Discover the Best Competitive Team Building Activities
Competitive events make great team-building activities. Long before people had media, they played games for fun, connection, and entertainment. Competing against one another is an ancient and effective way to build team bonds, communication, and engagement.
Some examples of competitive team-building activities include white elephant parties, lego-building parties, Bingo, trivia, scavenger hunts, game nights, and even virtual escape rooms. Your team will come together over a common goal and have fun while problem-solving.
Your team doesn’t have to be in the same room: virtual team-building activities have increased in popularity since the pandemic by 2,500%. They are highly recommended for companies with remote or hybrid-remote teams.
Benefits of Competitive Team Building Activities
Your team will share a common goal without the pressure of productivity. It will also give them a bond beyond their office projects and interactions. This could be especially beneficial if your team is remote and doesn’t have the opportunity to bond within physical space.
Top Virtual Escape Room Team Building Activities
Virtual Murder Mystery: Team Escape
Your team will become trainees at CHPD (CourseHorse Puzzle Detectives) and solve a series of puzzles to find a murderer in Virtual Murder Mystery: Team Escape. Everyone will be sent to a high-school reunion where the star quarterback has been murdered. Your team will have one hour to work together to solve the crime and escape the gymnasium.
You can also choose a 45-minute version of this escape-room game: Virtual 45 Minute Murder Mystery: Team Escape.
Virtual Time Travel: The 90’s Team Escape
Travel back to the last great decade, the 90s, in Virtual Time Travel: The 90s Team Escape. Your team will hear a dial-up modem while rocking out to the Spice Girls in their flannel shirt. In this game, your team will travel back to a 90s-theme camp and compete to solve 90s-themed puzzles to return to the present.
Virtual Escape the Office Holiday Party
Your team will compete as mini teams to work together to escape the dreaded holiday office party to enjoy their holiday break in Virtual Escape the Office Holiday Party, a holiday-themed escape game. As the DJ spins terrible records and you endure small talk with your colleagues, your ID badges are deactivated, and everyone finds themselves trapped inside the office holiday party. You will have 75 minutes to escape by solving a series of puzzles and riddles.
You can also choose a 45-minute version of this escape-room game: Virtual 45 minute Escape the Office Holiday Party.
Virtual Time Travel: Escape the 00s
Travel back to the simple life of the 2000s in Virtual Time Travel: Escape the 00s. It’s Harry Potter vs. Lord of the Rings and OC vs. Gossip Girl in this nostalgic and fun escape room game. Your team will have 75 minutes to solve a series of puzzles to escape the 2000s. They’ll do this by using a series of virtual maps, character descriptions, video and audio clips, and other clues.
Jumanji Escape
Your team will work together against the clock to solve puzzles in Jumanji Escape. After a day at the zoo, you and your team discover a dusty old game of Jumanji in the zoo gift store. The game busts open, and you’re all pulled inside the game. Everyone will have 75 minutes to escape Jumanji by solving a series of puzzles using video and audio clips, virtual maps, and character descriptions.
Virtual Pirate Treasure: Escape Room
Your team will compete as mini teams to beat the clock to find buried treasure in Virtual Pirate Treasure: Escape Room. Your team has 75 minutes to solve a series of pirate-themed puzzles using character descriptions, video and audio clips, virtual maps, and more. They’ll be racing Captain William Kidd to find buried pirate treasure in this exciting, fun, and challenging escape-room game.
You can also choose a 45-minute version of this escape-room game: Virtual 45 minute Pirate Hunt: Escape Room.
Marvel Avengers: Escape Room
Your team will race against the clock to solve a series of puzzles and save the world in
Marvel Avengers: Escape Room, a virtual escape-room game. You’re having trouble going to sleep after seeing the latest movie in your favorite superhero film series. You fall into a dream where you wear a cape and have superpowers, but suddenly it’s not a dream: you’re trapped in the Marvel Cinematic Universe! Your team will have 75 minutes to escape the Marvel Universe by saving the world.
Virtual Monsters & Ghouls: Escape Room
Your team will compete in mini teams to escape the monsters in this Halloween-themed Virtual Monsters & Ghouls: Escape Room. It’s the night before Halloween, and your team is attending Madame Grim’s annual monster ball at her spooky castle. The lights go out, and you find that the Crimson Crystal is stolen and Halloween will be canceled. Your team has 75 minutes to find the Crimson Crystal and unleash the Spirit of Halloween.
