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Hi! You found our list of fun Slack games for remote teams.

Slack games are ways to use the communication platform Slack for fun and remote team bonding. For example, tic tac toe, ping pong and hangman. The Slack App Directory hosts a wide selection of bots that facilitate games, and you can also launch challenges by typing prompts into Slack channels and threads. The purpose of these games is to foster camaraderie among distributed teams.

These games are a subset of online team building games and virtual employee engagement.

This list includes:

  • Slack icebreakers
  • Ideas for team building on Slack
  • Slack mini games
  • Slack office games

Let the games begin!

List of Slack games

From Slack game apps to manual challenges, here is a list of fun games to play on Slack.

1. Tic Tac Toe

Tic Tac Toe is one of the most popular Slack mini games. The Slack tic-tac-toe bot automatically populates the game board within a channel or direct message, and follows traditional rules.

To play:

  1. Install the tic-tac-toe app.
  2. Type /ttt to populate the board.
  3. Each player takes a turn placing an “x” or an “o”.
  4. The first player to get three letters in a row, column, or diagonal wins.

If you are playing the game in a channel, then the gamestarter should tag a specific player by using the @mention command. This action is not necessary for direct messages.

Since there is no time limit for Slack tic-tac-toe, games can last throughout the day, meaning players do not need to synchronize work schedules.

2. Hangman

Starting a game of Slack Hangman is simple.

To play:

  1. Create a hangman channel
  2. Post a certain number of blanks
  3. Invite other players to guess letters by replying in the thread.
  4. If players guess correctly, then replace the blank with the letter. If players guess incorrectly, then draw one part of the hangman.
  5. The game ends when players guess the word, or when the drawing is complete.

Here are images you can use for your hangman:

To keep order, limit the number of players and decide a turn order.

3. Rock Paper Scissors ✊ ✋ ✌️

Rock Paper Scissors is an easy and quick game to play in Slack. Simply download the rock-paper-scissors app, then use the /rps @mention command to launch the game. Challengers respond using hand emojis. Participants can play many rounds or just one, making Slack rock-paper-scissors a great game for any workload.

For an extra challenge, players can use the /rpsls command to start a game of rock-paper-scissors-lizard-Spock instead.

4. Trivia

To play trivia in Slack, install the Trivia app, then choose from a suite of games and a variety of topics. Most questions come in a multiple choice format, and there are many different game types. Rounds are quick, and Trivia tracks wins and losses in a scorecard.

Slack trivia is a great midday break and remote team building exercise. If you prefer a higher-energy, comprehensive online trivia competition, then host an online trivia activity.

Here is a guide on how to do trivia online.

5. Connect Four

While there is no official Connect Four game in the Slack directly, you can add a bot integration using this connect4bot from Github. Once the integration is complete, launch a game by using the @<bot-name>: start command. The game populates a board full of circles, and players make moves by choosing columns. The first player to link four consecutive color circles wins the game.

Developers also created Halloween and Christmas versions of the game so you can play with festive colors instead of the standard blue and red.

6. One Word at a Time

One Word at a Time is a collaborative storytelling game that challenges channel members to write a story bit by bit. One player starts the story with a single word, and other participants reply within the thread. If more than one player answers at once, then the audience votes on the best word via emoji. The game is over when the story draws to a natural close, and the storystarter types, “THE END.”

7. ChessBot

ChessBot is one of the best Slack games for work. Since chess is a mental game, players will give their minds a workout while giving their work a rest.

To play chess on Slack:

  1. Install the ChessBot app.
  2. Challenge other players to a game.
  3. Players choose to accept or deny the challenge.
  4. ChessBot presents a board.
  5. Move your piece when ChessBot announces your turn.

As an added perk, ChessBot can run a computer analysis postgame to point out mistakes and strengthen strategy.

8. Gifs to Gifs

Gifs to Gifs functions similarly to games like Apples to Apples or Cards Against Humanity. Instead of placing cards in a pile, players post gifs in a Slack channel, using a gif app like Giphy.

To play Gifs to Gifs:

  1. Install a gif app in Slack.
  2. Create a designated channel for the game.
  3. Participants post prompts.
  4. Other players respond to the thread with gifs.
  5. Channel members vote on the gifs with emojis.
  6. After five minutes, the gif with the most emojis wins.

Here are sample prompts to kick off your game:

  • Mondays got me like…
  • If I won the lottery…
  • When you see a dog outside…
  • My current distraction…
  • Why I didn’t respond to your email…
  • Lunch plans…
  • If I didn’t work here I’d work….

