15 Quick Team-Building Games Your Team Will Actually Enjoy

Have you walked into a meeting where your team sits silently, staring at their screens like they’re watching paint dry? It’s a common sight in today’s workplace, especially among remote teams.

This disconnect can drain motivation and creativity, leaving managers and team leads feeling as though they’re pouring effort into a bottomless pit. The good news is that investing time in team bonding can break down those barriers and spark genuine connections.

Team building games are among the best ways to encourage collaboration and create an environment where everyone feels valued and heard. Consider using employee engagement software to support these activities. These platforms can help you track participation, measure engagement, and gather valuable feedback to improve future team-building events.

Check out our article for a fun mix of indoor, outdoor, and virtual team-building games that will keep your team engaged, connected, and ready to tackle any challenge!

Why are team-building games important? 

Team-building activities help employees connect with one another beyond job titles, org charts, and day-to-day tasks. By creating shared experiences, these activities encourage people to see their teammates as individuals with different strengths, perspectives, and communication styles. Whether it’s a quick icebreaker, a collaborative problem-solving game, or a casual outing like lunch or a day at the park, these moments help break down barriers that can form in busy or remote work environments.

Stronger personal connections naturally lead to better communication. When people feel comfortable with their teammates, they’re more likely to speak up in meetings, ask questions, and share ideas without fear of judgment. Team-building activities help create a psychological safety environment, where employees feel heard and supported, which is essential for collaboration and innovation.

Beyond improving communication, team-building activities also strengthen how teams perform under real work conditions. Teams that trust one another tend to resolve conflicts more quickly, collaborate more effectively, and remain engaged during high-pressure projects. For example, after participating in a team-building activity, an employee may feel more confident contributing a creative idea or offering constructive feedback. Over time, these small moments of confidence and trust translate into stronger teamwork, higher productivity, and more successful outcomes.

What are some quick team-building games?

Not every team-building game requires hours of preparation or elaborate planning. Quick team-building games are designed to fit easily into busy schedules, whether you’re kicking off a meeting, re-energizing the group after a long discussion, or filling a short gap between agenda items. Many of these games can be completed in under 30 minutes and need little to no preparation, making them ideal for both in-office and remote teams.

These activities focus on simple but powerful outcomes: encouraging participation, improving communication, and helping team members feel more comfortable interacting with one another.

1. Game of Possibilities 

Give each person in a group a random object. Each person then stands up with their object and silently pantomimes a possible, not necessarily logical, use for the object. The other people guess what the use is.

2. Silver Lining Swap 

One person shares a negative life experience with a partner. Then, they have to retell the story, focusing on the positive parts. Their partner helps them identify the silver linings. Then, the partners switch.

3. Mission Mix

Before a meeting, each person should share what they hope to contribute to the meeting with other attendees. For example, someone might say, “I hope to provide insights on improving our team’s workflow,” while another might share, “I aim to suggest new strategies for our marketing campaign.” You can incentivize this by offering a prize for the person who talks to the most people or for anyone who indeed contributes what they say they will.

4. Scavenger Hunt 

Assign each group a list of wacky tasks/dares. For example, take a selfie with a stranger, hop down the street on one foot, or do something similar. Whichever team completes all its tasks the most quickly wins.

5. Human Knot 

All participants stand in a circle, facing inward with shoulders touching. Then, everyone extends their right hand to grab the hand of someone across from them. Next, everyone extends their left hand and grabs another hand. Give them 5 minutes to untangle themselves without releasing any hands. 

6. The Perfect Square 

Everyone stands in a circle, each holding a part of the rope. Then, everyone puts on their blindfold, drops the rope, and walks a short distance away. Next, everyone returns and tries to make a square around the rope while blindfolded. To increase the challenge, set a time limit and/or ask some team members (especially those who are typically talkative) to remain silent.

7. The Minefield 

You’ll need an open space. Scatter the objects across it. Have everyone partner up, then have one person in each pair wear a blindfold. Their partner must guide them through the “minefield” with words only. To increase the challenge, limit pairs to certain routes they must take.

8. The Egg Drop 

Break out your people into groups and have them choose office supplies from a pile. Teams then have a set amount of time to build contraptions that will protect the egg. Then, drop each contraction from a height and see which team engineered the best protection.

9. The Barter Puzzle 

Each group is given a puzzle, but with a few pieces from other groups’ puzzles mixed in. The team must negotiate with other teams to retrieve those pieces, whether it means swapping team members, bartering, or whatever. All decisions must be made as a group. Place a time limit to increase the challenge.

10. Two Truths and a Lie 

Everyone sits in a circle and takes turns telling two truths and a lie about themselves. The lie should be believable. At each turn, the other people guess which thing the person was lying about.

11. Blind Drawing 

Have everyone form pairs, sitting back-to-back. One partner has the picture, and the other has a pen and paper. The partner with the picture must describe it without actually describing it, and the partner with the pen and paper must draw it from their partner’s vague description.

12. Kahoot Quiz

Host a trivia quiz using Kahoot. Create a series of questions about a topic (e.g., general knowledge, company trivia), and participants answer them in real time via their devices. Points are awarded for speed and accuracy, and a leaderboard keeps track of scores.

13. Virtual Bingo

Players receive digital bingo cards and mark off items as the host calls them out. You can customize the bingo cards to suit your team’s interests (e.g., “work from home bingo” with items like “pet appeared on camera” or “wore pajamas to the meeting”). The first to get a full line or pattern wins.

14. The Drawing Challenge

Players are divided into teams. One player from each team is assigned to draw a word while the others guess what it is. The team with the most correct guesses in the least amount of time wins.

15. Rose, Thorn, and Bud

Create engaging sets of prompts for each category. For instance, a "Rose" prompt could be "Best work achievement this month," while a "Thorn" prompt might be "A challenge you faced this week."

Participants will select a number, and the host will reveal whether it corresponds to a "Rose," "Thorn," or "Bud." Following this, the participant can share their experiences based on the chosen prompt.

Frequently asked questions about team-building games

Got more questions? We have the answers.

Q1. What are the benefits of team-building games at work?

Team-building games help strengthen relationships, improve communication, and increase employee engagement. Connected teams collaborate more effectively, manage conflicts more efficiently, and remain motivated during challenging projects.

Q2. How long should team-building games last?

The length depends on the goal and setting. Quick team-building games can take as little as 5–15 minutes and are perfect for meetings, while more complex activities may last 30 minutes to a few hours. Short, consistent activities often have the biggest impact.

Q3. What are good team-building games for remote teams?

Virtual team-building games like online quizzes, virtual bingo, drawing challenges, and reflection exercises work well for remote teams. These games encourage participation and connection without requiring everyone to be in the same physical space.

Q4. How often should teams do team-building activities?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but many teams benefit from incorporating small team-building activities regularly, such as weekly icebreakers or monthly games, rather than relying on one large annual event.

Q5. Do team-building games really improve productivity?

Yes, when done consistently and thoughtfully. Team-building games help create psychological safety, improve communication, and build trust, all of which contribute to stronger collaboration and more efficient teamwork over time.

Let’s bring the fun back into teamwork!

Many people underestimate the importance of team-building games or exercises, but the reality is that if you want to observe your employees collaborating during stressful situations and demonstrating their problem-solving skills, these activities are essential. Being a good worker is important, but being a team player is equally crucial. 

Check out meeting management software to help you automate processes while you people-manage like a pro. 

This article was originally published in 2019. It has been updated with new information.