Virtual Winter Team Escape: The Arctic Circle
Your team will compete as mini-teams to work together to solve a crime by solving puzzles and riddles in Virtual Winter Team Escape: The Arctic Circle. Your team purchases a Groupon trip to the North Pole when their private plane crashes. You’ll find yourselves on a great adventure through the arctic circle, interacting with reindeer, penguins, and polar bears. It’s a game of survival, and you’ll use virtual maps, audio and video clips, and character descriptions to escape the North Pole.
Virtual Escape the Upside Down
Your team must escape the upside down in this Stranger Things-themed escape room game: Virtual Escape the Upside Down. It’s 1983, and you’re playing Dungeons & Dragons while eating Pizza Hut in your friend’s basement. Unfortunately, your friend rolls a natural one, and the Demogorgon appears, sucking you into the upside down. Your team will compete as mini teams to escape the upside down using clues such as video and audio clips, virtual maps, and character descriptions.
Virtual Team Escape: Expedition to the North Pole
Mini teams have 75 minutes to escape the North Pole in Virtual Team Escape: Expedition to the North Pole. Everyone is traveling to the North Pole when their private plane crashes, and your equipment and supplies are lost. It’s a race to survive while surrounded by penguins, polar bears, and blizzards. Your team will use video and audio clips, virtual maps, and character descriptions to solve a series of puzzles and escape the North Pole.
You can also choose a 45-minute version of this escape-room game: Virtual 45 minute Team Escape: North Pole Expedition.
Virtual Escape Inflation
Virtual Escape Inflation is a timely escape game that thrusts your team into the difficulties of the 2022 economy and the detonation of our economy. Debt is rising, and your job is terrible when you find a book in the self-help section of the bookstore your town probably doesn’t have anymore. The book? Escape Inflation. Suddenly, you’re sucked inside, and you and your team have 75 minutes to escape this crumbling economy. Everyone will compete to solve a series of puzzles and riddles using virtual maps, video and audio clips, and character descriptions.
Virtual Villainous: An Escape Room
Your team will compete to become the biggest villain in this exciting Virtual Villainous: An Escape Room. Have you always wanted the villain to win? Found them more interesting? You’ll be rooting for the bad guys as you compete to stop the hero. Teams have 75 minutes to escape by solving a series of riddles and puzzles using audio and video clips, virtual maps, and character descriptions.
Virtual Escape the Final Frontier
It’s been ten years since Pluto went missing, and your team will go looking for the lost planet in this exciting Virtual Escape the Final Frontier, a virtual team escape-room game. Your team will be blasting into space to find the missing planet Pluto by solving a series of challenging puzzles. To locate Pluto, they’ll be using virtual maps, audio clips, and video clips.
Top Scavenger Hunt Team Building Activities
Virtual Scavenger Hunt
This hour-long Virtual Scavenger Hunt is designed to work for both in-person, remote, and remote-hybrid teams. Teams will compete in a series of “riddle races,” in which cryptic clues point them to objects they must hunt for. There will also be a larger scavenger hunt with a larger number of prompts. All of this is followed by a show and tell that’s sure to have everyone laughing.
Virtual Holiday Scavenger Hunt
Virtual Holiday Scavenger Hunt is one of CourseHorse’s most popular team-building activities for a reason: it combines three rounds of holiday challenges with a fun, party-like atmosphere. Break out the egg nog and participate in fun games and challenges. Some example challenges include making pet-friendly antlers, favorite holiday movie quotes, and creating snowflake gardens.
Virtual Upcycling Scavenger Hunt
Learn about upcycling, declutter, and have a lot of fun in Virtual Upcycling Scavenger Hunt. Everyone will gather materials, work on projects, and compete in a few rounds of sustainability trivia. Everyone will leave with a greater appreciation of what they already have and which projects should be next.
Virtual Halloween Scavenger: The Horrific Hunt
Your team will have a totally spooky experience with his Halloween-themed scavenger hunt: Virtual Halloween Scavenger: The Horrific Hunt. This one-hour event will have everyone getting on their feet to celebrate Halloween with a scavenger and ghost hunt. Halloween candy and masks can be shipped to participants before the event for a $25 per person fee.
Virtual 90s Scavenger Hunt
Head back to the last great decade in Virtual 90s Scavenger Hunt. Your team will be challenged to find 90s items around the house and answer 90s trivia in this fun, nostalgic event. There will also be digital puzzles and clues to solve.
