What Are The Benefits of Competitive Team Building?
Competitive team building activities offer a thrilling experience, especially for teams used to high-pressure environments. Beyond the initial excitement, these activities bring lasting benefits:
- They Give Communication Insights: Competitive activities quickly reveal different communication styles, pinpointing areas for growth.
- They Lead to a Boost in Morale: Achieving shared goals promotes a sense of belonging and success which extends beyond the event, energizing the workplace atmosphere.
- They Reveal How Your Team Reacts to Pressure: These games show how individuals handle stress, showing who the natural leaders and collaborative players are.
- They Provide Thorough Understanding: Observing your team member’s reactions in a playful setting promotes empathy and improves team dynamics.
Competition can fuel teamwork without crushing team spirit. By channeling competitive energy in a constructive way - and with a purpose-, teams can collaborate, communicate, and motivate each other to achieve outstanding results: all while maintaining a positive workplace culture.
Our List of 25 Best Competitive Team Building Games
Discover TeamOut’s ultimate guide to competition-focused challenges with our customized list of 25 Best Competitive Team Building Games. Explore our selection of Fun Competitive Group Games, Competitive Activities, and Competitive Team-Building Games that promise to shake things up in your workplace and improve your team’s dynamics through exciting, strategic events.
Fun Competitive Group Games
These fun, competitive group games bring an extra dose of adrenaline to the office or outdoor space and treat your team to exciting challenges that promote collaboration. Check out our top choices:
1. Soccer Game/Office Mini Soccer
Take your team outside or opt for a mini soccer game right in the office. Either way, this is a scaled-down version of a game everyone knows and loves. Soccer, or the Office Mini Soccer version, brings the adrenaline of a competitive world-class game to your conference room or nearby park, promoting teamwork and friendly competition.
Step-by-step:
- Clear a space in the office, moving furniture to create boundaries; Alternatively, head to the parking lot or nearby park;
- Form two teams of 3-5 players each;
- Use waste paper baskets or cardboard boxes as goals;
- Set a time limit of 10-15 minutes per half;
- Implement modified rules, like no sliding, as the ball must stay on the ground;
- The team with the most goals at full time wins
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Duration: 30-45 minutes
Required materials: Ball, improvised goals, open office space/outdoor space
Group size: 6-10 participants (3-5 per team)/ Up to 20 participants if outdoors
Why it works for teams: Encourages quick decision-making and promotes physical activity in a fun environment.
2. Pyramids
Pyramids is a relay-style team building game that combines physical coordination, communication, and problem-solving. Teams race to build, transport, and rebuild cup pyramids across different stations, testing their ability to work together under time pressure while maintaining these delicate structures.
Step-by-step:
- Divide participants into teams of 4-6 people;
- Set up 4-6 stations in a line, 8-10 feet apart;
- Give each team 10 paper cups;
- First player builds a 4-cup base pyramid at the starting point;
- Second player helps transport the pyramid to the next station;
- If the pyramid collapses, rebuild before continuing;
- At each station, topple and rebuild the pyramid;
- Continue until the pyramid reaches the final station;
- First team to complete all stations wins.
Duration: 30 minutes
Required materials: 10 paper cups per team, open space
Group size: 8-24 participants (4-6 per team)
Why it works for teams: Promotes coordination and encourages strategic thinking under pressure.
3. Earth-ball
Earth-ball is an effective group game that can be played in the office or in the great outdoors (if you expect a change of scenery). This physical activity that challenges teams to keep a ball or balloon airborne for as long as possible. Participants form a circle and must work together to prevent the ball from touching the ground, with the added challenge of not allowing consecutive touches by the same person.
Step-by-step:
- Have participants form a circle in an open space;
- Introduce the balloon, beach ball, or volleyball (you pick!);
- Keep the ball in the air, no consecutive touches;
- Start a timer as the ball is put into play;
- Encourage verbal communication and strategy development;
- If the ball touches the ground, the game is over for that team;
- Repeat the process with other teams;
- The winning team is the won that kept the ball airborne for longer without letting it fall;
Duration: 15-45 minutes
Required materials: Large inflatable ball (balloon, beach ball, or volleyball)
Group size: 5-20 participants
Why it works for teams: Encourages quick thinking, communication, and coordination.
