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How can water cooler games work online without feeling forced?
It’s a question I’m asked by project managers and team leaders who are looking for ways to engage their remote-working teams.
In the office, chatter happens naturally. You’ll get someone sharing a random fact, or a weekend story, and suddenly you have team water cooler moments that bring people together.
But with remote work? Not so much.
Those moments just don’t happen, and that’s a problem.
When remote-working teams have good interpersonal connections, they perform better.
A good water cooler game will break the ice between employees and encourage team bonding.
From my experience, here are the best types of water cooler games:
And here’s what I’d avoid:
The truth is, remote setups strip away the casual encounters that used to build culture.
You don’t casually bump into someone at the team water cooler when your “commute” is three steps from your bed to your laptop.
To solve this problem, I’ve seen managers try things like:
Sometimes they click, but usually, they’re just plain awkward. What I’ve learned is that the simplest water cooler ideas always work best.
That’s why I keep going back to trivia, and I advise other leaders to do the same.
What’s so special about trivia? I’m glad you asked.
When you’re sat on Zoom, a quick trivia game can quickly turn radio silence into giggles of laughter. Watch it happen!
Suddenly, you’ve got a water cooler game that gets people talking.
You’ll find that wrong guesses spark jokes, surprising facts stick around, and conversations spill over into real life.
You want something to get team members excited about their next weekly meeting.
Most water cooler games are a tough sell.
They sound fun on paper, but fail to deliver the goods.
I’ve never experienced this problem when I’ve thrown a quick trivia game into the mix.
Even the most reluctant remote participants end up enjoying themselves.
You just need a variety of trivia questions to cover all bases.
Also, it’s always nice to watch quiet folks come out of their shells because they nailed questions nobody expected them to.
It’s fantastic to see so many remote teams using our platform as their water cooler game.
I know a finance team using Water Cooler Trivia every Wednesday.
Their quiz results drop in Slack, and instantly, they’ve got new water cooler ideas.
Team members share their scores, debate the weird questions, and sometimes invent memes out of the funniest wrong answers.
I really enjoy hearing about how teams are using Water Cooler Trivia, and there’s no shortage of them!
For context, our weekly online trivia is enjoyed by thousands of teams of all types and sizes.
My trivia nerds are hard at work writing questions that will generate plenty of buzz.
Why does Water Cooler Trivia work?
Here are just a few reasons:
I should also add that you have complete control over the quiz categories.
This means you can select trivia categories that align with your team’s interests.
We’ll then make sure there’s something for everyone in each quiz.
I think the beauty of trivia-driven team water cooler moments is that they don’t feel manufactured.
Nobody has to announce, “Now we’re bonding.” The fun just shows up, and that’s why it sticks.
You are sneaking connection into the week without demanding it.
I’ve seen trivia spark nicknames that last for months.
It’s always funny when interns beat out managers and create hilarious rivalries.
You’ll see co-workers build connections that wouldn’t have happened otherwise.
All from a few well-timed water cooler ideas.
You really do have nothing to lose and everything to gain with our four-week free trial.
Try it out with your team, and see firsthand how a simple water cooler game can spark real conversations, inside jokes, and genuine connections.
What you will see is people laughing together, sharing stories, and looking forward to the next quiz drop. That’s when you know you’ve replaced awkward silences with something that feels natural and fun.
You don’t need to plan or prep. Just set Water Cooler Trivia up once and watch the moments happen on their own.
