ExpressWithACard Blog

Introduction: Team Building, Remotely and Enjoyably

Building camaraderie in remote teams can be challenging awkward silences on video calls, people fatigued from constant virtual meetings, and the infamous “forced fun” that makes everyone secretly roll their eyes. But team building is still essential for remote and hybrid teams. It helps combat isolation, improves communication, and creates a sense of belonging. The trick is choosing activities that your team will actually enjoy, rather than ones that feel like an obligation.

The following list of 20 activities has something for every mood and team dynamic high-energy games, creative collaborations, relaxed get-togethers, and meaningful bonding exercises. Mix and match them, and don’t be afraid to ask your team which kinds they’re interested in. The goal is to have fun and strengthen relationships, not to check a box.

Let’s dive into the list! (Note: All activities assume use of a video conferencing platform like Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet, unless otherwise noted.)

1. Virtual Escape Room

Why it’s great: Escape rooms are popular for in-person team building, and now there are many online versions. Your team works together to solve puzzles and “escape” a virtual scenario before time runs out. It’s cooperative, challenging, and exciting.

How to do it: Use a service like The Escape Game, Enchambered, or many others that offer virtual escape experiences. Typically, you’ll split the team into smaller groups (4-6 per room works well) and each group gets a game link. They must communicate effectively “I found a clue with numbers, does anyone see a lock?” which naturally encourages teamwork. Debrief afterwards in the main video call: who escaped? What was the funniest moment?

Enjoyment tip: Pick a theme that suits your team (mystery, fantasy, espionage, etc.). A good facilitator or game-master (sometimes provided by the vendor) makes a big difference to guide play without giving away answers. Most people get really into it you’ll see true collaboration and maybe some friendly competition between groups.

2. Online Trivia Quiz

Why it’s great: Trivia is familiar, easy to set up, and gets those competitive juices flowing in a fun way. It doesn’t require physical presence and can be adapted to your team’s interests.

How to do it: Use a platform like Kahoot!, Mentimeter, or simply share slides with questions. You can find pre-made trivia quizzes or craft your own. Questions can be general knowledge or customised (including some company or team-related fun facts is always a hit). People can play individually or in small teams (breakout rooms for team discussion, then answer via a form).

Enjoyment tip: Keep it light and not overly academic unless your crew loves hardcore trivia. Include a picture or music round for variety (e.g., name that tune, identify the famous landmark). Offer a small prize like a virtual gift card for the winner, or just bragging rights and an “Trivia Champion” custom Slack emoji next to their name for a week. The key is an enthusiastic host to read questions and banter a bit, to create that pub quiz vibe remotely.

3. Two Truths and a Lie: Slack Edition

Why it’s great: A quick icebreaker game that helps team members learn quirky facts about each other, without putting anyone on the spot live on camera for too long. It’s asynchronous (can be spread over a day) which is great for different time zones.

How to do it: In a Slack channel (or Teams chat), have everyone post three statements: two truths, one lie. Colleagues react with an emoji or comment guessing which is the lie. After some time (say, end of day), each person reveals their lie. For example, a teammate might post: “1) I once skydived over the Grand Canyon, 2) I can speak four languages, 3) I was a child actor in a commercial.” Others guess which is false, and you all get surprised by the truths.

Enjoyment tip: Encourage fun or unusual facts. This is not competitive, so it’s pressure-free. It sparks a lot of side conversation (“No way, you speak Japanese? That’s cool!”). If not using Slack, you can do this in a live meeting too, but chat-based can be more relaxed and inclusive. It’s an easy, no-prep activity.

4. Remote Scavenger Hunt

Why it’s great: It gets people moving and being spontaneous. A scavenger hunt can inject energy, especially if folks have been sedentary at their desks. It’s also hilarious to see what people come up with from their home environment.

How to do it: During a video call, the facilitator calls out items or categories one at a time, and team members have to run and fetch something from their home that fits. For example: “Something red”, “An object that represents your hobby”, “The weirdest thing in your fridge right now”, “Something from your desk that you can’t live without”, etc. Give about 30 seconds for each and then everyone (slightly out of breath) shows what they grabbed on camera.