4. Team Pursuit
Team Pursuit is a comprehensive team-building game that combines challenges to test different skills and promote collaboration. Teams must compete against each other in a series of skill-based, thought-based, and creative challenges. It’s an excellent way to showcase talents within the group.
Step-by-step:
- Form teams of 2-6 people;
- Prepare a combination of cerebral, skill, and mystery challenges;
- Start with a cerebral challenge, like a logic puzzle;
- Move to a skill challenge, like building structure with limited materials;
- Include mystery challenges, like creating a team chant or slogan;
- Rotate through different challenge types;
- Tally scores and announce the winning team.
Duration: 1-2 hours
Required materials: Depends on chosen challenges
Group size: 6-24 participants (2-6 per team)
Why it works for teams: Highlights individual strengths and fosters teamwork through varied challenges.
5. Among Us
Among Us is a multiplayer competitive game and virtual team-building activity that places employees in a space-themed scenario. Players are secretly assigned roles as either crewmates or impostors. Crewmates must complete tasks around the map while identifying and voting out the impostors. Impostors aim to sabotage the mission and eliminate crewmates without being detected.
Step-by-step:
- Ensure all participants have the game Among Us installed on their devices;
- Create a private game room and have everyone join;
- Adjust game settings (e.g. number of impostors, tasks) as needed;
- Start the game and let players explore the map and their roles;
- Crewmates complete mini-games representing tasks;
- When a body is reported or emergency meeting called, all discuss;
- Vote to eliminate suspected impostors;
- Play multiple rounds, switching roles randomly each time.
Duration: 5-50 minutes per round (play as many rounds as you want!)
Required materials: Smartphones, tablets, or computers with Among Us installed
Group size: 4-10 players per round
Why it works for teams: Improves communication skills and develops deductive reasoning.
6. Electric Fence
Electric Fence is a physical challenge where teams must work together to cross an imaginary electrified barrier while competing against other teams. A rope is set up at waist height, and all team members must get over it without touching it. The catch is that employees must keep physical contact with at least one other team member at all times.
Step-by-step:
- Set up a rope at waist height between two sturdy objects;
- Position the two/three teams on one side of the rope;
- Explain the rules: go over the rope, maintain contact with a teammate, no touching the “fence”;
- Give the teams 5 minutes to strategize before attempting the crossing;
- Start the timer and begin the challenge;
- The winning team is the one that crosses the fence in the least amount of time.
Duration: 20-30 minutes
Required materials: Rope or cord, two sturdy anchor points (trees or poles)
Group size: 8-30 participants (4-10 per teams, up to three teams)
Why it works for teams: Improves physical coordination and develops problem-solving skills under pressure.
7. Heads Up!
Heads Up! is an adrenaline-boosting guessing game based on the popular mobile app. One player holds a smartphone to their forehead displaying a word, while teammates have to give them clues to help them guess the word within a time limit. This competitive game can be customized with industry-specific terms or company inside jokes, making it more interesting and relevant for your team.
Step-by-step:
- Download the Heads Up! app on a smartphone;
- Create custom decks with industry-specific terms or company inside jokes;
- Divide participants into teams of 3-5 players;
- One player holds the phone to their forehead, screen facing out;
- Teammates have 60 seconds to give clues for as many words as possible;
- Player guessing can pass on difficult words;
- Teams take turns, with each round lasting 5 minutes;
- The team with the most correct guesses wins.
Duration: 20-50 minutes
Required materials: Smartphone with Heads Up! app, custom word decks
Group size: 6-20 participants (3-5 per team)
Why it works for teams: Improves quick thinking and enhances communication skills while reinforcing industry knowledge.
8. Lava Flow
Lava Flow is a fun competitive game where teams must cross an imaginary lava field using limited platform objects without touching the ground. Employees are given a few objects like milk crates, fabric squares, or tires that must be strategically moved and shared to help the entire team cross from one side to another. If any team member touches the ground, they must restart.
Step-by-step:
- Mark start and finish lines using ropes or cones;
- Scatter ‘safe’ objects (fabric squares, milk crates) between lines;
- Divide participants into teams of 3-7;
- Explain that the floor is lava and cannot be touched;
- Provide each team with 2-3 movable objects;
- Teams must cross the ‘lava’ using only provided objects;
- If a member touches the floor, the entire team restarts;
- First team to get all members across wins.
