Here is our list of the best online game night ideas.
Online game night ideas are fun activities that teammates can play virtually during game night. Examples include Identity Thief, Virtual Charades, and Virtual Drinking Games. The purpose of these ideas is to give teammates a chance to unwind and bond with each other.
These events revolve around online team games and can work as virtual team icebreakers, online Fun Friday ideas, and free remote team building activities.
This list includes:
- free online game night ideas
- online family game night ideas
- fun online game night games
- online board game night ideas
Here we go!
List of online game night ideas
From The Dream Team to Online Dinner Party to Online Music Fest, here is our list of ideas for online game night.
1. Paper.io
Paper.io is a fun and colorful multiplayer game where your goal is to claim as much territory as possible. To play, control a little square and move it around by dragging your finger or using the arrow keys. The trick is to draw lines to create new territory. However, you have to be careful, as other players can cross your path and take your land if you are not quick enough! The bigger the territory you have, the higher your score. For team game night, you can create a party and challenge your colleagues!
Check out Paper.io.
2. The Dream Team
The Dream Team is a fun activity that teaches teammates the important role they each play at work. In this game, each teammate will get a scenario or an illustration of a difficult situation they must solve or escape. The players must choose three or four teammates based on their skills and explain why they chose the players as a team member.
For example, you may ask teammates to choose team members they believe can help successfully carry out a heist in the most secure bank in the world. The players may choose teammates for their problem-solving skills, financial discipline, planning skills, or tech skills. This activity shows teammates how important they are to other team members and shows employees that their skills are valued and appreciated.
3. Hole.io
Hole.io is one of the top free online game night ideas where you control a black hole and try to swallow all the objects in your way. The game has multiple modes, including classic, teams, and monsters attack. During gameplay, you will move your hole around the city by dragging your finger or using the arrow keys. The more items you swallow, the bigger your hole becomes. As you grow, you can devour even larger objects like buildings and cars. The goal is to be the biggest black hole in the game by the end. Other players can outgrow you, though, so try to avoid being swallowed!
Check out Hole.io.
4. Identity Thief
Identity Thief is a fun game where players take turns imitating teammates. Each player will take a turn choosing a coworker to mimic. Then, the host will spotlight the copycat so that they appear large and in center screen for everyone to study.
The players must guess correctly within 60 seconds and send their answers via the comment box. This game is simple to organize over a video call with all the players. This activity tests how well employees know their colleagues and allows players to get to know each other better.
5. 2048
2048 is a simple yet addictive puzzle game that involves combining numbered tiles. You can use the arrow keys to move the tiles on the game board. When two tiles with the same number touch, they merge into a new tile with a doubled value. The objective is to reach the tile with the number 2048. The board fills up quickly, so pay attention to your moves and try to plan ahead. If you run out of moves and the board is full, then the game is over.
To add this game to your game night, you can have players all start a game at the same time and compete to reach 2048 the fastest! 2048 is a game of strategy and numbers that gets more challenging as you try to reach higher and higher tile values.
Check out 2048.
6. Fantasy Music Festival
Online Music Festival is one of the most exciting online family game night ideas because it is a great way for loved ones in different locations to meet and have fun.
To organize this activity:
- Each attendee will choose a dream location for their fantasy music festival.
- The players must each create a lineup of performers for this fantasy event.
- The attendees will dress to match the theme of their fantasy music festival.
- During the call, the players will vote on the best fantasy music festival lineup, costume, and background.
- The winner gets a prize.
To make this activity more exciting, attendees can use virtual backgrounds, enjoy drinks, play games, and solve puzzles. The Online Music Festival is a great way for folks to catch up after a long while and for attendees to spend quality time with family members virtually.
7. Improv Dinner Party
Improv Dinner Party is a great way to enjoy game nights with colleagues. In this activity, attendees will pretend to be any character or celebrity they like at a dinner party while interacting with each other.
To organize this activity:
- Cover the cost of takeout or delivery.
- Meet via video call.
- The teammates will pretend to be their favorite celebrities or characters from movies.
- Other players must guess the characters by observing teammates’ mannerisms, choice of meals, and how they interact with other guests.
- The best imitation wins.
This activity is an excellent time for teammates to chat and catch up after work. The teammates can also play good music, dance, play games, and enjoy each other’s company.
8. Online Masquerade
Online Masquerade is a simple and exciting game that teammates can use to test how well they know themselves. For this activity, the teammates will each change their usernames to “anonymous” on any video conferencing platform. The players will also ensure that they change their background theme to a random image.
Players will wear masks and meet over video calls. The players will take turns imitating a teammate, and folks must guess who the player behind the mask is within 30 to 60 seconds. This activity encourages teammates to get to know each other and develop friendships.
9. Where Am I?
Where Am I is an amazing game that takes players anywhere in the world. For this game, the teammates can meet using any video conferencing software.
To organize this activity:
- Meet via video call.
- Change background images to show cities, restaurants, and beaches in any country.
- Players will take turns guessing the name of the country in each teammate’s background theme
- The teammate with the highest number of correct guesses wins the game.
This activity is a fantastic way for teammates to familiarize themselves with different cities and countries worldwide. This game also promotes interaction and engagement between colleagues since participants can choose to use personal travel photos.
10. Online Disney Trivia
Disney was a huge part of many folks’ childhood and is a great activity for teammates to spend game night online.
Here are some ideas:
- Encourage teammates to change the background to their favorite childhood Disney movie.
- Share screen and play clips from Disney movies. The first player to name the film wins a point.
- Play Disney trivia.
- Sing along to songs and play “finish the lyric” or “who sang it best?”
