15 Top Fun Friday Games and Activities for Employees in Office

Did you know that companies using gamification in the workplace experience up to a 60% increase in employee engagement? It’s true! Gamification taps into our natural instincts for competition and rewards, making workdays more than just about meetings and deadlines-it’s about growth and fun too.

A study by the University of Alberta found that gamification can boost engagement by 48%, transforming everyday tasks into enjoyable challenges. It’s like giving your brain a shot of dopamine, driving you to want more and do better.

One way to bring this concept to life is through Fun Friday games at the office. These activities are a fantastic way to relieve stress, boost morale, and foster a sense of community. Plus, they contribute to overall employee wellness, creating a positive and energetic work environment.

From scavenger hunts to charades and trivia, we’ve compiled a list of 15 engaging team-building games to make your Fridays at work exciting and entertaining. Fun Friday games and activities are an excellent way of implementing gamification in the workplace. They boost employee morale, reduce the week’s stress, and promote employee wellness, leading to a positive work environment.

Let’s dive in and get ready to turn your office into a place of fun and laughter!

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Why are Friday Fun Games in the Office Important?

These office games on Friday are essential to keeping your employees engaged by making them feel acknowledged for their hard work during the week. A study by BYU showed that playing games with your work teams for just 45 minutes can increase productivity by 20%.

Fun Fridays inculcate a positive attitude among employees as they can relax and unwind. Fun Friday games and activities give employees a good end-of-the-week experience that refreshes them for the upcoming week, and they feel more motivated to work better.

Here is a comprehensive list of games to include for a fun and relaxing Friday filled with games and activities.

Games to Play in Office for Fun Friday

Here are some of the most popular fun Friday games and activities you may organise for your employees:

10 Best Fun Friday games for employees to play in the office

1. Scavenger Hunt

This is a fun game in which teams search for clues or items within the office and race around to complete the hunt.

How to play?

• Divide employees into teams and give each team a list of items to collect together or tasks to perform.
• Define a time limit to complete the scavenger hunt.
• The team that finds the most items or completes the most tasks within the time limit wins.

Why play this game?

Scavenger hunts make a great Friday game. They are a perfect way to break the ice and encourage staff to explore their workplace entertainingly.

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2. Chinese Whispers

Everyone remembers this fun game from school or college. It’s a great way to relieve daily workspace stress and get moving happily into the weekend.

How to play?

• Make groups of team members and let them stand in a line.
• The last player in the line taps the person in front and does any act, such as jumping jacks or anything funny.
• This person then turns around and taps the person in front, and the game goes on.
• The outcome is a completely different version of the original action, making employees laugh and have fun together.

Why play this game?

Apart from giving you a good laugh, the game helps you learn to break down a difficult piece of information into easy and memorable chunks. This also plays a key role in building communication and language skills.

Also read: 10 Ways to Improve Work Life Balance for Employees

3. Charades

This is a famous fun Friday game that employees in almost every organisation play.

In this game, employees are divided into different groups. One person from each group comes forward and is given the name of a movie, object, or anything.

You also need to assign a judge or moderator to conduct the game and give clues.

How to play?

To play the game during end-of-week fun, the player from 1 team has to communicate the name of the movie or object given to them by playing without saying anything.

There will be a fixed time given to the other teams within which they have to make a guess and get the name correctly to win the points.

Why play this game?

Dumb Charades is a great fun Friday game as it involves everyone participating in the process of guessing and having fun together.

This is also a kind of game that can encourage introverted employees to enjoy themselves and open up.

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4. Karaoke

How to play?

• Set up a karaoke stage and let your employees sing songs
• They can do this alone or with their colleagues.
• By taking turns, employees showcase their musical talents and develop long-lasting connections between coworkers.

Why play this game?

Karaoke playing as a fun Friday game in the office can be a great stress reliever and can also help build confidence and communication skills among employees.

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5. Murder Mystery

A good murder mystery game in the office can be a great way to unwind after a busy day. This Friday thrill can transform your workplace into an exciting crime-solving retreat.

The game involves solving a thrilling task by assuming characters and interacting to solve the mystery of the murder.

All of the players here will gather clues and solve puzzles during the game.

How to play?

• Pick up any murder mystery scene.
• Assign the correct name tags, invitations, suspect files, and maps.
• Segregate the players into small groups with 2-3 players in each.
• The first team that finds the murderer wins the game.

Why play this game?

Murder mysteries are excellent for improving reasoning, problem-solving, and strategy skills.

Apart from this, they also help improve team dynamics significantly.

Also read: Group Health Insurance for Employees

6. Share and Tell

As the name suggests, it is one of the best fun Friday activities. Team members get something from their collection and share more about it with their coworkers.

How to play?

• Participants will bring and show an item.
• It could be any object, or maybe a story, to share with the group.
• Each participant takes turns presenting their item or story.
• The judge can select the best story to present the reward.