Duration: 25-30 minutes
Required materials: Various platform objects (like fabric squares), ropes or cones for boundaries
Group size: 6-14 participants (3-7 per team)
Why it works for teams: Encourages planning, promotes physical cooperation, and develops problem-solving skills.
9. Leaky Pipe
Leaky Pipe is a water-based competition where groups must retrieve a ping pong ball from a pipe with drilled holes by filling the pipe with water. Teams use cups to transport water from a bucket located 50 feet away, working in a relay-style format. As water fills the pipe, participants must plug the holes at the same time and prevent leakage. The first team to float their ping pong ball to the top of the pipe wins.
Step-by-step:
- Set up two stations with a leaky pipe, bucket of water, and cups;
- Place a ping pong ball inside each pipe;
- Position water buckets 50 feet away from pipes;
- Divide participants into two teams;
- Explain that the goal is to float the ball to the top of the pipe;
- Teams must transport water using cups relay-style;
- Participants plug holes as water level rises;
- Set a time limit (e.g. 5 minutes);
- First team to retrieve their ball wins.
Duration: 30 minutes
Required materials: 2 pipes with drilled holes, buckets, cups, ping pong balls, water
Group size: 6-14 participants (3-7 per team)
Why it works for teams: Improves task delegation and enhances problem-solving under pressure.
Best Competitive Activities
These competitive activities are different from team-building games as they are more skill-focused and less physical. They are not high-energy, but require focus, problem-solving, and observation skills. Here’s a collection of our favorite ones:
10. Swift Swap
Swift Swap is a visual memory and observation activity where teams have to notice and recall details about their colleagues' appearances. Two teams face each other, with one of them observing the other for a brief period before the observed team makes subtle changes to their appearance. The observing team must then identify all these changes.
Step-by-step:
- Divide participants into two teams, A and B;
- Line up teams facing each other;
- Give Team A 15-30 seconds to observe Team B;
- Team A turns around while Team B makes changes to their appearance;
- Allow 45 seconds for Team B to make changes;
- Team A turns back and has 5-7 minutes to identify changes;
- Teams switch roles and repeat the process;
- The team that identifies the most changes wins.
Duration: 10-15 minutes
Required materials: None
Group size: 10-30 participants
Why it works for teams: Improves observational skills and promotes attention to detail.
11. Back of the Napkin
Back of the Napkin is a competitive problem-solving activity where teams use a napkin to sketch solutions to open-ended questions asked by the game leader. Employees work in small groups to represent their ideas in a visual way, using simple drawings and text, transforming complex concepts into accessible ideas. The team with the best solutions, wins.
Step-by-step:
- Divide participants into teams of 2-3 people;
- Present an open-ended, provocative question that is industry-related or not;
- Provide each team with a napkin and pens;
- Give teams 10-15 minutes to discuss and sketch their solution;
- Encourage creative approaches;
- Have teams tape their napkins to a flip chart;
- Allow each team 2 minutes to present their napkin solution;
- Judge entries in playful categories like: Most Practical, Most Out-of-the-Box, Most Visual
Duration: 15-20 minutes
Required materials: Napkins, pens, flip chart
Group size: 6-24 participants (2-3 per team)
Why it works for teams: Breaks down communication barriers, encourages visual thinking, and promotes problem-solving.
12. Hole Tarp
Hole Tarp is a competitive team-building activity where participants are given a tarpaulin with randomly cut holes and 1-3 tennis balls. The goal is to work as a team and move the tennis balls around the tarp without letting them fall through the holes or roll off the edges. Divide into teams. Each team takes turns and holds the tarp with both hands, creating a flat, elevated surface, and work together to maneuver the balls using coordinated movements.
Step-by-step:
- Cut 1-3 holes of varying sizes in a large tarp;
- Divide into two teams;
- Position team members of team 1 evenly around the tarp's edges;
- Instruct participants to hold the tarp with both hands;
- Start creating wave-like motions with the tarp;
- Introduce a tennis ball onto the tarp's surface;
- Guide the ball around the tarp, avoiding holes and edges;
- If the ball falls through a hole or off the tarp, restart the game;
- Rotate teams;
- Set a time goal (e.g. keep the ball in play for 2 minutes). First team to accomplish this, wins;
Duration: 14-45 minutes
Required materials: Large tarp with cut holes, 1-3 tennis balls, timer
Group size: 8-40 participants (divided in two teams)
Why it works for teams: Improves group coordination and promotes problem-solving under pressure.
