playing with friends, you could make statements about hobbies, travel experiences, or personal achievements.
Suppose you want to, keep score and award points to players who correctly guess the lie. You could even set a prize for the winner, such as a gift card or a round of drinks. Sometimes, even just bragging rights will do the trick!
7) Never Have I Ever
Another classic party game you can play at work is Never Have I Ever. This one is also perfect for getting to know your friends or sparking conversations among coworkers. If you want to make a few rounds of Never Have I Ever more interesting, use it as an opportunity for personal development or building empathy among players. Instead of simply sharing experiences, you can encourage players to reflect on their goals, aspirations, and areas for growth.
Another way to make Never Have I Evermore fun is to use it to build deeper connections among players. Instead of stating things you have never done, you could reframe the game to say things that you have struggled with or have been difficult for you. This creates an opportunity for players to connect on a deeper level and support one another through difficult times.
8) Lunch & Learn & Game
A Lunch & Learn & Game is an event or activity combining professional development, socialization, and entertainment elements. Having a group of people together for a lunch break or other convenient time, giving them a learning opportunity, and then getting them involved in a fun, engaging game or activity is the core concept behind this game.
The "Lunch" aspect of a Lunch & Learn & Game often entails giving attendees a complimentary lunch or snack throughout the event. You can provide free lunch for the whole team because who doesn't like free lunch? But if you're on a budget or if your company is tight on finances, you can opt to have a potluck style or offer that the company pays for coffee, snacks, or dessert.
The "Learn" component of a Lunch & Learn & Game is the event's educational component. Depending on the participants' jobs or interests, this can entail a presentation or workshop.
For example, you can arrange a Lunch & Learn & Game on a new software program or technology they are introducing. A group of coworkers might come together to learn about a new industry trend or best practice.
Finally, the "Game" component of a Lunch & Learn & Game is the fun and interactive part of the event. This can involve playing a quiz game, team-building activity, or participating in a sport like mini-golf. This event's educational component can teach attendees how to apply what they have learned fun and interestingly while fostering relationships and having a good time.
9) Office-Wide Scavenger Hunt
An office-wide scavenger hunt is a team-building activity involving a group of people working together to solve clues or puzzles that lead them to various locations or items within the office or workplace.
Aside from creating a sense of pleasure and excitement among participants, the scavenger hunt promotes cooperation, communication, problem-solving, and innovation. The event planner will normally create a list of hints or puzzles that direct participants to various locations or objects within the office or workplace to plan an office-wide scavenger hunt.
The hints could consist of word games, riddles, or other puzzles that call for teamwork and creative thinking from participants to be solved. Teams with members are typically formed, and each team gets a puzzle to complete. The teams then compete against one another to see who can unravel all the puzzle pieces and arrive at the endpoint or finish the scavenger hunt first.
Participants may be required to fulfill a variety of challenges or tasks throughout the scavenger hunt, such as shooting pictures or films, gathering objects, or beating physical or mental obstacles.
The exercises can promote creativity, teamwork, and communication while increasing participant engagement and enjoyment of the event.
10) Karaoke Contest
A Karaoke Contest is a musical competition where employees take turns singing their favorite songs in front of their colleagues. At the end of the competition, you select winners based on a panel of judges or the Karaoke machine score if you have one. You can also use an app like Karaoke by Yokee Music if you want something simpler and more streamlined.
Employees can enjoy themselves, take a break from their normal work, and forge closer bonds with coworkers by hosting a Karaoke Contest. The bottom line is that a Karaoke Contest is a fun and interactive way to foster a pleasant work environment.
11) Conference Table Ice Curling
If you've ever seen the Olympic sport of Curling, you'll somewhat understand how Conference Table Ice Curling works. This version is adapted for play in an office or conference room setting. This team activity has participants slide tiny pucks or stones over a flat surface, such as a conference table, toward a target area.
The game's goal is to get the pucks close to the target. Award points based on how many pucks reach the goal closest to them. To help control the direction and pace of the pucks, players sweep the area in front of them with brooms or brushes. Each team in the game takes turns sliding the pucks in the direction of the target.
Once you use all the pucks, you award points based on how close each puck is to the target area. Ice curling at conference tables is a creative way to encourage cooperation, dialogue, and problem-solving abilities in a business environment.
This game is accessible and straightforward to set up, as you can play it with basic and affordable equipment.
12) Group Juggle
If you want a team-building game to improve team communication (and some hand-to-eye coordination), you should try Group Juggle. This game involves a group of people standing in a circle and passing an object around while trying to keep it in the air. Any safe, lightweight object, like a beanbag or softball, can be the target.