Enjoyment tip: Make the prompts creative or funny. And tailor them if you know some inside jokes (e.g., if one colleague always drinks tea, “your fanciest mug” will prompt a laugh). You can award a point each round for “best item” or “first back” if you want a winner, but often just sharing is fun enough. This is one of those activities where even usually reserved people have fun because it’s inherently silly and not about work at all.

5. “Show Me Your Desk” Tour

Why it’s great: It’s a quick activity that helps humanise everyone’s workspace and shares a bit of personality. Seeing each other’s setups (or the carefully cropped chaos just outside the webcam frame) is oddly fascinating and can inspire some office improvements too.

How to do it: In a team call, give each person a turn to briefly show their desk or home office via their webcam. They can highlight anything they want maybe a favourite gadget, a view from their window, or their comfy chair. It’s informal: “And over here is my dog’s bed he insists on sleeping next to me during work. And yes, that’s a huge pile of papers I promise I’ll file soon!”

Enjoyment tip: Emphasise there’s no pressure to have a Pinterest-perfect office. It often leads to fun moments (“Oh, you have the same keyboard as me!” or “Is that a Darth Vader helmet on your shelf?!”). It’s a small window into colleagues’ daily life that builds empathy and often humor.

6. Pet Show & Tell

Why it’s great: Who doesn’t love pets? Many remote workers have furry (or feathered, scaled…) colleagues at home. This activity brings joy and awww’s all around. It’s especially great because pets often wander into video calls anyway here we give them the spotlight.

How to do it: Dedicate a few minutes for those with pets to introduce them on camera. Each pet parent can share the pet’s name, a quirky habit, or even a trick. For team members without pets, they can show a favourite houseplant (plant parenthood counts!) or even a plushie it’s inclusive of all. We’ve seen everything from cats on keyboards to exotic fish in aquariums shared.

Enjoyment tip: This can be a standalone “pet meeting” or a segment in a regular meeting (like Fridays 4pm “Pets and Plants corner”). The key is embracing the cuteness. It naturally lightens the mood and people bond over being fellow pet lovers. Plus, team members learn each other’s pet names and can ask about them later (“How’s Luna doing?”), adding warmth to future interactions.

7. Virtual Coffee Roulette (Coffee Chat Randomiser)

Why it’s great: In offices, people bump into others and chat; remote teams miss those serendipitous interactions. Coffee Roulette (also known as Donut chats via the Donut app on Slack) pairs people who might not usually talk for a short casual chat. It’s great for cross-team bonding and making new connections.

How to do it: Use a tool (if on Slack, the Donut app can automate pairing) or simply randomly assign people in pairs every two weeks to have a 15-30 minute video coffee/tea chat. No agenda, just talk about anything hobbies, weekend plans, etc. It’s purely social.

Enjoyment tip: Keep it voluntary, but highly encourage it by leading from the top (“I had a Donut chat with someone from accounting and discovered we both love cycling!”). You might provide some icebreaker questions for those who are shy. Some companies even expense the coffee (reimburse a few £ for each person’s drink). It helps recreate the watercooler experience and often sparks friendships or at least friendlier slack DMs thereafter.

8. Online Pictionary or Drawing Games

Why it’s great: Drawing games lead to a lot of laughter, whether the drawings are surprisingly good or hilariously bad. It’s interactive and doesn’t require any special skill (in fact, the worse the drawing, often the funnier).

How to do it: Use free online tools like Skribbl.io or Drawasaurus which provide prompts and let people draw in real time while others guess. Alternatively, Zoom’s whiteboard or MS Teams’ Whiteboard can be used one person knows the word and draws, others shout out guesses. You can play in teams or all-against-all for points.

Enjoyment tip: Choose simple categories for prompts (objects, animals, movies, etc.) or even custom ones including company inside jokes for an extra giggle. Make sure everyone gets a turn to draw if they want (some may pass if they’re on a trackpad it’s fine). This game tends to get everyone smiling. If someone is shy to speak, they can still participate by typing guesses. The real win is the funny art that can be screenshot and shared on your chat later as “masterpieces.”

9. “Who’s That Baby?” Game

Why it’s great: It’s a guessing game that invites nostalgia and lots of “awww” moments. You get to see a different side of colleagues (literally, them as little kids!). It’s a fun equaliser and conversation starter (“That was you with the bowl cut? Cute!”).