13. The Barter Puzzle
The Barter Puzzle is a strategic and competitive team-building activity that challenges groups to complete jigsaw puzzles. But there’s a twist: Teams of 4-5 people receive puzzles with 50 pieces or fewer, but some pieces are mixed among other teams' puzzles. Participants must negotiate and trade with other groups in order to get the pieces they need.
Step-by-step:
- Divide participants into teams of 4-5 people;
- Give each team a 50-piece jigsaw puzzle with mixed-in pieces from other puzzles;
- Explain that teams must complete their puzzle by trading pieces with other groups;
- Set a time limit of 20 minutes for puzzle completion;
- Allow teams to strategize for 2 minutes before trading begins;
- Encourage inter-team communication;
- The first team to complete their puzzle wins.
Duration: 20-30 minutes
Required materials: 3 different 50-piece jigsaw puzzles, timer
Group size: 9-25 participants (3-5 per team)
Why it works for teams: Improves negotiation skills, promotes strategic thinking, and encourages cross-team collaboration.
14. Dance Battle
Dance Battle will transform your office into a competitive dance floor. You’ll need a Dance Party app for this activity. Teams of 2-4 players mimic the moves of on-screen avatars, competing for the highest scores. This activity relies on high-energy and encourages physical activity. It’s also an outstanding way to break down social barriers.
Step-by-step:
- Download and set up the Dance Party™ app on a device with a large screen;
- Form teams of 2-4 players each;
- Explain the activity: teams must mimic the on-screen avatar's moves;
- Each round lasts for one song (about 3-4 minutes);
- Teams compete simultaneously, with highest scores advancing;
- Crown the winning team with a prize.
Duration: 30-45 minutes
Required materials: Smartphone or tablet with Dance Party™ app, large screen or projector
Group size: 4-16 participants (2-4 per team)
Why it works for teams: Reduces inhibitions and promotes physical activity.
15. Company Concentration
Company Concentration is a memory-based team-building activity that adapts the famous card-matching game to a corporate context. Team members work in teams to find matching pairs of cards that feature company-related information such as employee photos, product images, or logos. Cards are placed face-down on a table, and teams take turns flipping two cards at a time, aiming to find and remember matching pairs.
Step-by-step:
- Create sets of matching cards with company-specific content;
- Arrange cards face-down on a large table;
- Divide participants into teams of 3-5 players;
- Explain the rules: to flip two cards per turn, match pairs to keep them;
- Set a time limit (e.g. 15 minutes) for the matching phase;
- Teams take turns flipping cards, trying to remember locations;
- When a match is found, the team keeps the pair and goes again;
- The team with the most pairs at the end of the time limit wins.
Duration: 45-60 minutes
Required materials: Custom-made cards with company information
Group size: Unlimited (teams of 3-5 recommended)
Why it works for teams: Enhances memory skills, promotes knowledge of company culture, and encourages competition.
Best Competitive Team-Building Games
Elevate your teamwork with our Competitive Team-Building Games. Explore our list of strategic challenges that are designed to boost friendly rivalry, boost morale, and transform workplace dynamics through high-energy activities.
16. Balloon Caterpillar Race
Balloon Caterpillar Race can take place in or outside your office, which is definitely a plus. It consists of an obstacle course and it provides a hilarious team-building challenge. This team-building game turns your employees into a comical, wriggling chain as they try to make their way to victory. This exercise is guaranteed to burst the bubble of workplace monotony and boost team spirit.
Step-by-step:
- Split the group into two teams and line up players in single file;
- Place inflated balloons between each team member, from shoulders to hips;
- Mark out a course with various obstacles like chairs, desks, or potted plants;
- On "Go!", teams must start navigating the course without dropping their balloons;
- If a balloon pops or falls, the team must restart from the beginning of the course;
- The first team to cross the finish line intact wins.
Duration: 30-45 minutes
Required materials: Lots of balloons, obstacle items from around the office (desks, chairs, etc)
Group size: 8-20 participants (4-10 per team)
Why it works for teams: Promotes physical coordination, non-verbal communication, and problem-solving under pressure.
