Virtual Team Building Retro Style - 4 Cool Games For You
Virtual Team Building can be a lot of work, but it doesn’t have to be.
As a remote leader, you spend most of your time hopping from one video call to the other, or skimming through overflown Slack channels, and now you also have to think about team building?
Luckily, there’s this handy quick fix I’m about to present to you.
Retro Games
There are tons of awesome old school games that can help strengthen relationships and sharpen skills with your team.
In this article we’re going to cover 4 awesome games (and one bonus at the end!) from the past that will get everyone excited today while they learn new things about each other!
I’ll also give some tips for how these games can work as virtual team building activities for your company.
Let’s dive in!
But first let’s talk about
The importance of playing games
If you are someone who leads a remote team, there is no doubt that you have felt the pain of trying to get your teammates together for a virtual coffee or happy hour.
You’ve probably also had to deal with some degree of loneliness when it comes to being the only person in the (virtual) office all day.
But, have you ever considered inviting your teammates over for a game session?
Gaming can be an excellent way to build relationships and strengthen teamwork on a distributed team.
You can explore more on why modern leaders value the benefits of games in this brief article.
The gist: Studies have shown that games provide both mental stimulation and physical activity–so they’re great ways to stay sharp while working remotely!
But what do I actual mean when I say old school games?
Let’s have a closer look.
What does 90s old school gaming mean?
90s old school gaming is a term that refers to games typically played on consoles, such as the NES, SNES, Game Boy or Mega Drive.
Old school games is also used to refer to PC games from this time period.
If you ask me, it was the Golden Age of Gaming.
But, I might be slightly biased, as I grew up playing SNES.
Enough theory, let’s jump directly into the games!
Your 4 Cool 90s Style Games
1. 💥Boom Party
Remember Super Bomber-Man from 1993?
The fun game just got a brilliant remake on the App Around
© Image: Around
Around is designed for Remote & Hybrid Teams and lets you have “radically unique video calls”.
How to use this old school game for Team Building
You can easily use this game to start off a meeting and elevate everybody onto a great mood.
Even if team-mates do not want to play, have them place bets whilst watching the players being engaged.
Or maybe one person wants to act as a commentator and interview the winner/looser afterwards?
The possibilities are endless.
2. 🍄 Mario & Luigi
© Image: GamesNostalgia
Mario & Luigi is a cool game to play even today!
It’s like the game never lost its popularity.
I can’t seem to get enough of it.
Especially when you’ve got some extra minutes between meetings.
How to use this old school game for Team Building
Get the game from GamesNostalgia and challenge your teammates each week for the highest score!
Your leaderboard does not have to be fancy, just post a screenshot every Friday into the team channel.
3. 💥 Pong!
This one is a real classic.
As easy as a game can get.
One versus one.
One Ball.
Two walls.
Game on.
How to use this old school game for Team Building
Play Multiplayer Pong in this site against the computer, or your teammate!
Use it as an energizer before a meeting, or also have a leaderboard.
You can even host a mini tournament over a virtual coffee with your team.
4. 🏨 Sims 4 - Multiplayer
© Image: The Sims Community on Twitter
Technology has made playing the all-time classic “The Sims” 4 with other players online a reality.
How to use this old school game for Team Building
You have to download the multiplayer mod, and then you’re good for an afternoon of virtual hanging out in your teammates’ world!
BONUS 🐍 Snake
There are many games out there that are considered classics.
One of the most popular classic games is Tetris.
This game has been around for decades and continues to be a favorite among players today.
The all-time classic game is now available to play on the app Doozy.
Doozy is an interactive app for remote & hybrid teams.
You can create your own remote activities, or select from the wide range of available templates, real activities and games.
Further Resources
- Science Daily - “Want to boost creativity? Try playing Minecraft”
- UC Berkeley - “Neuroscientists tap gamers to learn how people problem-solve”
- ResearchGate - “Team Gaming for Team-building: Effects on Team Performance”
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are plenty of games that will get your team laughing while learning new things about each other in minutes.
It’s really important to try out new approaches and see what sticks.
Try to get as much feedback from your teammates before, during and after the gaming session.
It’s crucial for you as a leader to fully be aware of how your team is feeling about gaming in your environment.
Why not try one old school game today?