Why play this game?

Share and Tell is among the best games in the office on Fridays that help employees connect with coworkers.

It allows participants to empathise, understand each other better, and share meaningful incidents from their lives.

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7. Themed Trivia

Unlike a typical quiz, themed trivia is one of the fantastic fun Friday activities for the office that will bring out your employees’ competitive yet collaborative spirit in an exciting way.

The game involves themes ranging from politics and sports to pop culture and ensures a mix of fun moments and lively debates, making Fridays most entertaining at the workplace.

How to play?

• Pick any theme and make teams of 3 to 6 members.
• Make fun trivia questions based on the chosen theme.
• Select a host who conducts trivia rounds where teams have to answer within a time limit.
•  The team with the highest score wins the game.

Why play this game?

It is a great, fun Friday activity for enhancing team building, developing cognitive skills, encouraging collaborative work, and boosting employee morale.

Also read: Employee Benefits in India

8. Office Olympics

A curated set of epic games, from musical chair races to paper ball shot-put, Office Olympics is a fun Friday activity for employees that is also exciting and morale-boosting.

How to play?

• Divide the participants into teams.
• Come with unconventional and funny games.
• Build friendly competition with leaderboards, score points, and a winner

Why play this game?

Playing together these fun Olympic games with colleagues unites your team, boosts morale, and transforms your workplace into an exciting place with limitless creativity.

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9. Guess the Desk Challenge

If you have always wondered about what your coworker’s desk tells about their personality, make sure to organise this game on a fun Friday.

Desks at workplaces are full of clues about a person, their interests, and much more about them.

How to play?

• Take pictures of all the desks, and collect and shuffle the photos before displaying them through a common device.
• Ask the employees one by one to take turns guessing who the desk belongs to
• The person with the most correct guesses wins the game

Why play this game?

Guess the desk challenge is a perfect way to get to know your colleagues well.

It’s a fun way to bond with coworkers, build a team, and discover surprising facts about your team members, thus fostering team spirit and camaraderie.

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10. The Imitation Game

The imitation game is a great, fun Friday activity for teammates to get to know each other well.

In this game, the players will get any one teammate’s name randomly, and they must try their best to imitate that employee.

How to play?

• The team members will choose a leader for the game who will send a teammate’s name to each of the players.
• Participants take turns imitating the designated teammate.
• The rest of the team members will need to guess who the player is trying to imitate in 30 seconds.

Why play this game?

Playing imitation games on fun Fridays is a great opportunity for employees to have a great time together and get to know each other better.

This activity promotes team building, lightens the mood, and creates a positive work environment.

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Top 5 Fun Friday Online Games for Remote Employees

Employees working remotely also have a lot of options to enjoy fun Friday games. Some of these are:

1. Open Mics

Virtual Open Mic is an exciting way to engage your remote employees while allowing them to showcase their talents. Whether it’s poetry reading, playing the guitar, doing stand-up comedy, or showing off a hidden skill, this activity is a great way to bring the team together and add a little fun to the workweek.

How to Play for Remote Employees

1. Schedule the Event: Choose a date and time for the Virtual Open Mic and send out a company-wide invite, ensuring all remote employees have access to the video call link.

2. Gather Participants: Ask employees to sign up in advance to perform, or they can choose to participate spontaneously during the event.

3. Choose a Host: Designate a host or emcee to moderate the event. The host will introduce performers, manage time, and keep the energy flowing.

4. Spotlight Performers: As each performer takes their turn, the host can use the “spotlight” feature in video conferencing tools (like Zoom or Teams) to highlight them on the screen, making sure everyone can see and hear the performance.

5. Vote for the Best Act: After all performances are complete, allow attendees to cast their votes for their favorite act through a poll or chat feature.

6. Announce the Winner: The host tallies the votes, and the performer with the most votes is declared the winner.

Why Play This Game?

Virtual Open Mic is a great way to foster creativity and build connections among remote employees. It allows them to showcase their personal talents, learn more about their colleagues, and bond over shared interests – all while creating a lively, enjoyable atmosphere.

Also read: 8 Tips for Managing Remote Employees

2. Truth or Dare

Add some excitement to your remote team’s Fun Friday. Virtual Truth or Dare is the perfect choice! This classic game can easily be adapted to an online setting, bringing laughter, fun, and a chance for your team to bond in a lighthearted way.

How to Play for Remote Employees

1. Set Up the Event: Schedule a time for the game and share the video call link with all participants. Ensure everyone has access to a platform like Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet.

2. Choose a Host: Designate a host or moderator who will manage the game, ensuring everything runs smoothly and everyone gets a turn.

3. Select Players: The host can call on random employees to play or allow participants to volunteer. Each player is asked to choose between “Truth” or “Dare.”