17. Human Snakes
Step into the world of non-verbal communication with Human Snakes. This blindfolded challenge will have your team rely on subtle cues to guide each other to success, which will increase trust among employees. It's a competitive team-building game that proves you don't need eyes to be a visionary team player.
Step-by-step:
- Form teams of 5-8 players and have them stand in a line;
- Blindfold everyone except the last person in each line;
- Place a container about 10 feet in front of each team;
- Give each blindfolded player a small, throwable object;
- The sighted person guides the front player to toss their object using shoulder taps;
- Successfully throw? Remove blindfold and become the new guide at the back;
- First team to have all members successfully throw wins.
Duration: 20-40 minutes
Required materials: Blindfolds, small throwable objects (stress balls, bean bags), containers
Group size: 10-32 participants (5-8 per team)
Why it works for teams: Builds trust, enhances non-verbal communication skills, and fosters leadership rotation.
18. Build A Bridge
Build a Bridge is a popular team-building competitive game, but also a fantastic problem-solving activity your team will love. Span the gaps in your team's collaboration skills with this engineering challenge. Build A Bridge turns your workforce into a group of architects and tests their ability to create sturdy structures under pressure. It's a concrete way to reinforce teamwork.
Step-by-step:
- Divide participants into teams of 3-5 members;
- Provide each team with an identical set of building materials;
- Set a time limit (30 minutes) for bridge construction;
- Teams must build a bridge that spans a 2-foot gap;
- After time's up, test each bridge by adding weight incrementally;
- The bridge that supports the most weight before collapsing wins.
Duration: 45 minutes to 1 hour
Required materials: Cardboard, string, tape, scissors, popsicle sticks, glue, weights for testing
Group size: 9-25 participants (3-5 per team)
Why it works for teams: Encourages creative problem-solving, collaboration, and resource management.
19. Charades
Gather your team for this classic competitive game of non-verbal guesswork. Charades is an excellent team-building icebreaker that transforms even your quiet colleagues into actors, promoting creativity and intuition development. It's a silent game that does wonders for breaking barriers and enhancing communication.
Step-by-step:
- Divide participants into two teams and prepare a set of industry-specific or general prompts;
- One player from each team draws a prompt and acts it out silently;
- Set a 2-minute timer for each round of guessing;
- Teams earn a point for each correct guess within the time limit;
- Rotate actors after each round;
- The team with the most points after a set number of rounds wins.
Duration: 30 minutes to 1 hour
Required materials: Timer, prepared prompts on slips of paper
Group size: 8-20 participants (4-10 per team)
Why it works for teams: Improves non-verbal communication, quick thinking, and empathy.
20. Scavenger Hunts
Scavenger Hunts are team-building games that focus on problem solving, teamwork, and discovery. The goal is to tackle challenges and solve riddles in order to find certain items. You can choose from a variety of scavenger hunt ideas. This game transforms office spaces (and outdoor areas!) into exploration zones, encouraging employees to see their environment – and each other – in a new light.
Step-by-step:
- Create a list of 15-20 items or clues specific to your workplace;
- Divide participants into teams of 3-4 people;
- Distribute the list and set a time limit (e.g. 30 minutes);
- Teams must find or solve as many items/clues as possible;
- Require photo evidence or item collection for verification;
- The team with the most completed tasks wins;
- Include tasks that require interaction with other departments.
Duration: 45 minutes to 1 hour
Required materials: Prepared clue lists, smartphones for photo evidence
Group size: 6-24 participants (3-4 per team)
Why it works for teams: Promotes problem-solving, time management, and networking between team members.
21. Fantasy Football League
Fantasy Football League is a superb season-long team-building game. It is an interactive online challenge where participants become virtual team managers, drafting real NFL players to create their own competitive teams.
Step-by-step:
- Set up a league on a popular fantasy football platform, like ESPN fantasy games;
- Invite team members to join and create their fantasy teams;
- Hold a virtual draft day where participants select their players;
- Encourage weekly discussions in a dedicated Slack channel;
- Share weekly matchup results;
- Organize a mid-season trade deadline event;
- Host a virtual end-of-season awards ceremony.
