Building rapport with remote colleagues doesn't need a big offsite or a budget. The most effective thing is small and frequent: short games you drop into a normal workday that slowly turn coworkers into a team.
Here are fun games to play with colleagues online that take 15 minutes or less — and actually get played more than once.
The rule that makes it work
Keep it short, keep it optional, and avoid anyone publicly losing. Done lightly, a quick game reads as a welcome break — not mandatory fun.
Meeting warm-ups (2–5 minutes)
- Two truths and a lie — one round at the top of a call. Instant personality, zero setup.
- Word association — host says a word, everyone adds one in turn, no repeats. Fast and funny.
- This or that — quick either/or polls (tea or coffee, beach or mountains) in the chat.
- One-word check-in — everyone drops a single word for how they're feeling. Tiny, but it builds the habit of speaking up.
Coffee-break games (10–15 minutes)
- Psych — invent fake answers to fool each other; great for newer groups.
- Quick trivia — five questions on a rotating theme; let different colleagues pick the topic.
- Pictionary / Drawful — light, creative, no trivia knowledge needed.
- Emoji stories — describe your weekend (or a project) in emojis only; others guess.
Building rapport, not just killing time
The point isn't the game — it's the side conversations it unlocks. A colleague's terrible drawing or surprising "lie" becomes the in-joke that makes the next meeting warmer. That's why frequency beats production value.
For a bigger list of games, see 10 online fun games for teams; to pick the right one for a specific goal, use our framework for choosing online games for teams; and for the wider picture, remote team building ideas that actually work.
When you want more than a break
Quick games keep a remote team connected week to week. But when you want to genuinely invest in colleague relationships — a new joiner, a team that's drifted, an end-of-quarter thank-you — a hosted experience lands deeper. ChefPassport's virtual cooking classes bring colleagues into one shared kitchen online, ingredients delivered and a chef guiding the cook, so the rapport-building has something delicious at its centre.
Frequently asked questions
What are good virtual games to play with coworkers?
Short, low-pressure ones: two truths and a lie, word association, a quick trivia round, or Pictionary on a shared screen. They build rapport with coworkers in 10-15 minutes without taking a chunk out of the workday.
What are good quick games to play with colleagues online?
The best workday games are short and need no setup: 'two truths and a lie', word association, a one-question icebreaker poll, or a 5-minute trivia burst. They fit inside a normal meeting and build rapport without taking a chunk out of the day.
How do you build rapport with remote colleagues?
Small and often beats big and rare. A two-minute icebreaker at the top of recurring meetings, a casual channel for non-work chat, and the occasional 15-minute game do more for coworker relationships than one quarterly event.
Won't colleagues find games at work cringe?
Some will, if it's forced or too long. Keep it short, make participation genuinely optional, and pick low-pressure formats (no public losing). Done lightly, it reads as a welcome break rather than mandatory fun.
What's a good game for a team that doesn't know each other yet?
Low-stakes sharing games work best for new groups — 'two truths and a lie', 'this or that' polls, or Psych. They reveal personality without putting anyone on the spot, which is exactly what a new team needs.
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