Virtual Winter Scavenger Hunt
Back every year to popular demand, Virtual Winter Scavenger Hunt is one of CourseHorse’s most popular team-building events. Your team will enjoy a fun, casual environment with three rounds of challenges. Challenges might include getting your pet dressed as a snowman, illustrating snow globes, and finding awkward family photos.
Top Trivia Team Building Activities
Private Virtual Trivia
One of CourseHorse’s most popular team-building activities is Private Virtual Trivia, an exciting Zoom-based trivia game that can be customized for your team. This hour-long game has four rounds: a traditional round, a music round, an image round, and a surprise round. Your team will compete as mini-teams but also interact as a whole group. Topics could include ice cream, pop culture, movies, music, history, sports, or dog breeds.
Virtual 30-minute Private Trivia is a half-hour-long version of this game.
Christmas Movie Trivia
Turn your office holiday party into a holiday-themed trivia extravaganza with Christmas Movie Trivia. From Scrooge to Cousin Eddy to the Santa Clause, your team will compete as mini teams for four rounds of different styles of trivia: a traditional trivia round, a music round, an image round, and a surprise round. The game typically takes around one hour but can be customized upon request.
Virtual Gameshow Bingo
Virtual Gameshow Bingo is a reimagined version of Bingo that includes video clips, images, and pop-culture trivia questions. Everyone receives a virtual bingo card and competes to answer questions to be the first to get B-I-N-G-O. Prompts might include song identification, a name that quote, finish the joke, or context challenges. There will also be scavenger-hunt-style games, such as asking participants to retrieve something from around their homes.
Virtual Halloween Trivia: The Spooky Spectacular!
Celebrate all things spooky with Virtual Halloween Trivia: The Spooky Spectacular! Your team will compete as mini teams for four rounds of Halloween-themed trivia: a traditional trivia round, a music round, an image round, and a surprise round. Halloween candy and masks can be shipped to participants for a $25 per person charge.
Googling History
In this unique trivia game, Googling History, your team will compete to see who can use Google to find obscure information the fastest. Instead of traditional trivia, where you have to guess the right answer, this game is a race to find the right answer the fastest. It’s made up of three rounds: an image search round, a scavenger hunt round, and a debate round, where your team is asked to debate a topic.
Virtual Breaking Bad Trivia
Your team will compete to see who knows the most about Heisenberg in Virtual Breaking Bad Trivia. Your team will compete in four rounds of trivia based on the iconic TV show in this one-hour trivia game. Your group will feel challenged, laugh along with the host, and feel challenged but excited about this game.
Virtual True Crime Trivia
Virtual True Crime Trivia is specially designed for the true crime fanatics on your team. This one-hour trivia game will happen in four rounds: a traditional trivia round, a music round, an image round, and a surprise round. You’ll be quizzed on everything from Adnan Syed to Charles Manson.
Virtual Friends Trivia
Order a coffee at Central Perk and show off how well you know Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Ross, Joey, and Chandler in Virtual Friends Trivia. Your team will compete as mini-teams throughout the game’s four rounds: traditional trivia, a music round, an image round, and a surprise round. The event is perfect for Friends fanatics but also included general 90s/2000s pop culture questions that could be answered by people who have never seen the show.
Virtual The Office Trivia
Threat Level Midnight!Your team will reminisce about their favorite funny and heartwarming moments with the misfits of Dunder Mifflin Scranton in Virtual The Office Trivia. Your team will compete as mini-teams in this one-hour trivia game that happens in four rounds: a traditional trivia round, a music round, an image round, and a surprise round. Let’s see if you remember who started the fire or Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.
Virtual Top Gun Trivia
Head into the Danger Zone with Maverick, Goose, IceMan, and Rooster with Virtual Top Gun Trivia. Your team will feel the need for speed in this fast-paced, fun trivia game that centers on the popular films starring Tom Cruise. In a little more than an hour, your team will compete as mini-teams in four rounds of trivia: a traditional trivia round, a music round, an image round, and a surprise round.
Virtual Covid Trivia: Real vs. Fake News
We were all in it together: test to see who remembers the most about the pandemic in Virtual Covid Trivia: Real vs. Fake News. You’ll take a deep dive into the news, conspiracies, and controversies that define the new normal. Your team will break into mini-teams and compete in rounds of trivia on all things COVID, including CDC guidelines, mask mandates, and vaccine controversies.