Have everyone face one another as they stand in a circle. To begin, one individual throws the item to a different group member. After that, the next person throws it to the next, and so on. The object must remain in the air without touching the earth for as long as you can. The group must begin again if the object touches the ground.
By introducing more objects into the mix, changing the direction of the toss, or introducing various throwing tactics (such as underhand or behind the back), the group can enhance the difficulty as the game progresses.
13) The Perfect Square
The Perfect Square Game is a fun and challenging puzzle game that people of all ages can play. To finish the challenge, players must employ strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities. You can do this as an individual challenge with all your staff members or break your team into smaller teams that will equal members.
The goal of each player or team is to create a perfect square out of a set of tiles or blocks. The aim is to find the ideal combination of the tiles, which are typically diverse sizes and shapes, to produce a square with no gaps or overlaps.
Players each get a set of tiles or blocks and a predetermined playing space, such as a table or a flat surface. After the tiles have been shuffled or mixed, each player has a turn choosing and placing a tile on the game board.
Players must carefully consider their actions as the game develops to eliminate gaps or overlaps preventing them from building a complete square. Players need to consider the size and shape of each tile, as this will affect how they come together.
14) The Price is Right in the Office
The Price is Right in the Office is a fun and interactive game that brings the excitement of the classic game show to your workplace. Employees compete to correctly estimate the costs of various products related to the workplace to win rewards and bragging rights.
The organizer gathers office supplies, like desk organizers, staplers, and paper clips, to play The Price is Right in the Office. The products must be simple to identify and have a distinct market value. Employees then take turns estimating the price of each item without going over as the organizer shows each one individually.
The employee who correctly estimates the item's retail price without exceeding it receives a point. The employee with the most points at the end of the game is crowned the winner and given a reward.
You can include many rounds and challenges to up the fun and interest level of the game. For instance, you might hold a "Showcase Showdown" round where employees compete to estimate the total cost of various office supplies. Employees could also participate in a "Bonus Round," in which they must determine a mystery item's cost.
15) GeoGuessr
GeoGuessr is an online geography-based game that uses Google Maps Street View. Players get dropped off at a random place anywhere in the world. Your goal is to determine the location by observing the local language, climate, plants, architecture, and other factors.
The player receives more points for the prediction closest to the correct place. The game can be tailored to incorporate particular nations or themes. You can play it alone or with others.
16) Childhood Photos
Childhood Photos is another one of the more popular games that you've probably even already heard about. But it makes this list because it guarantees a great time and some laugh as you see your colleagues sporting retro outfits and old hairdos in their early years!
To play, have your team members bring baby pictures or childhood photos. Put them in a pile and shuffle them. Have each of your team members pick up one image and have them guess who it is.
You can even make this an opportunity to learn new things about one another by having the photo owner share a little more context to the photo- when it was taken, what event or occasion it was, and one happy memory from that photo.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I have fun with my coworkers?
Trying some of the above games should bring fun times with your coworkers. But don't feel like you're limited to games. You can also try out office events and gathers like team-building activities, board games, virtual trivia nights, going to happy hour together, team brunches, or even offsite outings.
The key is to have a sincere desire to get to know people in your company or from different departments more. There are aspects to that that you can engineer through simple games and activities. But you must also foster an inclusive, empathetic, and genuine culture.
How do you host fun activities in the office?
To run some fun games and activities in the office, you first need to understand what makes your team members tick. Try to ask others what their hobbies and preferences are. Build your games around that to ensure everyone will enjoy the fun office games you put together.
Then, discuss ideas for games and activities that connect with those interests. Set a day, time, and location for the activity, and promote participation through friendly competition and incentives like awards or rewards. Finally, ensure the activity is inclusive and fosters a pleasant and courteous working culture.
What can make employees happy at work?
Playing office games while taking a break from routine activities can increase employee happiness at work. Playing games with coworkers can also encourage teamwork, friendly competition, and collaboration, improving working relationships and raising morale.
Employers can create a productive and entertaining work atmosphere for their staff by adding games to the workday.
What is important about having fun at work?
If you want to enjoy your job, it's important to establish a friendly and upbeat workplace culture that encourages employee well-being and promotes a sense of community. You can also create a positive workplace by incorporating games and activities that align with the employees' hobbies and preferences.
Final Words
A sense of purpose and fulfillment and a balance between work and play can foster happiness and contentment at work. So, go ahead and play some games at work. Some fun office activities will do everyone some good. It will benefit your team and company, plus you’ll all have a lot of fun. Enjoy!