The teammates can act like their favorite Disney characters to make this activity even more fun. The best character wins an award for the night. This activity reminds teammates of happy childhood memories and creates an opportunity for employees to bond over something they enjoy.
Here are more online trivia games for teams.
11. Virtual Murder Mystery
Virtual Murder Mystery is an exciting game where teammates play to uncover the “murderer.”The teammates will use background stories, puzzles, and clues to solve the mystery.
You can organize this activity using video conferencing software. Be sure to plan to get all aspects of the game ready before the event. Most virtual murder mystery games online are paid. Therefore, it is a good idea to work out a budget and find one that works best for the team.
12. Virtual Monopoly
Virtual Monopoly is a classic game that teammates can enjoy. In this game, the teammates will take turns rolling dice and moving around the board. The players will buy properties with virtual money and develop hotels and houses.
The game’s objective is to own as many properties as possible and collect rent from neighboring players who cross or land on your property as they play. Teammates can play this game via video call using the share-screen feature. Monopoly is among the best online board game night ideas because it allows teammates to develop new strategies and teaches teammates to make reasonable investments.
Here is a free online Monopoly game.
13. Funny Would You Rather?
Funny Would You Rather is a hilarious game night game that teammates can play online. In this game, teammates must ask players to choose between two unappealing or hilarious options.
Examples of prompts include:
- Would you rather eat worms or fresh octopus?
- Would you rather live in the middle of the woods or in a dumpster?
- Would you rather fall into a pit of snakes or crocodiles?
- Would you rather get lost on an island or in a jungle?
- Would you rather star in a horror or romantic comedy?
- Would you rather have a self-driving car or a complete smart home?
This game is a fun way for teammates to spend quality time together during game nights and voice their preferences. To make this game fun, teammates should attempt to share completely outrageous prompts.
14. Virtual Charades
Virtual Charades is a fun and easy game where teammates act out words for other players to guess. In this activity, the teammates will get a word from a random word generator and act the phrases out without giving verbal clues to the rest of the players.
The players must guess what the word is within an allocated time. This activity is best played over video call with teammates using the mute feature to ensure no player gets any verbal hints during the game. Also, the host should spotlight the performer so that they appear large and center screen. This activity encourages players to pay attention to detail and teaches teammates to work together to solve problems.
Here is a free random word generator.
15. Sudoku
Sudoku is a brain-wracking game that helps foster team bonding and encourages teammates to work together to solve complex problems. In this activity, teammates will work in small groups to fill nine-by-nine grids with numbers arranged in a sequence.
Each vertical and horizontal rowing is accurately filled with numbers one to nine without repetitions. The teammates will solve this puzzle within an allocated time. The first group to finish within the given time wins the game. This activity teaches teammates to work under pressure and encourages teammates to engage with each other.
You could even organize Sudoku races where teams face off to solve the grid before other groups!
Here is a free online sudoku game.
16. Who Wants to Be Rich?
Who Wants to Be Rich is an imitation of the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? This activity tests teammates on various topics and subjects like entertainment, sports, food, and science.
To organize this activity:
- Set up a prize for the game. For example, a coupon to a restaurant or clothing store.
- Set several questions in different categories.
- Each question is in a step, and each step brings the players closer to the prize. For example, if there are 15 steps to get the prize, the players must answer each answer correctly to win.
- If a player gets an answer wrong they move back a step.
- Teammates can ask a friend for help if they do not know the answer. The teammates can use this option only once.
- The first player to get all answers correctly wins the game.
This activity allows teammates to relate and get to know each other better. This game also enables teammates to gain knowledge on a broad range of topics. To play this game, you may share the questions using a slide show presentation.
Play Who Wants To Be a Millionaire online for free.
17. Among Us
Among Us is an exciting and simple game where teammates work together to find the imposter. This activity is set in outer space, and players must solve some puzzles and challenges to find clues that will lead them to the imposter.
The game’s goal is to find the imposter before they kill the teammates. This activity encourages critical thinking and develops players’ problem-solving and people-reading skills. This game is simple to organize and requires no prior skill or knowledge. To make the game even more fun, encourage teammates to choose space-themed backgrounds and dress accordingly to the theme of the game.
Learn more about Among Us.
18. Virtual Drinking Games
Virtual Drinking Games are among the best fun online game night games to help folks unwind and interact. In this game, each of the teammates will bring a drink to the call, like vodka, wine, soda, or juice. Then, players will take a sip of that drink when prompted by the game’s rules.
Examples of activities for virtual drinking games include:
- Truth or Drink: In this game, players pour several shots of any drink they prefer into glasses. The teammates will then take turns asking questions, and the players must answer truthfully. Any player who refuses to answer must drink.
- Never Have I Ever: In this game, teammates will share several prompts starting with the words “Never have I ever…” followed by an activity such as “danced on a plane” or “gotten a recipe wrong.” All the teammates who have performed these activities must take a drink.
- Most Likely To: In this game, players will share prompts beginning with the words “most likely to” followed by activities such as “be caught in the library” or “skip meals while working.” All the teammates who can relate to the prompt must take a drink.
These activities are an exciting way for teammates to loosen up and have an amazing time.
Conclusion
Game Nights are an opportunity for teammates to unwind, have fun and interact with each other. These gatherings are also a chance for teammates to share ideas, develop new strategies and encourage each other to do better.
These activities also help teammates form better friendships and improve communication and engagement among colleagues. However, you can also have online game nights with families, friends, students, and community groups. These gatherings give folks social time with a purpose, and attendees can focus on game objectives instead of struggling to make small talk. Plus, since the events happen entirely online, attendees can enjoy the festivities from the comfort of their homes and even get friends and family in on the fun!
Next, check out Google Meet games and ways to team build with remote staff.
