12 Top Paid and Free Online Board Games For Teams To Enjoy

Add an element of gamification to your regular team-building sessions with exciting online board games. These interactive digital games are a fantastic way to engage teams and test their collaboration skills. Whether you choose popular classic games or modern ones, they are sure to spark some fun moments and bring your team together for a lighthearted competition. 

In this article, we share 12 paid and free online board games for you to host the ultimate gaming league at your next team bonding event.

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Why Choose Online Board Games for Team Building?

Online board games are fun inclusive games that offer interactive gameplay and can be enjoyed by anyone regardless of their skill levels. Moreover, virtual board games are perfect for breaking the ice between remote teams that may be spread out worldwide. Whether it’s Cluedo, Monopoly, or Chess, teams simply need to follow the rules and play strategically while competing head-to-head to score a win. These games require good communication skills and teamwork for teams to complete each level, making it ideal for team-building sessions.

6 Paid Virtual Board Games for Remote Teams

Give your remote teams a refresher from work and engage them with a variety of fun-filled virtual board games. Dive into this list of the six best online board games that are worth your penny.

1. Taboo

Price: $249 onwards (per group)
Number of Participants: 10 to 1000
Duration: 60 minutes 

The classic word-guessing game just got a digital makeover with the Hooray Teams Online Taboo event. Teams take turns to describe a random word without using any of the ‘Taboo’ words listed on the digital cards. A lively host will lead your team, share prompts with the participants, and ensure everyone gets a chance to play. 

Gameplay: One person from the group shares clues about a specific word without giving out hints from the taboo list. The other members must decode the hints to identify the word before time runs out. If the ‘clue giver’ accidentally reveals a taboo word while sharing hints, the opposing team can point it out to end their turn. The group that guesses the maximum number of words correctly wins the game. 

Pro Tip: Teams can combine the elements of Charades and let the clue giver act out the word or phrase instead of explaining it.

2. Pictionary

Price: $25 (per person)
Number of Participants: 10 to 1000
Duration: 60 minutes 

If you are looking for hilarious drawing games, Virtual Pictionary by Hooray Teams is sure to entertain your team. An enthusiastic host will guide your team and share random pictionary prompts during each round. These prompts could include categories such as pop culture, sports, food, and more. Teams can also suggest customized prompts for a more personalized experience. 

Gameplay: Participants will be divided into smaller groups of 6 to 8 players and assigned to random breakout rooms. One member from each group will draw a given pictionary prompt on a digital platform. The other team members must use their creative thinking skills to guess the word right within a set time to score points. 

Pro Tip: You can award extra points for the most creative representation of the given prompt to encourage your team to think outside the box.

3. Bingo

Price: $249 onwards (per group)
Number of Participants: 10 to 1000
Duration: 60 minutes 

The Virtual Bingo by Hooray Teams is perfect for teams looking to enjoy a digital version of the classic game without compromising on fun. A friendly host will share digital bingo cards with your team via a shared platform. These cards could include prompts like numbers, words, symbols, or images. You can also opt for custom themes such as holidays or travel to enjoy a personalized experience.

Gameplay: Participants need to listen to the prompts called out by the host and mark them off on their digital bingo cards. The first player to complete a row, column, or diagonal shouts ‘Bingo!’ to win the game. The game continues for 3 to 4 rounds so that teams get enough chances to score a win. 

Pro Tip: For a more entertaining experience complete with hilarious quips from professional hosts, teams can opt for Virtual Drag Queen Bingo. 

4. Clue: The Classic Edition

Price: Customizable 
Number of Participants: 3 to 6 players (per room)
Duration: 40 to 60 minutes

Gather your team for a sleuthing adventure as you play the digital version of the popular board game Clue. You and your team take on the roles of detectives and solve a murder mystery. To add a competitive twist, players can split into smaller groups and play the game simultaneously. The best part is that this game offers ten different themes beyond the classic one, interesting puzzles, and a hint system for additional clues. 

Gameplay: Teams need to navigate their way inside a virtual mansion, visit different rooms, and gather clues about the murder. The group that finds the weapon, identifies the crime scene and reveals the murderer before others win the game. 

Pro Tip: You can encourage players to dress up like detectives to add a fun visual element to the game. 

5. Ticket to Ride

Number of Participants: 2 to 5
Duration: 30 to 60 minutes

If your team is looking to enjoy online board games with an element of adventure, Then Ticket to Ride is a perfect choice for them. You and your team need to think strategically to build train routes and connect cities across a digital map. 

Gameplay: Players receive four train cards and three destination tickets to get started. In each round, participants can draw train cards, claim routes by playing matching colored cards, or draw additional destination tickets by simply clicking on them. Participants can earn points for claimed routes, completed destination tickets, and the longest train route. Finally, the player who ends up collecting the highest overall score wins the game.

Pro Tip: You can set your own rules, such as awarding bonus points when a player blocks their opponent’s routes.

6. Settlers of Catan

Price: customizable 
Number of Participants: 3 to 4 players
Duration: 1 to 2 hours 

Settlers of Catan is one of the best strategy-based online board games that will put your team’s strategic planning skills to the test. This game is set on the fictional Island of Catan, where teams take on the roles of settlers. They aim to collect resources, trade strategically, and build roads, settlements, and cities to dominate the island.  

Gameplay: Each player takes turns to click on a dice icon to roll it and gather resources like wood, brick, and ore to build roads, settlements, and cities on a virtual board. Players can also trade resources, play development cards, or complete other actions during their turn based on their resources. The first player to accumulate 10 victory points on their turn wins the game. 

