Virtual team building has a bit of a reputation problem. After years of remote work, many teams hear the phrase and immediately brace for awkward icebreakers, forced fun, and recycled trivia questions. And yet — teams that work remotely need structured connection time more than ever. The challenge is making that time meaningful, not cringey.
This blog skips the predictable stuff and dives straight into virtual team building activities that feel fresh, actually work, and don’t make people want to fake a Wi-Fi issue to escape.
Why Bother With Virtual Team Building Activities for Virtual Meetings At All?
Before we get into the good stuff, let’s talk about why this even matters:
- Remote work is isolating — even for people who like it. Without intentional connection points, people slip into transactional communication, and teams lose their sense of “we.”
- Good teams trust each other, and trust doesn’t form on Slack. Team building activities, done right, create micro-moments of vulnerability and humor that lay the foundation for better collaboration.
- Connection fuels retention. Teams with real relationships tend to stick together longer — and work better together in the meantime.
- Fun (real fun, not corporate fun) matters. Work is serious enough. A bit of shared laughter goes a long way toward making meetings feel like time well spent instead of a chore.
8 Non-Generic Team Building Activities for Virtual Meetings
These activities are designed for modern remote teams — busy people who value creativity, authenticity, and actual fun.
Team Tarot (Future Prediction Session)
What it is:
A playful way to predict the team’s future — but instead of actual tarot, you invent your own deck. Each person contributes 1-2 custom “cards” ahead of time (fun predictions, work trends, wild guesses about company life). During the meeting, the host draws cards and the team interprets them together.
Why it works:
It taps into creativity, creates inside jokes, and brings out people’s sense of humor. It’s also surprisingly insightful when people get reflective about what might be coming next.
Example card: “The Great Calendar Overload — meetings will multiply until they collapse into a singularity.”
If you love mixing creativity and team building, check out our guide to virtual escape room games for teams for more inspiration.
The Screenshot Museum
What it is:
Over the course of a week, team members submit one screenshot from their work life that tells a story — it could be a chaotic inbox, a bizarre calendar overlap, a hilarious Slack thread, or a glimpse of a personal tab they forgot to close during screen share. In the meeting, you “tour” the museum together, with people explaining their exhibits.
Why it works:
It’s personal without being intrusive and instantly creates shared humor around the quirks of remote work life. It also normalizes imperfection, which is good for psychological safety.
Reverse Advice Roundtable
What it is:
Instead of giving each other advice, team members ask for the worst possible advice on a work challenge they’re facing — the funnier and more disastrous, the better. After the bad advice round, the team switches to actually helpful advice, but the playful opening makes everyone more relaxed.
Why it works:
It lowers the stakes, encourages creative thinking, and helps people see each other as problem-solving allies, not just coworkers stuck in separate Zoom boxes.
Virtual Mystery Box
What it is:
Ahead of the meeting, the host gathers weird clues about a fictional situation (example: the case of the missing office chair, the ghost in the company Slack, etc.). Teams work together to solve the mystery using only the clues provided. Bonus: weave in some real team history or inside jokes to make it more personal.
Why it works:
It combines teamwork, creativity, and humor, while also tapping into the same problem-solving skills teams use for actual work projects — but with way less pressure.
Micro TED Talks (with Ridiculous Topics)
What it is:
Each team member gives a 60-second TED Talk on an absurd topic assigned to them (e.g., “Why Pineapple on Pizza is a Productivity Hack” or “The Hidden Philosophical Meaning of Google Calendar Colors”).
Why it works:
Public speaking practice, creativity boost, guaranteed laughs — all in one. Plus, people learn random fun facts about each other’s sense of humor and style.
Parallel Play Work Call
What it is:
Schedule a meeting where no one has to talk, but everyone works on-camera together. For the first 5 minutes, each person shares what they’re working on (quick check-in), then mics go off and everyone works quietly with cameras on — recreating the feel of working next to each other in an office.
Why it works:
It’s a low-pressure way to feel connected, especially for introverts who don’t love forced participation. It also adds a sense of accountability — knowing others are working too helps people focus.
Custom Meme Awards
What it is:
Ahead of the meeting, team members submit memes they made about the team or recent projects. In the meeting, you hold an award ceremony for the best ones (categories like “Most Brutally Accurate,” “Best Use of a Cat Image,” etc.).
Why it works:
It celebrates inside jokes, encourages creative expression, and gives people a way to vent frustration through humor — all great for morale.
The PowerPoint Party — Work Edition
What it is:
Each team member prepares a 3-slide PowerPoint presentation on a work-related topic — but the catch is that the topic must be absurd or highly exaggerated (e.g., “Why Our Slack Emoji Culture Needs a Formal Governance Board”).
Why it works:
It turns presentation practice into comedy, helping people get more comfortable presenting, while also making fun of common remote work pain points.
Benefits of Smart Virtual Team Building
- Breaks monotony: Virtual meetings can feel robotic; fun activities break the pattern.
- Builds real relationships: Knowing someone’s Spotify playlist is nice. Solving a fake mystery together? Better.
- Boosts psychological safety: When teams laugh together, they collaborate better.
- Supports creativity: Play is fuel for problem-solving. Teams that play together innovate better.
- Strengthens remote culture: Your team’s quirks and humor become part of its identity — essential for culture when you don’t share office space.
Pro Tips for Making These Activities Work
- Keep them short: 15-20 minutes max during regular meetings.
- Mix them up: Rotate between playful, creative, and reflective.
- Crowdsource ideas: Ask your team for activity suggestions.
- Make participation low-pressure: Cameras off? Fine. Passive participation? Fine.
- Tie activities to your actual team culture: Inside jokes and real work quirks make everything more fun.
Final Word
Virtual team building isn’t about replacing work — it’s about making work more human. The right activities help teams not just communicate better, but actually enjoy working together.
Forget forced fun. Try stuff that’s weird, creative, and actually memorable — your team will thank you.
- Looking for even quicker ideas? Check out our Fast Team Building Exercises: Fresh 5-Minute Activities to Energize Your Team.
- And if your team lives on Zoom, you’ll love our list of Zoom Games You and Your Coworkers Will Love.
Want to skip the DIY and run a fully hosted virtual team building game instead? Check out Superglue Games for ready-to-go experiences designed for remote teams who want fun without the fluff.