Are you tired of spending all day on conference calls? Long meetings that can go on forever? I understand. Microsoft feels the same way. The company launched the Games for Work app, which is integrated into Microsoft Teams.
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Nicole Herskowitz, Vice President of Microsoft Teams, asserts that playing games with coworkers can encourage relationships and collaboration as people struggle to establish trust, forge connections, and boost team morale. According to Brigham Young University research, teams that engaged in quick games were more productive than those that engaged in more traditional team-building activities by 20%.
Microsoft Casual Games, an Xbox Games Studio, created the Games for Work app. Microsoft Icebreakers, Wordament, Minesweeper, and Solitaire are all interactive casual games with multiplayer connectivity ranging from 2 to 250 players. The games listed above are rated E and are suitable for work, as well as being ad-free. After adding the app to Teams, you and your coworkers can start playing on a desktop or mobile device. There is one caveat to the Games for Work app. It can only be installed if you are using Microsoft Teams Enterprise or Education.
Over 3 billion people around the world play games, serving a crucial role in bringing people together – especially during these last few years. Games promote creativity, collaboration and communication in powerful and unique ways, and we can’t wait to see the how the Games for Work app on Microsoft Teams inspires productivity and helps foster connections in the workplace.
Jill Braff, General Manager of Integrations and Casual Games, Microsoft
Microsoft IceBreakers
Encourage new teams to communicate and learn about each other with ease. It’s a variation on this or that—pineapple or pepperoni on your pizza? It’s so simple and intuitive you can’t help but answer the question. It can also spur lively and, at times, passionate conversation to foster connections and build team morale.
Microsoft Minesweeper
Encourage new teams to communicate and learn about each other with ease. It’s a variation on this or that—pineapple or pepperoni on your pizza? It’s so simple and intuitive you can’t help but answer the question. It can also spur lively and, at times, passionate conversation to foster connections and build team morale.
Microsoft Wordament
Exercise your brain and create some healthy team competition over a word challenge. Wordament easily accommodates large groups, designed to play with up to 250 participants.
Microsoft Solitaire Collection
And fan favorite Microsoft Solitaire Collection provides a head-to-head competition encouraging group participation. This might sound like an oxymoron—the multiplayer capability and enhanced spectator mode allows everyone, whether actively playing that round or not, to follow the action and engage with the players on-screen. It’s like calling out the answers while watching a game show or assisting a friend with a word puzzle.
What do you think of this Microsoft Teams games feature? Please share your thoughts on any of the social media pages listed below. You can also comment on our MeWe page by joining the MeWe social network. Be sure to subscribe to our RUMBLE channel as well!