Pro Tip: Teams can set a limited time for participants to play their turn to add some excitement to the game.

6 Best Free Online Board Games for Remote Teams

Want to engage your remote team in fun-filled online board games without the hassles of managing subscriptions? We’ve got you covered. Here’s a list of 6 easy-to-access free online board games that are perfect for entertaining your teams. 

1. Hanabi

Number of Participants: 2 to 5
Duration: 20 to 30 minutes

Hanabi is a cooperative card game where teams don’t compete but rather work together to achieve a single goal. Players aim to create a pattern of spectacular fireworks display on a virtual board by playing cards in the correct numerical order. The only catch is that players cannot see their own cards. 

Gameplay: The game automatically deals cards to each player facing outward. Players have three options on each turn – provide information to their teammate about their card, play their own cards, or discard a card and draw a new one. The navigation keys may vary based on the game’s interface, but the options generally remain the same. The aim is to build five color-coded firework sequences together. The game ends when players achieve the goal or lose all their ‘fuse tokens.’ 

Pro Tip: Teams can gather for a pre-game discussion to decide different ways of sharing clues during the game to avoid confusion while playing. 

2. Werewolf

Number of Participants: 3 to 11 
Duration: 20 to 30 minutes

Teams seeking online board games that offer the perfect mix of intrigue and suspense will enjoy playing the game of Werewolf.  The plot of this game revolves around players living in a virtual village that is attacked by werewolves at night. Teams need to sift through the lies presented by the other participants who try to prove their innocence to identify the real werewolves. You and your team need to play smart and watch out for the loopholes to progress in the game.

Gameplay: Players are randomly assigned the roles of werewolves and villagers before getting started. The game happens in two phases – day and night. During the night phase, werewolves secretly choose a player to eliminate. In the day phase, players use the in-game chat option to discuss, deceive, and vote to eliminate a suspect. The game continues until the werewolves are eliminated or they outnumber the villagers. 

Pro Tip: The group can vote for an MVP based on strategic plays and convincing bluffs during voting rounds. 

3. Battleship

Number of Participants: 2 (per game)
Duration: 10 to 20 minutes

Round up your team for a virtual quest with the online version of the classic game of Battleship. Originally played during the First World War as a pen-and-paper game, this game is all about sinking opponent’s ships while saving yours from getting sunk. In the online version, each team member commands a fleet of ships, including a carrier, battleship, cruiser, submarine, and destroyer, placed on a digital grid. 

Gameplay: Players start by strategically placing their ships on the grid. Then, they take turns to guess the coordinates of their opponent’s ship and click them to launch attacks. Each correct guess is a ‘hit,’ and the wrong ones are a ‘miss.’ The players aim to sink all of the opponent’s ships to score a win. 

Pro Tip: Teams can check out multiplayer board games platform online that offer Battleship for more than two participants. 

4. Azul

Number of Participants: 2 to 4 
Duration: 30 to 45 minutes 

Azul is an interesting board game inspired by the beautiful Portuguese tiles called azulejos. In this game, teams need to use their best strategies to select tiles and create intricate patterns on a virtual board. 

Gameplay: Each player receives a set number of tiles automatically, which is displayed in the central factories. Players take turns to click and select their desired tiles from the factories and drag them to the rows of choice. Participants score points when they fill rows, columns, or achieve a set of the same color by placing tiles on their digital wall. The game ends when at least one player completes a horizontal row on their board. Finally, the player with the highest score overall wins the game. 

Pro Tip: Teams can set challenges, such as completing a specific pattern before others, to add an interesting twist to the game. 

5. Boggle

Number of Participants: 2 and above
Duration: 3 minutes per round

Test your team’s vocabulary and anagram skills in an online version of Boggle. You and your team will observe a digital grid with random letters and identify as many words as possible within a set time.

Gameplay: Teams drag and connect different letters vertically, horizontally, or diagonally to form various words and score points. The only catch is that the words must be valid and at least three letters long to be considered by the system. Finally, the players who find the most number of words score the maximum points. 

Pro Tip: Teams can download a Boggle template and use the screen-sharing option on any video conferencing platform to play together. 

6. Tokaido

Number of Participants: 2 to 5
Duration: 45 to 60 minutes

Travel along the roads of Japan virtually and enjoy some lighthearted fun with your team while playing Tokaido.  Teams move around a digital version of Tokaido’s East Sea Road, where they visit different places such as temples or inns. The players aim to complete various tasks, make the most out of their experience, and earn points during the journey. 

Gameplay: Players move around a virtual track and stop at different locations to draw encounter cards, collect souvenirs, or make donations to temples. Participants collect experience points based on the actions they perform while keeping an eye on others’ progress to strategize their moves. The player who collects the maximum number of points wins the game. 

Pro Tip: Participants can have a fun debrief session after the main game to discuss their experiences and vote for the most creative journey. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How to play good online board games?

Various team-building platforms offer fully hosted cool online board games for teams. Alternatively, you can also look up the digital version of the game you want to play online and share links to invite your team. 

What are some of the best online board games suitable for team building?

Online board games, such as Battleship, chess, Guess Who, and Monopoly, are suitable for a fun team-building session. 

How to make online board games engaging for teams?

Set clear house rules, encourage participation, and fuel healthy competition to make the games engaging and interesting for all. 

What are some good platforms to play free board games online?

Board Games Arena, Buddy Board Games, and Arkadium are some best online board game store to enjoy free games with your team.  

How long should an online board game session last?

An online board game session can last up to 60 to 90 minutes. However, it might exceed depending on the complexity of the game.