If your team is extra ambitious, then they could even make their own gifs to share within the game.

9. React to the Fact

React to the Fact is a game that challenges players to decide whether statements are fact or fiction.

To play:

  1. Participants post a statement in the channel.
  2. Players react via emoji: thumbs up for true, thumbs down for false.
  3. After five or ten minutes, the first player reveals the answer by replying to the original post.

You can either keep a running tally of points throughout the workweek, or play for fun. If your team struggles to think of real facts, then use an amazing fact generator, or one of Slack’s fact apps like CatFacts or Shark Facts.

10. Icebreakers

Answering Slack icebreakers is a low-pressure way to have fun with remote colleagues. To generate prompts, you can use an app like Icebreakers, or choose from a list of icebreaker questions.

To start an icebreaker game on Slack:

  1. Create a special channel.
  2. Post a prompt.
  3. Give teammates time to respond.
  4. React to answers with emojis.

The Icebreakers app generates lists of selectable questions and prompts teammates directly, and you can answer questions manually by creating threads within the channel.

To make the exercise more competitive, invite players to guess each other’s answers in the style of The Newlywed Game. Or, award points for creative or popular questions or answers.

Here is a list of other question games to play.

11. Team building polls and quizzes

Polls and quizzes are some of the easiest ideas for team building on Slack. First, install a Slack poll app like Simple Poll or Polly. Next, create entertaining polls for teammates to answer in their spare time. For best results, set a deadline such as an hour, day, or week. Finally, once all answers are in, display the outcomes. To turn the poll or survey into a competition, award points to individuals or teams who submit the correct number of answers, or who vote for the popular choice.

Here are a few Slack poll game ideas:

  • Question games like This or That or Would You Rather
  • Flash pop quizzes
  • Trivia games
  • Predict the survey results
  • Family Feud

We recommend keeping questions light and fun to ensure the activity is enjoyable. For more tips, check out our team building quiz playbook.

12. Decode the emoji

Decode the emoji is a game that challenges players to translate messages written in symbols. To play this game, create a designated channel, then post messages written partially or entirely in emoji. Players must crack the code and decipher the message. The first player to answer correctly wins.

Here are a few examples of emoji messages:

  • 👴🏠🎈🎈🎈👦🐕💬🌎 = Pixar’s Up
  • ❓🌎🚗👬⏳E A 🟢 = Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
  • (🎈+ 🎈+ 🎈) x 33 = 99 Red Balloons
  • 🔑🖊️🆙 🚗 🏃E NNNN = Keeping up with the Kardashians
  • 🚫🛑🐝🍁N = Don’t Stop Believin’

The Slack app Emojify translates messages into emojis instantly, making it even easier to generate puzzles for the game.

13. Plop

Plop is one of the best Slack office games to help remote coworkers connect. To play this game, first download the Plop bot. Plop then creates a direct message between the user and the bot. At any time, participants can use a play command to start a game. Plop then fetches profile pictures of coworkers, and players must name the colleague. If stumped, then players can ask Plop for a hint, and the bot will provide four multiple choice options.

Plop is an especially useful Slack game for larger organizations with many employees, and will likely make virtual meetings less awkward and more interactive.

14. Wordsgame

Wordsgame is a Slack bot that appeals especially to fans of vocabulary games. Once you create a channel and install the app, you can use the /wordsgame slash command to prompt Wordsgame to issue random challenges. Wordsgame generates lists of letters, and players must make as many words as possible within sixty seconds. Wordsgame automatically tabulates the results, and the player who creates the most words wins.

Here are more vocabulary games you can play.

15. Ping Pong

Ping Pong is another example of the most popular Slack games. This app is more ideal for in-office or hybrid teams than remote teams, since it involves playing a physical ping pong match.

To play Slack Ping Pong:

  1. Install the PlayPlay.io app.
  2. Designate a channel to play in.
  3. Invite pongbot and other players to the channel.
  4. To initiate a game, type “@playpio challenge”, and the name of the player.
  5. Challengers accept by typing “@playpio accept.”
  6. Play an in-person ping pong match.
  7. At the end of the game, record the score by mentioning the bot and typing “won” or “lost.”

PlayPlay.io keeps a running tally of scores, making it easy to run a Slack Ping Pong tournament. Other features include fun GIFs and messages from the pongbot.

Conclusion

Playing games on Slack provides an efficient, no-additional-cost way to liven up company culture and foster relationships between remote colleagues. Most Slack games involve installation and explanation and require minimal skill or time commitment, giving them wide audience appeal.

