Online trivia for remote teams: Have fun, build connections

Remote work is great, but there’s one thing team members miss out on. Do you know what we’re referring to? It's that easy connection that comes from inside jokes, sharing coffee chats, noticing each other’s likes and dislikes. It’s that little bit of friendly competition, and achieving goals together that turns into a bonding experience. 

Not sharing the same space doesn’t mean remote teams can’t bond. It just takes a bit more effort to create the same effect. Science has found that when people share an enjoyable experience their brain waves synchronize, leading to increased cooperation during challenging tasks. [1] In summary, remote teams will work better together if you can create connections between team members. We show you how to do this using virtual trivia games. 

Quick Overview

Online trivia for remote teams is a way of creating shared experiences and connections between people who do not share a physical location. Participating in an interactive game is a fun way to spark camaraderie, generate excitement, and teach problem solving skills. This leads to increased understanding and employee engagement. 

Table of Contents

• How can you host an online trivia game?
• Who did it?
• Meme madness
• Song Scramble Showdown
• TikTok Trend Timewarp
• Decode the movie with emojis
• Spot the imposter

How can you host an online trivia game? 

For remote workers trivia quizzes are usually hosted via an online communication platform like Slack, MS Teams, Google Chat (previously Google Meet), via a trivia website, or a Zoom meeting. It is recommended that you choose a trivia game that can be played both on desktop and mobile devices to include teammates using different devices. 

These quick tips will help you set up your games, and keep everyone involved:

• Some team members find it difficult to be thrown into an interactive activity without prior warning, so notify your team beforehand that you will be conducting a teambuilding exercise.
• Appoint a ‘game master’ during the video call. This is someone that isn’t playing and can keep a check on time, conduct, rule-keeping, and the correct answer. 
• Appoint a specific time for the trivia game - 5, 10, 15 minutes are good for fast paced games. Longer games can be between 20 - 45 minutes. 
• Take your team’s interests into account when choosing a game. Some like challenges, some reflection, some fun facts, some pop culture. Match the trivia experience to their vibe. 

Yes, we know. Some people hate team building exercises. But everyone can stomach an icebreaker. Check some out over here 👉 Virtual Icebreakers for Remote Teams: Fun Ideas for People Who Hate "Team Building"

With the basics out the way, you’re ready to get your trivia game going and have some fun. At BuddiesHR we love hosting a good trivia game on Slack. We’ve included our favorites for you to try but if our ideas don’t jive, how about running a poll in Slack? Ask your team what they like. 

Who did it?

A slight twist on the classic phrase ‘whodunit?’ where participants of a trivia game try to solve a crime by following the clues. Trivia questions are provided as clues, and each clue leads to who might be responsible for the ‘crime’.  Fun ideas for crimes can be:

• Who broke the coffee machine and left everyone without caffeine for the day? Of course this is a twist since there is no shared coffee machine - it refers to a situation that happened to a team member at home. 
• Who signed up 10 new customers last month? This is a great way of acknowledging the contribution of team members that don’t talk about their successes. 
• Who knows the most about XYZ process? This highlights the team’s knowledge and lets everyone know where they can go for help when they’re stuck. 
• Who has the best background screen during video calls?

Meme Madness

Viral memes are placed on the screen by the ‘game master’. The question is always the same: ‘What is the caption linked to this meme?’. Each round features a mix of real memes and fake ones created by the host. 

The person that guesses the caption of the real memes correctly gets a point. ‘Bonus points’ are given for the best captions (for either true or fake memes). This is decided by giving each player 1 bonus point that they have to allocate to another player, or risk losing all their own points. 

Song Scramble Showdown

The host plays 10 seconds of two songs back to back. Participants are allowed to ask one question about the songs to confirm their ideas. Players that get the name of both songs correct, get 2 points. The team member with the most points wins. 

For a longer game, do rapid answer ‘finish the chorus’ rounds. This is pure dopamine for music lovers and generates a lot of laughter as people’s personalities shine through. This one is perfect for diverse groups because pop culture music is universal. 

💡 For other ideas on how to keep your remote team connected, How to Help Your Remote Team Feel Connected: 7 Tactics For Managers, provides seven strategies you can implement immediately. 

TikTok Trend Timewarp

A TikTok trend is a sound, dance, hashtag, challenge, topic, or video format that goes viral on the platform. Trends often originate from a single video that inspires other users to remix it with their own spin. 

The host puts up TikTok viral trends for certain years. This can be an image, an audio snippet or the creator.  The players are told beforehand during which period the trend happened. The player that guesses the most trends correctly wins the game. 

Example:

In 2023 the top TikTok trends in the USA were:

• @dollievision: A simple and stunning makeup routine.
• @justinflom: An Iron Man DIY worthy of its own world premiere.
• @through.the.lleaves: The biggest kitten we've ever seen.
• @selenagomez: The relatable pre-flight routine we'll all be adopting.
• @chrishoffish: When you sound this good, the world (or a parking garage) is your stage.

Decode the movie with emojis

This can be used as an icebreaker or developed into a longer game. The host randomly displays emojis during a chat or video call (like a Zoom meeting). When the call participants notice the emojis they have to decode the name of a movie. E.g., 🦁👑 = The Lion King. Participants have 30 seconds to guess the right answer.

This game is fast paced, and puts one’s thinking abilities under pressure in real-time. The entertainment value of this trivia game is unsurpassed, especially when used as a breather between brainstorming sessions. It pivots the focus, and provides the break that the brain needs to refocus. 

Spot the imposter

This game is aimed at increasing interest in your company history, values, culture, and successes. A mixture of new employees and staffers that have been around a while is a good combo for this one. 

The host begins a slideshow presentation that highlights three statements about various topics. One is true and the other two are false. The participants have to guess which statement is true. Make this game a bit more interesting by making the false statements sound plausible. Every player answers every question and the correct answers are revealed by the host at the end. 

Conclusion

That brings us to the end of our list of online trivia games for remote teams. Online quizzes are not just a way of passing the time, or randomly connecting people. These activities genuinely help people bond. For instance, studies have shown that laughter raises oxytocin levels which in turn increases social bonds. 

Even if you’re not a big fan of trivia sessions or team building activities, remote teams need to establish rapport with one another, and find the glue that binds them together. Trivia games are a simple and yet effective way to do this. 

🤓 We have plenty more ideas where these came from. Explore 260+ virtual games and activities for remote teams. 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the best trivia games for remote teams?

Some of the best paid trivia platforms for remote teams include Kahoot for its bright and energetic interface, Trivia Maker for its ability to customize game styles, and Jeopardy - because it's a classic everyone loves.  Other options include Trivia Crack, Gotcha, Pictionary, and Hangman.

2. What is a free online trivia game for Microsoft Teams?

Trivia Engine app which can be found in the MS app store allows you to create free quizzes using Microsoft Forms. You can also add Polly, Water Cooler Trivia, or CrowdPurr to build your own quizzes for free.  

3. How many people do I need to run an online trivia game?

A trivia game is best played with a minimum of 4 participants. With 4 people you can divide into pairs, or play individually to keep things lively. Four ensures enough variety in answers and friendly competition without feeling crowded. For a more dynamic experience, six to ten players is ideal—enough to create banter, team play, and a bit of chaos (the good kind).

4. Are trivia games an effective teambuilding activity for remote teams?

Yes, trivia games are great for a teambuilding activity for remote teams. They can be run online through your usual communication platform, and they’re low cost. Develop them with a common goal in mind, and think of engaging and memorable ways to help your workers connect. It's a really easy and fun way for people to bond. 

References

1. Brain waves synchronize when people interact