Virtual Adam Sandler Trivia
Do you think that water sucks? Always listen to what your Mama says? Is your dream job being a wedding singer? Then your team will love Virtual Adam Sandler Trivia. Everyone has seen and loved or seen and hated an Adam Sandler movie. There will be four rounds of different types of trivia. It’s time to celebrate Hanukkah!
Virtual Game of Thrones Trivia
Winter is coming: your team will compete to gain the throne of Westeros in Virtual Game of Thrones Trivia. Your team will compete as mini teams in four rounds of different types of trivia, all themed around the popular HBO and book series. Find out who will become the mother of dragons and who will be out in the first season.
Virtual Arrested Development Trivia
Learn how to do magic tricks, start a family band, and avoid a loose seal in Virtual Arrested Development Trivia. Since there’s always money in the banana stand, your team will compete as mini teams in four rounds of trivia about the beloved cult TV show. Everyone will have so much fun that they’ll never want to take their clothes off again.
Virtual Seinfeld Trivia
Love the misadventures of Jerry, George, Elaine, and Karmer? Virtual Seinfeld Trivia is a trivia game about the show about nothing. Throw on your manzierre, glare at Newman, call Jackie Chiles, and celebrate Festivus with four rounds of Seinfeld-themed trivia. For those mini teams that don’t win: no soup for you!
Virtual Judd Apatow Trivia
Judd Apatow is responsible for some of the most popular movies and TV series over the past decade: Anchorman, Bridesmaids, The Big Sick, Superbad, Pineapple Express, and Girls on HBO. Test your knowledge of all things Apatow with Virtual Judd Apatow Trivia. The game will happen in four rounds of different types of trivia, with a lot of fun along the way.
Virtual Thanksgiving Trivia
Thanksgiving shouldn’t just be about turkey and football. Your team will make new Thanksgiving memories as they compete in Virtual Thanksgiving Trivia. Your team will compete as mini teams in four different rounds of Thanksgiving-themed trivia.
Virtual Trivia 2019: Life Without COVID
Remember the good old days before Coronavirus? Travel back in time to the old normal in Virtual Trivia: 2019: Life without Covid. Your team will compete as mini teams in four rounds of different types of trivia: a traditional trivia round, a music round, an image round, and a surprise round. Everyone will enjoy reminiscing about simpler times, from Baby Yoda to the burning of Notre Dame.
Virtual 90s Cartoon Trivia
90s kids will love revisiting old friends and shows with Virtual 90s Cartoon Trivia. This 1.15-hour trivia game is perfect for people who grew up on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. There will be four rounds of trivia on topics like Tommy Pickles and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Virtual Cuisine Trivia
For the food-centric, Virtual Cuisine Trivia is a 75-minute trivia game that’s all about food. There will be four rounds of trivia covering a wide variety of food-related questions about everything from fast food chains to ingredients in famous recipes. Everyone will have fun competing as mini teams, but there will also be bonding time included for the entire group.
Virtual Human History Trivia
The history buffs on your team will love showing off their historical knowledge in Virtual Human History Trivia. This game takes around 75-minutes and includes four rounds of trivia in four different styles: a traditional trivia round, a music round, an image round, and a surprise round. Your team will break into mini teams and compete to answer questions about history, such as ancient civilizations, the Renaissance, and the Enlightenment.
Virtual Crypto Trivia
Do you know the difference between DogeCoin and Shiba Inu? Are you crazy about the blockchain? Cryptocurrency is a hot new trend that goes far beyond the finance world. Your team will test their crypto knowledge in Virtual Crypto Trivia. Your team will break into mini-teams and compete in four rounds of trivia.
Virtual Music Trivia
Everyone loves music. And, no matter whether they prefer rap or country, your team will have a blast at Virtual Music Trivia. This 75-minute trivia game will be all about music, from The Beatles and the Grateful Dead, to Nirvana and The White Stripes, to Drake and Frank Ocean, to Willie Nelson and Miranda Lambert.
Virtual Reality TV Trivia
Reality TV has changed our television screens and lives. Test your knowledge from Survivor to Keeping Up with the Kardashians in Virtual Reality TV Trivia. Your team will be split into mini teams and compete to make all four chairs turn around by answering questions about their favorite reality TV shows. The game includes all kinds of reality shows, including Survivor, Bachelor, The Voice, Real Housewives, Dance Moms, and Vanderpump Rules.