Remote work can be lonely. Playing games together online provides a quick and accessible way to socialize and relax. Leisure time with coworkers makes the work from home environment more interactive and enjoyable.

For more games to play with remote teams, check out our lists of virtual team building games, games to play on Zoom, WebEx games, and Microsoft Teams games.

FAQ: Slack Games

Here are answers to common questions about Slack games.

What are Slack games?

Slack games are online challenges that take place via Slack channels. For example, rock-paper-scissors, chess, react to the fact, and Wordsgame. Many of these exercises use Slack apps to facilitate game play. The purpose of these games is to connect remote colleagues and foster friendships among distributed work-forces. Slack games are less time-sensitive than virtual team building activities like online murder mysteries or virtual escape rooms.

What games can you play in Slack?

You can play many games in Slack, including tic tac toe, rock paper scissors, chess, trivia, hangman and polls.

Why should you play Slack games?

Remote work can feel lonely and isolating. Virtual offices present less opportunities to interact, especially with colleagues in other departments. Playing Slack games gives virtual employees the chance to get to know coworkers better and unwind between tasks.

What are the benefits of Slack games?

Unlike video call games, Slack games can stretch over longer periods of time, so workers can play as the schedule allows. Since bots can launch challenges when prompted, managers do not need to organize or run the games. Plus, casual and competitive Slack channels unite cross-departmental employees who do not normally interact.

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Author: Angela Robinson

Team building content expert. Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses.

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Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

cut (one) a little slack

To allow one more latitude or freedom than usual; to be lenient with or forgiving of one. Oh, you know I never normally make requests like this. Cut me a little slack.A: 'I can't believe she talked to me like that!' B: 'You need to cut her a little slack—she's grieving right now.'Cut Tom a little slack. He studied hard for that test, but it's just not his best subject.

cut (one) some slack

To allow one more latitude or freedom than usual; to be more lenient with one. Oh, you know I never normally make requests like this. Cut me some slack.A: 'I can't believe she talked to me like that!' B: 'You need to cut her some slack—she's grieving right now.'Cut Tom some slack. He studied hard for that test, but it's just not his best subject.

give (one) some slack

To be lenient with one; to give one a break. Give me some slack, Mom. I studied hard for that test, but it's just not my best subject.I think you need to give Jen some slack. She's never been late before.

pick up the slack

To do an extra amount of work that someone else is unable or unwilling to do. I'm going to need you to pick up the slack around the house when the baby arrives, because I'm going to literally have my hands full.The fourth member of our team has been totally unreliable, so the rest of us have had to pick up the slack.

slack master

Someone who is especially lazy, indolent, or given to procrastination. I don't know how a slack master like him manages to get straight A's.That slack master Janet has been pulling our whole project down. I think she's done about 10 minutes of genuine work!

slack off

1. To release or ease the tension or pressure (on something). I'll need to slack off a bit so that I can adjust the rigging.Make sure you don't slack off on those harnesses before we've come to a complete stop.
2. To reduce or decrease over time. Most of the businesses on the island close up for the year once the summer business starts to slack off toward the end of August.The winds began slacking off as the hurricane shifted course out to sea.
3. To be or become lazy; to procrastinate or avoid work or one's duty. If you keep slacking off, we'll be forced to give you a formal warning.I should have been working on my essay, but I decided to slack off for the weekend with my friends.

slack off on (something)

1. To release or ease the tension or pressure on something, such as a rope or cable. Make sure you don't slack off on those harnesses before we've come to a complete stop.
2. To be or become lazy or unproductive in relation to some task or activity. If you keep slacking off on your financial reports, we'll be forced to give you a formal warning.Just because you're this big shot athlete doesn't mean you can slack off on your studies.

slack up (on someone or something)

1. To release or ease the tension or pressure (on something). I'll need to slack up a bit so that I can adjust the rigging.Make sure you don't slack up on those harnesses before we've come to a complete stop.
2. To stop doing something as intensely or frequently. I think you should slack up on the drinking, Bob.If we slack up now, we'll never meet our sales quota for the quarter.
3. To stop being so critical of or putting so much pressure on someone. Would you slack up already? I know I messed up the account, so I don't need you berating me for it any further.Slack up on Samantha, she's under a lot of pressure at home.