Duration: Entire NFL season (September to January)
Required materials: Fantasy football platform subscription, access to NFL stats
Group size: 8-30 participants
Why it works for teams: Promotes long-term engagement and strategic thinking.
22. Lego Master Builders
Challenge your team’s architectural skills with this block-busting challenge. Lego Master Builders will turn your office workers into real construction crews, racing against the clock to bring blueprint visions to life. The best part? You get to travel back in time to your childhood!
Step-by-step:
- Divide participants into teams of 3-4;
- Provide each team with a set of Lego bricks;
- Show teams a complex structure diagram for about 1 minute;
- Set a time limit (e.g. 15 minutes) for teams to recreate the structure;
- Judge builds based on accuracy, stability, and completion time;
- Award points for the top three closest replicas.
Duration: 30-45 minutes
Required materials: Lego sets (identical for each team), structure diagrams, timer
Group size: 9-20 participants (3-4 per team)
Why it works for teams: Enhances visual memory and communication under pressure.
23. Tug of War
Tug of War tests your team's collective strength in a battle of strategy. To make it even more interesting, pit department against department in a test of grit and synchronized effort. A little bit of healthy competition can bring teams (even rival ones!) together.
Step-by-step:
- Mark a center line and two 13-foot marks on either side on grass or sand (choose a nearby park or beach for the game);
- Form two teams and position them on opposite sides of the rope;
- Align the rope's center mark with the ground's center line;
- On “Go!”, teams pull to drag opponents across the center line;
- Best two out of three pulls wins the match;
- Rotate team members for multiple rounds if time allows.
Duration: 20-30 minutes
Required materials: Sturdy rope, outdoor space, marking materials (like chalk)
Group size: 10-20 participants (5-10 per side)
Why it works for teams: Builds trust, encourages physical teamwork, and develops non-verbal coordination.
24. Three-Legged Race Relay
Three-Legged Race Relay is a test of coordination and cooperation for your team where pairs of participants have to move together as a single unit. Two participants have their adjacent legs tied together, forcing them to coordinate movements and be synchronized to race from start to finish.
Step-by-step:
- Create a start and finish line about 100 feet apart;
- Pair up participants and tie their adjacent legs together at the ankle;
- Line up pairs at the starting line;
- On “Go!”, pairs race to the finish line and back;
- The next pair can start once the previous team crosses the start line;
- First team to have all pairs complete the course wins.
Duration: 20-30 minutes
Required materials: Soft rope or bandanas for tying legs, open space
Group size: 8-20 participants (4-10 pairs)
Why it works for teams: Improves physical coordination, encourages communication, and breaks down personal space barriers.
25. The Olympiad Challenge
The Olympiad Challenge is a competitive team-building game that simulates an Olympic-style competition. Employees are divided into teams representing different countries with their own flags. Teams compete in a series of 20 physical and mental challenges inspired by ancient athletic games, spread across four colored quadrants.
Step-by-step:
- Event host divides participants into teams;
- Teams create their "’nations’, designing flags and choosing symbols;
- All participants take the Olympic Oath, emphasizing fair play;
- Teams receive supply bags for challenges;
- Challenges are explained and distributed across four quadrants;
- Teams choose which challenges to attempt;
- Participants compete in both head-to-head and self-guided challenges;
- The team with the most points is crowned Olympiad Challenge Champion.
Duration: 2-3 hours
Required materials: Challenge supplies (depending on the challenges), team bags, flag-making materials
Group size: 25-100+ participants (teams of 4-8)
Why it works for teams: Promotes strategic thinking, encourages physical and mental engagement, and fosters a sense of community.
Wrapping Up
Wrapping up our journey through the “25 Best Competitive Team Games for Boosting Workplace Morale”, it's clear that a little competition can work wonders. These games aren't about winning, but rather improving your team's dynamics and communication while injecting a dose of fun into the workday.
From high-energy challenges to complex puzzles, we've gone through a list of activities designed to suit different team sizes and work settings. Now, go ahead and pick your favorites from our TeamOut list. Your team's next breakthrough might just start with a game!
At TeamOut, we are experts at planning events and corporate retreats that suit your team’s style, needs, and budget. From celebrations and on-site events to team outings and corporate retreats, we plan extraordinary experiences. Event planning never seemed so easy and stress-free!
Book a free call today with one of our Trip Designers and Event Planners and start elevating your team building game!
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