Best Icebreaker Games for Remote Teams

In the era of remote work, building team camaraderie can be challenging. Without watercooler chats or impromptu lunches, teams can quickly feel disconnected. Fortunately, remote icebreaker games offer a fantastic way to bridge the gap, encourage communication, and inject some much-needed fun into virtual meetings.

Here are the best, easy-to-play icebreaker games designed specifically for remote teams.

1. The Online Imposter Game (Browser-Based)

One of the quickest ways to break the ice is with a fast-paced game of deception. The Imposter Game is perfect for this because it requires zero installation—players just click a link and join via their browser. The game assigns a secret word to most of the team, while one or two players are the completely clueless "Imposters." Everyone takes turns giving a one-sentence clue about the word. The resulting paranoia, laughter, and deductive reasoning make it a fantastic 5-minute team-building exercise that requires no prior gaming experience.

2. Two Truths and a Lie

A classic that translates perfectly to Zoom or Teams. Each team member takes a turn stating three "facts" about themselves—two true, and one false. The rest of the team must vote on which statement is the lie. It’s an excellent way to learn surprising, non-work-related facts about your colleagues.

3. Virtual Scavenger Hunt

Get people out of their chairs! The host names an item (e.g., "something yellow," "your favorite mug," or "the oldest thing on your desk"), and everyone has 30 seconds to run and find it, bringing it back to show on camera. This breaks up the monotony of sitting and often leads to funny stories about the items people scramble to find.

4. Gartic Phone (The Telephone Game with Drawings)

A free, browser-based game that combines "Telephone" with Pictionary. Each player starts by writing a quirky prompt. The prompts are passed around; the next person draws it, the next person guesses what the drawing is, and so on. At the end, you review the often hilariously derailed chain of events. It's incredibly funny and doesn't require any actual drawing skill.

5. Show and Tell

A simple, structured way to start a Monday meeting. Ask team members to bring one item to the meeting that represents their weekend, a hobby, or something they are passionate about. Spending 5 minutes letting 2-3 people share their items humanizes the virtual workspace.

6. Map of Birthplaces (or Dream Vacations)

Use a collaborative digital whiteboard (like Miro or Google Jamboard) with a world map. Have everyone drop a pin on where they were born, or where they would go if they had an all-expenses-paid vacation tomorrow. It instantly sparks conversations about travel, culture, and shared backgrounds.

7. "Would You Rather?" (Workplace Edition)

A quick polling game to start a meeting. Use the chat function or a built-in poll to ask questions like:

• "Would you rather work four 10-hour days or five 8-hour days?"
• "Would you rather have a permanently slow internet connection or a computer that randomly restarts once a day?"

The debates that follow are always entertaining.

Conclusion

Remote icebreakers don't have to be forced or purely corporate. By incorporating engaging, interactive games like the Imposter Game or Gartic Phone, you can foster genuine connections, reduce video-call fatigue, and build a stronger, more communicative remote team.