The Top Online Team Building Games for Remote Teams

Jagaad Software House
JAGAAD Digital Solutions
5 min readFeb 16, 2024

In a fully remote international IT company like Jagaad, it’s crucial to keep strong connections among team members, even though colleagues are miles apart. Building good relationships helps colleagues work better together, understand each other’s strengths, and support one another. These relationships create a positive work environment and make a company stronger as a team.

In our last article “Enhancing Remote Company Culture with Top 6 Online Activities”, we talked about how we make our remote company culture better by doing engaging activities online.

In this article, we’re going to explore some cool games we play together!

Benefits of playing team building games

  • Help teams trust each other more.
  • Make communication better.
  • Make team members feel happier and more motivated.
  • Encourage colleagues to work together.
  • Make team stronger and more supportive.

1. Mafia

Players are assigned roles like Mafia, Detective, and Villagers. The Mafia’s goal is to eliminate all other players without getting caught, while the Villagers and Detective aim to identify and eliminate the Mafia.

This game encourages strategy, communication, and critical thinking among team members. Players must analyze others’ behavior, form alliances, and use deductive reasoning to succeed. It fosters teamwork as players collaborate to achieve their goals.

It helps break the ice and it’s a refreshing break from typical work tasks, promoting creativity.

To organize and play Mafia effectively in a virtual setting, use platforms like the one provided (https://mafiathegame.benrobinson.dev/). Ensure everyone understands the rules and assigned roles. Encourage active participation and open communication throughout the game. Remember, there are various versions of Mafia available online, so feel free to explore different options to find the one that best suits your team.

Mafia cards

2. Gartic Phone

Gartic Phone is a fun drawing and guessing game that’s perfect for remote teams. Here’s how it works: players take turns either drawing a prompt or guessing what others have drawn. Each drawing gets passed to another player, who has to interpret it, leading to hilarious results.

This game is a hit because it promotes creativity, laughter, and collaboration among team members. Participants get to flex their artistic skills, interpret others’ drawings, and enjoy plenty of laughs along the way.

To incorporate Gartic Phone into virtual team-building sessions, simply visit https://garticphone.com/. Set up a game room and invite team members to join.

Gartic phone web application

3. Charades

Charades, a classic team-building game, can be easily adapted for online play. Players take turns acting out a word or phrase without speaking while teammates guess what it is.

This game is a top because it encourages quick thinking, communication, and teamwork. Participants must use gestures to convey messages, and rely on each other’s clues to succeed. It’s a fantastic way to foster collaboration among team members.

To organize and play Charades virtually with remote teams, first, choose a video conferencing platform for communication. Next, assign a moderator to keep track of scores and time. Then, divide players into teams and use a digital Charades generator to generate words or phrases. Another way to adapt it for online play is by allowing players to give words to each other and play individually rather than in teams.

Teambuilding activity

4. Guess Who Is It

Guess Who Is It is a game perfect for virtual team building where participants provide pictures and facts about themselves, and others try to guess who they’re talking about.

It’s a fantastic way to get to know each other better. It promotes collaboration as teammates work together to uncover the mystery.

To play “Guess Who Is It” effectively in an online setting, start by setting up a platform where participants can share pictures and facts, such as a shared document or presentation. Encourage everyone to contribute their own information. Allocate time for discussion and sharing stories about each person revealed during the game.

“Guess Who Is It” Jagaad’s teambuilding

5. Never Have I Ever

Never Have I Ever can easily be adapted for remote play by having participants take turns making statements starting with “Never have I ever…” followed by something they’ve never done. Others who have done that thing reveal it, promoting conversation and sharing experiences.

This game is a fantastic icebreaker for virtual teams as it encourages openness. It allows team members to learn more about each other in a fun and relaxed setting, building connections along the way.

To incorporate “Never Have I Ever” into virtual team gatherings, designate a moderator to guide the game. Use video conferencing platforms for seamless communication and interaction.

It’s crucial to include team-building games in remote work routines to boost relationships and cultivate a positive company culture. Trying out the suggested games with your remote teams can be a fun way to build stronger bonds. So, let’s get started and enjoy building connections together!

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