How to do it: In advance, have team members send you a baby or childhood photo of themselves (toddler age works well). Assemble them in a slide deck or just have them ready to screen share one by one. During the meeting, show a photo and everyone guesses which team member it is. After guesses, reveal the answer maybe that person can tell a quick funny story about the photo if there is one. Continue through all photos.

Enjoyment tip: Encourage participation but don’t force anyone deeply uncomfortable (most people love this though). If your team is large, do a subset at a time (e.g., five photos per session as a recurring segment). It can be competitive (keep score of who guesses the most correctly) or just casual. This is especially great for teams who’ve worked together a while surprise revelations (“I can’t believe no one guessed me!”) and discovering someone was a child chess prodigy or had a huge 90s fashion moment can be delightful.

10. Virtual Team Trivia about Team Members

Why it’s great: Rather than general trivia (which we covered as #2), this quiz is all about your team. It’s a fantastic way to celebrate personalities and get to know each other better. And everyone has a fair shot because it’s about colleagues, not random facts.

How to do it: Beforehand, collect little-known facts or fun preferences from each team member via a quick survey. Questions like “What’s your secret talent?” or “Name one thing on your bucket list” or “Favourite movie/book?” just make sure the answers aren’t common knowledge. Then create a quiz: “Whose secret talent is fire juggling?” with multiple choice options listing a few names. Everyone votes, then reveal the correct person (who can elaborate if they want). Do a series of these questions.

Enjoyment tip: Make sure the facts collected are comfortable to share and not too revealing keep it light. People get a kick out of learning, say, three teammates all have skydived or someone met a celebrity once. It sparks follow-up conversations (“Tell us about that time you met Beyoncé!”). You can run this live with polling, or asynchronously as a Google Form quiz for fun. It’s team bonding disguised as a game.

11. Remote Karaoke or Lip Sync Battle

Why it’s great: This one’s for the bold and musical (or musically enthusiastic). Karaoke can be very fun, and even more fun when people are at home they might feel more comfortable belting out a tune in their own space. Lip sync battles are a lower pressure variant (no actual singing required, just dramatic miming!).

How to do it: Use a video call and a bot or screen share for music (watch out for lag maybe individuals play their own backing track). Have volunteers sing a short song or a chorus. For a lip sync battle, they can go all out with props or costumes and not worry about vocals. Others can cheer and rate performances (all in good fun). If doing karaoke, having lyrics on screen via a YouTube karaoke video helps.

Enjoyment tip: This is definitely opt-in; not everyone will be comfy. But even a few extroverts doing it will entertain the rest. You can pair it with a relaxed virtual happy hour so people have a beverage and are in a let-loose mood. Also, consider thematic rounds e.g., 80s hits, boy band ballads, etc., to add humor. One can also adapt this to a Musical Guessing Game if no one wants to sing: someone hums or whistles a tune and others guess the song. Keep it pressure-free and supportive lots of clapping and laughing, never American Idol-style criticism!

12. Cooking or Cocktail Class (Virtual)

Why it’s great: Shared experiences are bonding. Doing a class together, like a cooking or mixology class, gives a collaborative vibe as you all attempt the same recipe and compare results. It’s hands-on and appeals to the foodies or those who love learning new skills.

How to do it: Pick a simple recipe that most can do in their kitchens, or a cocktail (and a mocktail version for non-drinkers). Send out an ingredient list a week ahead so people can shop. Then on the call, either one team member who’s a decent cook can lead, or you hire a virtual class instructor. Everyone follows along from their kitchen with webcams on. By the end, everyone should have a dish or drink to show off (and consume!).

Enjoyment tip: Choose something fun but not too demanding. For example, a tacos night, homemade pizza, or a fancy salad something in 30-45 minutes. For cocktails, something with 3-4 ingredients max. People will inevitably improvise (“I don’t have lime, using lemon!”) and that’s part of the fun. Encourage showing off the final product on camera even have a vote on whose looks most like the recipe photo! This doubles as a social event as you chat while cooking. And if someone burns something, well, it’s a story for next time.

13. Lightning Talks Show

Why it’s great: Many team members have hidden passions or expertise outside of their job role. Lightning talks (short, informal presentations) let people share something they love or know a lot about. It’s enjoyable because colleagues get to play “audience” and learn quirky or interesting things from each other.