4. Truth: If the player chooses “Truth,” the host or a designated team member asks them a fun or revealing question. The player must answer honestly.

5. Dare: If the player picks “Dare,” the host or another participant challenges them with a task to complete on camera, such as showing off a talent, doing a funny dance, or sharing an embarrassing story.

6. Rotate Turns: Continue rotating turns among team members until everyone has had a chance to participate.

7. Optional Scoring: To make it competitive, you can add a scoring system where players earn points for completing their dare or truth. The player with the most points at the end can win a small prize.

Why Play This Game?

Virtual Truth or Dare is an ideal game for breaking the ice and helping remote employees get to know each other in a fun, relaxed way. It encourages laughter, spontaneity, and interaction, creating lasting memories and building team friendships.

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3. Don’t Smile!

Don’t Smile! is another fun online game to play during fun Fridays. The game can help team members unwind and have a good laugh together.

This game mainly tests participants’ endurance and also allows them to enjoy and share their sense of humor.

How to Play for Remote Employees

• Arrange a Zoom or Google Meet call during which the incentive member will either do something funny or share a humorous experience.
• Other participants in the group must try not to smile.
• The first team members who smile or laugh must shut off their webcam.
• The game goes on, and the last team member left onscreen wins the game.

Why Play This Game?

This is an interesting team-building activity that allows work-from-home team members to share funny experiences or jokes, leading to a fun and friendly work environment.

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4. The Perfect Team

Looking for a team-building activity that combines creativity, collaboration, and a bit of friendly competition? “The Perfect Team” is a great remote game that allows employees to dream up their ideal team by imagining what qualities, skills, and traits make a team truly unstoppable.

How to Play for Remote Employees

1. Divide into Small Teams: Break the group into smaller teams of 3-5 people. Each team can join a breakout room in Zoom or Teams to discuss their ideas privately.

2. Set the Challenge: The challenge is simple—each team must create a fictional “perfect team.” They’ll brainstorm and define the skills, personalities, and qualities they believe would make their team unbeatable. Encourage creativity! These qualities could range from strong communication and problem-solving skills to unique traits like humor or patience.

3. Assign Roles: Within each group, assign team members roles that reflect their “perfect team” ideas. For example, someone could be the “Creative Thinker,” another could be the “Problem Solver,” and another the “Motivator.”

4. Present Your Team: After a set amount of brainstorming time (10-15 minutes), each group returns to the main call and presents their version of the perfect team. They should explain the qualities and strengths they’ve chosen, why they think these are important, and what roles each member would play.

5. Vote for the Best Team: Once all teams have presented, allow the entire group to vote for the “most perfect” team based on creativity, practicality, or uniqueness. This can be done using a poll or chat feature.

6. Crown the Winning Team: The team with the most votes wins and can be awarded virtual bragging rights or a fun prize, such as a gift card or an extra break.

Why Play This Game?

“The Perfect Team” is an excellent way for remote employees to think critically about teamwork and collaboration while getting creative. It opens up discussions about what makes a successful team, helps employees learn more about each other’s strengths, and fosters collaboration in a fun and engaging way.

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5. Pictionary

Pictionary is an interesting, fun Friday game for remote teams. This is an engaging activity that requires employees to work in various teams to guess the images drawn by the other team.

The team with the maximum number of right answers wins the game.

How to Play for Remote Employees

• Divide the players into different teams.
• Generate words or prompts using an online word generator.
• Each group will then have to pick a member to give picture clues.
• The selected team member will draw the  word shown using the Zoom whiteboard feature, and the teammates will have to guess the picture.
• The team with the highest number of points wins the game.

Why Play This Game?

This is a great team-building game that tests employees’ creative abilities. The activity also helps remote teams improve their communication skills and build a positive work environment.

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Tips for Organising Successful Fun Friday Games

1. Involve Your Employees

2. Plan well in Advance

3. Encourage Participation

4. Try to Balance Fun and Work

5. Evaluate Regularly and Adapt

Regularly assess the effectiveness of the fun Friday activities and make adjustments as needed.

Also read: 5 Steps to Offer Child Care Benefits to Employees

Benefits of Organising Fun Friday Games for Employees

1. Fosters Team Bonding

2. Improves Employee Morale

3. Reduces Stress

4. Boosts Productivity

Conclusion

In conclusion, various games to play in the office for fun on Fridays are an excellent way to promote teamwork, improve morale, and produce a positive work culture.

Organising such events also helps you make your employees feel appreciated.

The key to making Friday ideas more enjoyable is to pick fun, engaging, inclusive activities that show the entire team’s interests.

If conducted well, these fun Fridays could ultimately lead to a much more productive and engaged team.

To further promote a positive work environment and well-being of employees, collaborate with Onsurity and ensure that your staff remains safe and secure while also having fun at their workplace.

Request a demo today to learn more!

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