slack-jawed

1. With one's mouth hanging open, as due to surprise or dim-wittedness. I had to clear away the people who were standing slack-jawed on the side of the road, staring at the car wreck.
2. Moronic; very slow or dim-witted. I tried asking for directions at the gas station, but there was just some slack-jawed yokel working behind the counter.

take the slack up

1. To gather the loose section of rope or cable connected to something in order to make the line taut. Make sure you take the slack up, or the mainsail will start swinging out of control in this wind.One of the workers had failed to take the slack up, and the loose cable whipped around and severed his arm when the motor started up.
2. By extension, to do an extra amount of work that someone else is unable or unwilling to do. I'm going to need you to take the slack up around the house when the baby arrives.The fourth member of our team has been totally unreliable, so the rest of us have had to take the slack up for the entirety of this project.

take up the slack

To do an extra amount of work that someone else is unable or unwilling to do. I'm going to need you to take up the slack around the house when the baby arrives, because I'm going to literally have my hands full.The fourth member of our team has been totally unreliable, so the rest of us have had to take up the slack.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

cut someone a break

and cut someone some slack
Sl., to give someone a break; to allow someone a reprieve from the consequences of an action. Come on, cut me a break! I'm a good guy!I was only a few minutes late! Cut me a break! Don't dock my pay!Cut me some slack and I'll be sure to pay you all I owe in a month.

slack off

1. to taper off; to reduce gradually. Business tends to slack off during the winter months. The storms begin to slack off in April.
2. [for someone] to become lazy or inefficient. Near the end of the school year, Sally began to slack off, and her grades showed it. John got fired for slacking off during the busy season.

slack up (on something)

and slack off (on something)
to release the pressure or tension on something. Slack up on the rope a bit, will you? Please slack off!

take the slack up

1.Lit. to tighten a rope that is holding something loosely. Take the slack up if you can. This clothesline is too loose. Do something to take up the slack.
2.Fig. to do what needs to be done; to do what has been left undone. Do I have to take the slack up? Jill did her job poorly and I have to take up the slack.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

slack off

App
Decrease in activity or intensity, as in If business ever slacks off we can go on vacation, or When the project fell behind schedule again, she thought we were slacking off. [Second half of 1800s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

cut someone some slack

INFORMAL
If you cut someone some slack, you are less critical of their behaviour or performance than usual because you know they are in a difficult situation. When you're new at a job, colleagues and bosses cut you some slack. They forgive minor mistakes because you're new. Note: This expression is variable. Instead of some, people sometimes use words such as a little or a lot of. She's still upset about her dad. Cut her a little slack.

take up the slack

or

pick up the slack

INFORMAL
COMMON If someone or something takes up the slack or picks up the slack, they reduce the bad effect of something by providing something extra. With the export market in decline, it is hoped that the tourist trade will take up the slack.We have three members of staff absent and no one to pick up the slack. Note: If you take up the slack in a rope, you tighten it.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

cut someone some slack

allow someone some leeway; make allowances for someone's behaviour. North American informal
1998Times Most, though, are willing to cut Spielberg some slack for the sake of cinematic interpretation.

take (or pick) up the slack

A Slackline

1 pull on the loose end or part of a rope in order to make it taut. 2 use up a surplus or improve the use of resources to avoid an undesirable lull in business.
See also: slack, take, up

cut somebody some ˈslack

(informal, especially American English) make things easier than usual for somebody; allow somebody more freedom to do things than they would normally have: I know I made a mistake, but it’s my first week on the job, so cut me some slack, OK?
See also: cut, slack, somebody

take up the ˈslack

improve the way money or people are used in an organization: The export market has failed to take up the slack in recent years, which has led to financial losses.
The slack is the part of a rope that is hanging loosely. If there is no slack, the rope is tight.
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

slack off

v.
1. To decrease in activity or intensity: Tourism on Cape Cod usually slacks off around September.
2. To evade work; shirk: High school seniors tend to slack off once they get accepted to college.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

cut someone a break

and cut someone some slack
tv. to give someone a break; to allow someone a reprieve from the consequences of an action. Come on! Cut me a break! I won’t do it again! Cut me some slack and I’ll be sure to pay you all I owe in a month.

A Slacker Was 20 Minutes Late

cut someone some slack

verb
See also: cut, slack, someone
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

cut someone some slack, to

To give someone more time or more of a chance, to ease up on someone. This term, dating from the mid-1900s, alludes to a slackening of tautness in a rope or sail. Sandra Brown had it in Alibi (1999), “‘Don’t lean on him yet; let’s cut him some slack for now.’”
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer
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