Remote teams
15 Fun Games to Play With Remote Coworkers
· 9 min read
Playing games with colleagues you mostly see in a video grid is harder than in an office. Cameras are off, there is lag on every joke, and nobody wants to unmute first. The games that work let people join in by typing or tapping, run in a browser with no download, and have a clear host keeping things moving.
Here are 15 fun games to play with remote coworkers: quizzes and puzzles, drawing games, and a few well-known online party games, free and paid. For each one you get the time, the group size, and how to set it up on a call.
Quick guide
| Game | Time | Group size | Works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team trivia | 15–20 min | Any, in teams | Remote |
| Codenames Online | 20–30 min | 4–10 | Remote |
| Two truths and a lie | 10–15 min | 4–30 | Remote |
| skribbl.io | 15–20 min | 3–12 | Remote |
| Emoji Pictionary | 15–20 min | 6+ | Remote |
| Gartic Phone | 15–20 min | 4–20 | Remote |
| Survey says | 10–15 min | 6+ | Remote |
| Jackbox Games | 20–45 min | 3–10 per game | Remote |
| Rebus puzzles | 10 min | Any, in teams | Remote |
| GeoGuessr | 15–20 min | 2+ | Remote |
| Flag and map quiz | 10–15 min | Any, in teams | Remote |
| Finish the sentence | 10 min | 6+ | Remote |
| Virtual escape room | 15–25 min | 4+ | Remote |
| Show and tell | 10 min | Up to 12 | Remote |
| Logo quiz | 10 min | Any, in teams | Remote |
1. Team trivia
15–20 min · Any, in teams people · remote
How it works: Split the call into teams and run a multiple-choice quiz. Each team confers in its own chat and answers together.
Why it works: The most reliable remote game there is: everyone knows how it works and nobody has to perform on camera.
With TeamPlay: TeamPlay runs it from one shared screen. Players answer on their own phone or laptop and the app keeps score. See how it plays.
2. Codenames Online
20–30 min · 4–10 people · remote
How it works: Two teams, a grid of 25 words, and one clue-giver per team who links words with a one-word clue. The official browser version at codenames.game is free; share the room link on the call.
Why it works: Clever, calm and very social. Great for teams who'd rather think than shout.
3. Two truths and a lie
10–15 min · 4–30 people · remote
How it works: One person shares two true statements and one false one. Everyone else votes on the lie.
Why it works: The best get-to-know-you game for colleagues who have only ever seen each other's faces in a grid.
With TeamPlay: Statements are typed, teams vote on their own devices, and the author scores for fooling the room. See how it plays.
4. skribbl.io
15–20 min · 3–12 people · remote
How it works: A free browser drawing game: one player draws a word with the mouse, the others type guesses. Create a private room and paste the link in the chat.
Why it works: Free, instant and nobody needs an account. Mouse drawings are reliably hilarious.
5. Emoji Pictionary
15–20 min · 6+ people · remote
How it works: One player describes a word using only emoji while teammates guess. No letters or numbers allowed.
Why it works: All the fun of Pictionary without anyone having to draw with a trackpad.
With TeamPlay: Imojination gives the drawer an emoji canvas everyone sees on the shared screen, and teammates type guesses. See how it plays.
6. Gartic Phone
15–20 min · 4–20 people · remote
How it works: A free browser version of telephone with drawings: write a sentence, the next person draws it, the next describes the drawing, and so on. Watch the chains at the end.
Why it works: The reveal at the end, when "our Q3 roadmap" has become a horse on fire, is worth the whole game.
7. Survey says
10–15 min · 6+ people · remote
How it works: Teams guess the most popular answers to a prompt like "Something people do on mute."
Why it works: Remote-work prompts land especially well with a remote team.
With TeamPlay: Teams type guesses and each right one flips over on the board. See how it plays.
8. Jackbox Games
20–45 min · 3–10 per game people · remote
How it works: Paid party game packs. One person buys a pack and shares their screen; everyone else joins from their phone at jackbox.tv with a room code.
Why it works: Polished and very funny, and only the host needs to buy it.
9. Rebus puzzles
10 min · Any, in teams people · remote
How it works: Show picture puzzles that hide a phrase and let teams race to crack them in their own chat.
Why it works: Works perfectly on a shared screen and needs no explanation.
With TeamPlay: Every team sees the puzzle when the clock starts and the fastest right teams score most. See how it plays.
10. GeoGuessr
15–20 min · 2+ people · remote
How it works: You're dropped somewhere on Street View and have to guess where in the world you are. It's a paid subscription with a party mode for groups.
Why it works: Teams with colleagues in different countries get very competitive about their home turf.
11. Flag and map quiz
10–15 min · Any, in teams people · remote
How it works: Teams name a country from its flag, then place it on a map.
Why it works: A lighter take on geography that suits a team-vs-team call.
With TeamPlay: In Pin It! teams drop a pin on a borderless map and closer pins score more. See how it plays.
12. Finish the sentence
10 min · 6+ people · remote
How it works: Put up a prompt with a gap. Everyone writes an ending, then the room votes for the funniest.
Why it works: Typing instead of talking means the quiet colleagues get the biggest laughs.
With TeamPlay: Punchline keeps entries anonymous until the votes are in. See how it plays.
13. Virtual escape room
15–25 min · 4+ people · remote
How it works: Teams solve a chain of puzzle locks, each opening the next, before time runs out.
Why it works: Real teamwork under a little pressure, and it works well as the centrepiece of a longer virtual social.
With TeamPlay: Bigger groups get a different lock per team, and the room only escapes when every lock is open. See how it plays.
14. Show and tell
10 min · Up to 12 people · remote
How it works: Everyone grabs one object within arm's reach and explains it in a sentence or two.
Why it works: Being on camera at home is the point here: pets, plants and odd souvenirs start real conversations.
15. Logo quiz
10 min · Any, in teams people · remote
How it works: Show a tight crop of a brand logo and zoom out until a team names it.
Why it works: Everyone recognises logos, so everyone can play.
With TeamPlay: Logo Zoom pulls back on its own, and quicker answers score more. See how it plays.
How to run games with a remote team
- Use the call you already have. Every game here works on Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet: one person shares their screen and everyone else joins with a link or code. Our guide to games on Teams and Zoom walks through it.
- Play in teams. Small teams with their own chat give people a reason to talk, and take the pressure off anyone who doesn't know the answer.
- Keep cameras optional. Pick games people can play by typing.
- Mind the time zones. Rotate the slot if the team spans continents, so the same people aren't always playing at 9pm.
- 30–45 minutes is plenty. Three games, with something quick first and something funny last.
Common questions
What are some free online games to play with coworkers?
Codenames Online, skribbl.io and Gartic Phone are all free in the browser with no account needed. TeamPlay is free for up to 15 people and runs trivia, puzzles and party games from one shared screen.
What games can we play remotely as a team?
Trivia, two truths and a lie, emoji and rebus puzzles, drawing games and escape rooms all work well. The key is that each person can play from their own device while one person shares the screen.
What are good games for virtual team building?
Team-based games where people have to talk to each other: escape rooms, survey games, ranking games and team trivia. Our remote team meetings page has a ready-made lineup.
Run a remote game session in one place
Most of the games on this list are built into TeamPlay, so you can run a whole session without switching tools. Share your screen, everyone joins on their own device with a room code, and the app handles teams, timing and scores. It's free for up to 15 people. Host a free session or see all the games.