How to do it: Ask a few volunteers to prepare a 5-minute max presentation on anything they’re interested in (other than work stuff). Could be a hobby, a weird history fact, travel experience, tips for brewing perfect coffee, etc. In a meeting, give each their slot (with or without slides). It’s like a mini TED-talk series but very relaxed.

Enjoyment tip: Emphasise that slides or slick speaking aren’t required this isn’t meant to be stressful. It could even be a show-and-tell format (“Here’s my collection of vintage comic books let me show you my favourite cover!”). The variety keeps it engaging. Others can ask a question or two after each talk. You’ll discover talents and stories someone might teach the team a few words of Italian, or explain basics of astronomy with enthusiasm. It’s both educational and a way to appreciate colleagues’ personalities.

14. Five-Minute Games at Standups

Why it’s great: If your team has regular standup meetings or weekly check-ins, throwing in a quick 5-minute game can energise everyone and become something they look forward to. It breaks up routine without taking much time.

How to do it: There are many quick games to play virtually:

• “Emoji of the Day”: everyone posts an emoji in chat that describes their current mood or yesterday’s highlight, and can share if they want.
• “Riddle/Puzzle”: present a brain teaser and see who gets it by end of meeting.
• “This or That”: rapid-fire poll (“Coffee or Tea?”, “Ocean or Mountains?”) to spark tiny debates.
• “Word Association”: one person says a word, next person quickly says first word that comes to mind, popcorn through a few people often ends in laughs.
  These take just a couple minutes and can lighten up the mood while still keeping the meeting on track.

Enjoyment tip: Rotate responsibility for the mini-game so it’s not always the manager’s job. People will come up with creative micro-activities. The key is consistency a small fun ritual teams grow to enjoy. It also helps people who are quiet speak up in a low-pressure way (everyone can describe their emoji in one sentence, for instance). Over time, these little moments strengthen the team’s comfort and rapport.

15. Virtual Book Club or Article Club

Why it’s great: For teams that enjoy learning or discussing ideas, a book club provides intellectual bonding. It doesn’t even have to be a whole book could be a short article or TED talk to discuss. The activity creates meaningful conversation beyond work topics.

How to do it: Pick a book (business, fiction, doesn’t matter perhaps rotate who chooses) and give a few weeks for people to read it. Then have a video meeting to chat about it. If a whole book is too much commitment, try an “Article club” where someone shares a thought-provoking article or 10-minute TED video each month, and folks discuss their takeaways for 20 minutes at lunch. Keep it voluntary but open to all.

Enjoyment tip: Offer it as a relaxed forum, not like school. It’s fine if not everyone finishes the reading; they can still listen in. Have some icebreaker questions ready (many books have reading group questions available online). People often enjoy hearing colleagues’ perspectives on things outside of the immediate work context you might learn someone has a deep knowledge of history or a unique life philosophy. It enriches team understanding of each other.

16. “Secret Compliment” Exchange

Why it’s great: Remote work can sometimes feel thankless. A “secret compliment” or appreciation exchange ensures everyone gets a morale boost from a peer. It’s like Secret Santa but instead of gifts, you give kind words. It builds positivity and team cohesion.

How to do it: Randomly assign each team member another person to be a “secret appreciator” for (ensure it's circular so everyone both gives and receives). Over the course of a week, they should send an anonymous compliment or message of appreciation to that person. This can be done through an anonymous form or a manager can relay them. At week’s end, reveal all the messages so everyone sees what was said about them. For example: “To Maria: I’ve learned so much from your calm approach to problem-solving. You inspire me to be more patient. From Your Secret Complimenter”.

Enjoyment tip: Coach people to be specific (avoid generic praise). An alternative method is to have each person write one positive quality about every other team member, then compile those and send privately to each person a list of what everyone said about them. Reading a list of nice comments from colleagues is guaranteed to make someone’s day (or week!). It’s team building through gratitude. We did something similar as a “Secret Thank You” via Slack bot and it spread so much good.

17. Rotating Playlist or DJ Session

Why it’s great: Music brings people together. Sharing favourite songs can be a fun bonding experience, and it doesn’t require a meeting can be enjoyed asynchronously as well.

