The Best Slack Games in 2021

We've all experienced moments of monotony at work. It's fun to engage in breaks throughout your workday to keep spirits high - and maybe even get to know your colleagues a bit better!

More people than ever work remotely, so tools like Slack have skyrocketed in popularity to keep teams connected and feeling sane. 

Want to get to know your team better and have fun doing it? Here are the best games you can play in Slack in 2021, plus other exciting virtual suggestions to kick things up a notch!

What are Slack games?

Games for Slack are integrations you can add to a Slack workspace, just like connecting your favorite apps such as Google Drive or Trello. Games help inject some fun features into your Slack channels, so you get to play games with people in your network!

There are all kinds of Slack games available - here are a few of the best to try with your team.

GameMonk

GameMonk features three fun, super quick game modes to get teams quickly having a blast together. In 90 second bursts, you can play:

• Categories - the aim of the game is to think of as many words that fit into the category that GameMonk gives you. Those who get a word right get a point. At the end of the round, players can see which words they missed and who's in the lead!
• Giphy - GameMonk throws out a random GIF. It's up to you to try and guess what hashtag relates to it. The first person who gets it wins! You'll get a few GIFs per round, then the winner will be announced at the end. 
• Trivia - everyone loves to exercise their general knowledge! GameMonk asks you a series of trivia questions, and each player gets one guess per question. The first to get it right wins a point. 

Just add GameMonk to your workspace, invite it to the channels you want, and have fun!

Trivia

To name this game 'Trivia' undersells what it can do. It's not just quizzes but a whole suite of fun icebreakers, games, and water-cooler activities to break up the workday and rejuvenate the team.

There are free and paid options to suit your needs. Here's a breakdown of the most popular features of Trivia:

• Instant quizzes with over 50,000 trivia questions in over 40 categories, with special themed quizzes for special occasions
• Custom quizzes - make personalized quizzes with your own questions. A clever way to sneak some company training in, right within Slack!
• GIF charades - guess pop culture questions using only GIFs - you can set the time limit and watch players compete for the most points by typing the correct answers.
• Watercooler scheduler - it's easy to forget to socialize with your teammates if you're not in the same building. The watercooler scheduler sets a time and date and will prompt users in that channel with thought-provoking conversation starters. 
• Dashboard - Trivia includes a built-in dashboard showing company-wide stats, your current plan, and a fully comprehensive user guide and list of commands.

Wordsgame

To stretch your brain, try this simple offering. Wordsgame is exactly what you'd expect: a simple, easy-to-use word game for a quick break between work. 

Once you've triggered a new game, the app gives you a jumble of letters. In the given time, you and your teammates have to come up with as many words from the letters as possible, using each letter only once per word.

When the time is up, the person who got the most words wins!

Although there are no fancy commands or in-depth dashboards, there is a handy about page telling you everything you need to know.

Polly

While it's not strictly a game app, Polly can easily be used to create some fun games for your team!

Polly allows you to create quick and easy polls, sharing them either via DMs or in a Slack channel. They're super easy to set up, allowing you to type your question. Then, you can choose from:

• multiple choice
• 1-5 or 1-10 scale
• NPS
• Agree or disagree
• Open-ended

You'll have the option to schedule your question if you want, keep answers anonymous, and decide when the answers show up. 

And you could use this for anything! For cool game ideas, you could try:

• A quiz
• Trivia game
• Votes on an unpopular opinion and start a fun debate 

Polly even has a range of templates to choose from - for work or play - on their web app. 

Donut

As one of the most extensive apps on our list, Donut is a must-have app for any Slack workspace, even before we talk about the interactive, engaging games on offer.

Focusing on the games Donut offers, these are a little more in-depth than simply typing a command. Donut encourages real-life participation, whether that's taking a selfie for a silly contest or demonstrating terrible party tricks!

Donut's mission is to make employees feel happier and less stressed. Some of the games you can find on Donut are:

• Un-talent show - choose something you're awful at, and share it with the team on a video call! It's a silly way to break the ice and bond with your teammates, without taking things too seriously. 
• Silly conversation starters - gets Slack members chatting and having banter with each other on random topics, three times a week.
• Selfie contest - Donut sets up groups of three random people to compete in a lighthearted contest where the best selfie wins! Players can submit a photo or a video, then everyone votes on the best one. 

Chessbot

Have you always wanted to learn how to master chess? Or fancy challenging your coworkers to a casual game? Chessbot is simple to set up and easy to understand.

Once you've invited Chessbot to your Slack channels of choice, challenge your teammate. Once they accept, a chessboard appears. To play, type in simple commands - which piece you want to move and where. That's all there is to it!

Unlike many other games in this post, Chessbot can run for as long as you like. Perfect for those idle moments between projects.

Ricotta Trivia

Ricotta has created an all-encompassing game app for Slack called 'Ricotta Trivia', featuring a collection of games in one place. Sure there's trivia, but you'll also find:

• Photo Quiz, a contest to guess logos, places, and faces
• Social word games, like Hangman, Word Chain, and Word building
• Icebreaker games to get the team bonding, with games like 2 truths and lie and conversation starters
• Two-player games like Tic Tac Toe and Connect4

It's hard to find time for fun when you're swamped with work tasks. Ricotta Trivia allows you to schedule in time to play each week so that everyone's encouraged to take a break and let loose for a little while!

Virtual game events

Are Slack games not quite your thing? Or maybe you want to take things a step further and create memorable experiences for your team that go beyond bots. 

A virtual game event might be just what your team needs to let down their hair and have fun together!

Here are three of our favorites from our game events catalog.

Bingo & Secrets with Drag Taste

Who doesn't love bingo? This experience isn't quite your grandmothers' bingo, however! Featuring fabulous cabaret-style bingo with incredibly talented drag queens presenting the bingo game and a whole host of live acts making this virtual event truly unique. 

It's a lavish, exciting event in which any guest can participate, no matter where they are in the world. Featuring unique prizes, this is sure to be the talk of the team for years to come!

It's an unforgettable hour, inviting between 30 and 1000 guests. 

Cocktail Party Murder Mystery

We've all heard of murder mystery parties, but have you ever experienced a virtual one? With this cleverly devised group murder mystery party, you and your teammates will get to work together to solve the crime. Team up virtually and scan for clues online, ask live actors questions, and use your wits and evidence to figure out the perpetrator. A classic game of whodunnit, complete with your very own party kit you'll receive in the mail!

The best part? You'll bond with your team, no matter where they are in the world. This experience is perfect for teams of 12-50 members. 

Live-Action Escape Game

Fusing video games, live-action role-play and the thrill of an escape room, Project Avatar is a unique and challenging virtual event for four to 30 people. 

From a Zoom call, each player gets to control a real-life avatar, played by an actor in real-time. Your command will control their every move and decision. Your mission? Solve puzzles and find clues to complete the game with the most points.  

Originally published at Nov 3 2021, 11:43:17 AM. Updated on May 4 2024.