12 Zoom games for work meetings, trainings and workshops

A good Zoom game takes a few minutes, needs nothing to install, and gets the quiet people talking before the real work starts. These twelve work for team meetings, trainings and workshops. Each says how long it takes and how to run it in Zoom.

Quick picks

Games that use a quick vote

1. This or that

Ask two options, people pick one: coffee or tea, mountains or beach, call or email. It's fast, nobody can get it wrong, and the split always starts a conversation. Here are 101 this or that questions.

2. Would you rather

The same idea with a harder choice, and you ask two or three people to explain their pick. Keep it work-friendly with these would you rather questions for work.

3. Trivia quiz

Five questions about your industry, your company or the topic of the training. Reveal the answer after each one and give the winner bragging rights. In a training, use it as a knowledge check: see how to run a quiz in Zoom.

4. Two truths and a lie

One person shares three facts about themselves; everyone votes on which one is the lie. Do two or three people per meeting rather than everyone at once.

Games that use the chat

5. Emoji check-in

"Post one emoji for how your week is going." Takes thirty seconds, and you'll spot the person who posted a tired face.

6. Word association

The host types a word, the next person types the first word it makes them think of, and so on down the participant list. Good before a brainstorm.

7. One-word close

At the end: "One word for how this session was." You get honest feedback without a survey. More ways to end well in how to end a workshop.

Games that get people moving

8. Scavenger hunt

"You have 60 seconds to find something blue / something older than you / something that makes you happy." Everyone shows it on camera. Great after a long stretch of slides.

9. Guess who

Before the call, collect one surprising fact from each person. Read one out and let everyone vote on who it belongs to.

10. Zoom whiteboard drawing

Open a Zoom Whiteboard, give one person a word to draw, and everyone else guesses in the chat. Works best with five to ten people.

Games for reflection

11. Rose, bud, thorn

Each person shares a rose (something good), a bud (something they're looking forward to) and a thorn (something hard). It works as a gentle check-in for project teams.

12. Random spotlight

Pick one person at random to answer a light question. Use a random name picker so it feels fair, and let people pass.

How to run vote games in Zoom without the setup

Zoom's own polls need a paid host account and need to be set up in advance. Claryoo is a co-host that joins your Zoom call and runs the vote for you: people answer by typing a letter in the Zoom chat, the results fill in live, and its volunteer pick chooses who goes first, fairly. The same games work on Google Meet and Microsoft Teams.

Add it from the Zoom App Marketplace or start free.

Tips for Zoom games that work

• Keep it under 10 minutes in a work meeting. A game is a warm-up, not the agenda.
• Make passing easy. Nobody should be put on the spot.
• Use the chat for big groups, so twenty people can answer at once.
• Connect it to the topic when you can: a trivia question about the training topic does double duty.

FAQ

What games can you play on Zoom with coworkers?

Quick ones that need nothing to install: this or that, would you rather, trivia, two truths and a lie, emoji check-ins, scavenger hunts and word association all work in a Zoom call.

How do you play games on Zoom for free?

Use the chat and cameras: emoji check-ins, scavenger hunts, word association and one-word closes need no tools. For votes and quizzes, Zoom's polls need a paid host account; Claryoo's free plan includes 2 session hours a month.

How long should a Zoom game be?

Two to ten minutes in a work meeting. Save longer games for team socials.

What's a good Zoom game for a large group?

Use games where everyone answers at once in the chat or in a vote, like this or that, trivia or an emoji check-in, rather than games where people take turns.