Virtual Pokemon Trivia
Who’s that Pokemon? In Virtual Pokemon Trivia, your team will bring into mini teams and compete to answer questions about the Pokemon franchise. From Pokemon cards to video games to anime and movies, your team will compete in four rounds of trivia about all things Pokemon.
Virtual Nerdy Trivia
Travel to Hogwarts and Middle Earth in Virtual Nerdy Trivia. In 1.15 hours your team will break into mini teams and compete in four rounds of trivia: a traditional trivia round, a music round, an image round, and a surprise round. Questions will be on everyone’s favorite “nerdy” topics, including Buffy, Dr. Who, Lord of the Rings, Mario Kart, Pokemon, Dungeons & Dragons, and Harry Potter.
Virtual Sports Trivia
Which team does Aaron Rogers play for? How many championships have the LA Lakers won? Who is the coach of the New York Rangers? Your team will break into mini teams and compete to answer questions like these in Virtual Sports Trivia. The trivia game will take around 75 minutes and includes four rounds of trivia: a traditional trivia round, a music round, an image round, and a surprise round.
Other Competitive Team Building Activities
Competitions make great team-building activities because they unite everyone over a common goal and purpose – that isn’t work as usual. They’ll work together as a team in a low-stakes environment, such as an escape room, bingo, or a trivia game. Everyone will get to know each other better while building trust and having fun.
Brick Building Team Challenge
Your team will have so much fun competing in this Brick Building Team Challenge, with a Lego Kit included. Everyone competes as individuals or as mini teams in a series of Lego-building challenges. Example challenges include creating Lego self-portraits, competing to build the tallest tower, and making Lego zoo animals. All materials will be shipped to participants before the event, including a Lego kit.
“Get To Know Your Teammates” Icebreaker Game
“Get To Know Your Teammates” Icebreaker Game is trivia with a twist: all of the questions will be pulled from questionnaires about your team. Here’s how it works: each participant will receive a prompt beforehand to provide interesting and surprising trivia about themselves. Then, at the event, everyone will quiz each other on speed-dating style to see who can guess the most correct answers about their teammates.
Virtual Team Olympics (Materials Included)
Your team will go for the gold in Virtual Team Olympics, inspired by the iconic episode of The Office. There will be a casual, silly tone to all of the games, which might include typing speed races, Family Feud-style challenges, creating balloon animals, racing to build marshmallow towers, and playing harmonicas. Winners will receive gold, silver, or bronze medals, which will be shipped to participants before the event along with other materials needed for games, such as marshmallows or harmonicas.
Virtual Game Night: Battle Royale
Your team plays head-to-head in classic board games in Virtual Game Night: Battle Royale. There will be three rounds of classic games including List It, Think Fast, and Link It. In List It, they’ll list things, In Think Fast, they’ll see who can answer trivia the fastest, and in Link It they’ll be challenged to make connections.
Virtual Dollywood Bingo
Your team will break out of the 9 to 5 and start belting “I Will Always Love You” when you sign them up for Virtual Dollywood Bingo. This game combines a unique blend of trivia and bingo and it’s all themed around America’s country icon, Dolly Parton. Remember: you can’t have the rainbow without the rain.
Virtual Myth Busters: a True or False Game
Achieve “Myth Buster” status in this Virtual Myth Busters: a True or False Game, based on the popular series from The History Channel. You’ll take a journey through obscure and arcane knowledge including topics like ancient aliens, the Mandela Effect, and other urban myths and folklore. Most of the game will be spent in mini teams, but there will also be time for the entire group to interact.
Virtual Social Media: The Game
This one-hour Virtual Social Media: The Game event will test your team’s knowledge on all things social media. Your team will break up into mini teams to compete against each other to become Verified Influencers and compete in an hour-long trivia event that tests everyone on their knowledge of the screens that everyone’s been staring at for the past ten years.
Virtual 90s Pop Culture Bingo
Virtual 90s Pop Culture Bingo combines traditional bingo with trivia: your team will compete as mini teams to answer questions about 90s pop culture and be the first to complete their digital bingo cards. Questions might include identifying 90s songs (Tori Amos, Nirvana), naming the 90s movie quotes (“I’m flying, Jack!,” “You’re a virgin who can’t drive”), recognizing 90s tv casts (Friends, Dawson’s Creek), and other pop culture questions, such as fashion (plaid shirts and Birkenstocks) and news (Nancy vs. Tonya, Jerry! Jerry!).