How to do it: Create a shared Spotify playlist where each team member adds 2-3 of their current favourite songs or songs around a theme (“Feel-good Friday songs”, “Songs from our teen years”, etc.). Alternatively, in team meetings, have a rotating “DJ of the week” who gets to pick the song that plays as people join the call or at the end. It’s a small thing but can spark conversation: “Who picked this song? I love it!” or “Wow, I’ve never heard this artist, cool choice.”

Enjoyment tip: Themes can make it extra fun (e.g., 80s hits, international music, summer vibes). Just ensure songs are work-appropriate. For the playlist idea, you could play it softly during virtual co-working sessions or share it out for people to enjoy while working individually knowing “these are songs my colleagues like” adds a personal touch. Music preference often unveils fun facts about people and can create new connections (“You like K-pop too?!”).

18. “Zoom In” Photo Challenge

Why it’s great: This is a quick visual puzzle that leverages screen-sharing and gets everyone thinking/guessing. It can be pretty funny when people misidentify things from up-close images.

How to do it: Take close-up photos of common objects around the house (or find some online). Zoomed in so they look abstract or unclear (e.g., the texture of a keyboard, a fruit peel, etc.). Share one image at a time on screen and have the team guess what it is. The first to guess correctly “wins” that round (or you can just play for fun without scoring).

Enjoyment tip: Encourage people to shout out wild guesses, as that often causes laughter (“Is it… alien skin? No, just a kiwi fruit slice!”). You can involve team members by asking each to submit one zoomed photo and you compile them, so they play along not knowing others’ answers. It’s a simple, few-minute activity that activates observation skills and humour. Good as a filler or a warm-up in virtual meetings.

19. Virtual Office Tour Swap

Why it’s great: If your company has multiple office locations or some are in-office and some remote, doing short live “tours” is a way to share environments. Even home-based folks can give a quick outside view or neighbourhood tour via phone camera. It broadens understanding of where colleagues are.

How to do it: Once a month, feature one location or person. E.g., the London office team walks around with a laptop or phone showing the space, the view from the window, maybe introducing a person nearby. Or a remote worker takes their phone to show their home garden where they take breaks. It doesn’t have to be MTV Cribs just a casual show-and-tell of the workspace and surroundings.

Enjoyment tip: Keep it short (5 minutes) and interactive (“Here’s our cafeteria oh look, John is getting a snack, hi John!”). It’s especially nice for connecting distributed offices that never see each other’s spaces. For fully remote companies, people could showcase a favourite local spot (like “this is the park I go to at lunch”). It’s not exactly a game, but it’s a community-building activity that people appreciate because it paints a fuller picture of colleagues’ daily contexts.

20. Casual Drop-In “Watercooler” Sessions

Why it’s great: Not exactly a planned activity, but a structural idea keep a portion of time for simply hanging out, like you would in an office break room. These sessions are enjoyable because they’re unstructured and voluntary true bonding happens in unforced ways.

How to do it: Set up a recurring open video call (say, every Friday at 4pm) where anyone in the team can drop by for a chat while working or winding down. No agenda at all. People can come and go, talk or just listen while doing light work. It mimics being in the same room quietly. Some days it might be empty, other days a few people show up and end up discussing weekend plans or sharing Netflix recommendations.

Enjoyment tip: Make sure leadership supports it (i.e., it’s okay to spend a bit of work time socialising; it is team building). You might seed it by having at least one extrovert commit to being there to welcome others. Over time it can develop into a mini community. It works well because it’s not mandatory those who crave more social interaction have a space, those who don’t aren’t forced into yet another call. When used, it can organically produce some of the best team laughs and insights as close to an actual watercooler chat as you can get remotely.

Bringing It All Together: 

Remote team building works best when it’s inclusive, varied, and low-pressure. What people “actually enjoy” will vary some love goofy games, others prefer deep discussions or creative collaborations. By rotating through different types of activities (and getting input from your team on what they’d like to try), you’ll hit the mark for everyone at least some of the time.

Remember to account for different time zones (offer multiple sessions or asynchronous options like Slack games if needed) and respect that not every activity is everyone’s cup of tea which is why having a roster of 20 to pick from helps. Crucially, don’t force fun as an obligation; frame these as opportunities to relax and connect.

When remote team building is done right, employees don’t groan when they see it on their calendar they actually look forward to it as a highlight of their week or month. Here’s to laughing, learning, and bonding with your remote colleagues, one enjoyable activity at a time!