Bringing Remote Employees Together
With offices closed and employees working from home, online team building games for virtual teams have sprung up left, right, and center.
Trouble is, how do you go about finding the right company with the right online games for your company? What sort of capabilities should they have, what sort of questions should you ask them? Here are a few of our top tips for vetting virtual games and the companies that run them.
1. What sort of games do they offer?
Obviously you want to get a handle on the virtual games a company offers, and pick one based on the interests of your own team. If a company is offering online team building games specializes only in online escape rooms and your co-workers are more interested in murder mysteries, that company’s games might not be for you.
We have built our virtual games and scavenger hunts to cater to a wide range of interests. Some teams will love the pub-quiz-style Trivia Slam Game, others will want to solve the Murder at the Art Museum Virtual Scavenger Hunt, while Harry Potter fans might prefer to enroll in the Wizard School Scavenger Hunt.
2. How level is the playing field?
While we offer virtual games that feature general trivia or Harry Potter references, we know every single person playing the game won’t possess the same level of knowledge about a particular subject. So we design our games to be playable—and winnable—by anyone.
Make sure the virtual game company you’re looking at can say the same. Does their virtual trivia quiz cover a wide range of topics, or is it all about pop culture? Does it cater to groups of all ages, or is it geared only toward Millennials who know what a Hatsune Miku is?
3. How do virtual teams communicate?
Let’s face it: There isn’t much point in getting the team together virtually if they don’t feel any togetherness. Ask your virtual games company how players gather, communicate, and work together.
For example, our virtual games use Zoom to bring all players together to start the game, and then send teams to their own “Breakout Rooms.” In there, players can talk, catch up with teammates, and contribute to the game without feeling overwhelmed. And the Host can pop into each Breakout Room to check on progress, offer hints, and run Bonus Challenges.
So make sure the company you’re looking at can do something similar.
4. How do they handle big groups?
Plenty of companies say they can accommodate groups of any size, but how do they manage groups of 80, 100, or more? No matter how engaging a virtual game might be, getting lost in a sea of 150 co-workers is no fun.
If you have a large group, make sure the company has a game plan for it before you book. We certainly do. In addition to sending teams to those aforementioned Breakout Rooms, our virtual games include a staffer for every 40 or so players. Even a group of 200 players enjoy a personal touch with five or six Hunt Hosts on hand to keep things running smoothly.
Our Virtual Games Include…
The Escape TO the Museum Scavenger Hunt: Enjoy an online scavenger hunt that takes you on a virtual tour of galleries and exhibits in great museums across the country—all while you sit at home. Work with your teammates to track down pieces of art and history and answer fun, tricky questions about what you find.
The Murder at the Art Museum Virtual Scavenger Hunt: Again you’re visiting famous museums online, but this time you’re chasing a killer. To catch them, you’ll follow clues, find art, answer amusing questions about what you find online, and suss out the name of the killer, the scene of the crime, and weapon used. Think you’re up to the task?
The Trivia Slam Game: Like a pub quiz, but with an emphasis on trivia questions that require teammates to put their brains together. A surprising mix of visual, audio, and mental challenges—plus a lot of humor—keeps the group on their toes and pulling together. The photo challenge round provides particular surprises, as you get to know your teammates and the rest of the group better. Right now we have two different editions of the game available, with more in the works.
The Murder by Team Building Game: There’s nothing like an international crisis to pull a team together. It turns out that your original Watson Adventures host was found dead, and now your group must play the game he created to find out who wanted him dead. As you solve puzzles and discover secret messages, you’ll find yourselves caught up in a spy caper.
The Wizard School Virtual Scavenger Hunt: Grab your wands for a Wizarding adventure. Virtually visit museums in search of art that echoes characters, places, and magical objects in the famed Harry Potter books and movies. All-adult teams and family teams can all compete in this hunt.
Escape to New York: Virtual NYC Tour Game: Discover quirky art, find surprising objects, and virtually explore landmarks that reveal New York’s many treasures. Embark on a virtual scavenger hunt through Central Park, Greenwich Village, the Museum of Modern Art, Grand Central Terminal, the Museum of Natural History, and more.
Around the World Scavenger Hunt: Tour the world on this globe-trotting virtual scavenger hunt. Visit iconic locations like the Pyramids of Giza, the palaces of Paris, the streets of Japan, and some of the greatest museums on the planet.
Family Editions: For corporate groups looking to include families, or for parents and teachers looking to entertain and educate kids, we offer family editions of several games, including the Escape To the Museum Hunt, the Trivia Slam Game, and the Murder at the Art Museum Hunt.
Contact us to learn more about online team building games for virtual teams and to find the right fit for your company.