Microsoft Teams Now Lets You Waste Time By Playing Games With Coworkers

Microsoft is making some changes to its popular virtual workspace Microsoft Teams, and adding a spate of classic games to play with coworkers.

This comes in the form of a new app called Games for Work, which is part of Microsoft Teams. Plenty of casual multiplayer titles are available via this platform, such as Microsoft Minesweeper, Microsoft Solitaire, and a word game called Microsoft Wordament. 

These games allow up to 250 people to play simultaneously, serving the needs of larger companies that rely on Teams for their daily communications. On that note, the designs of the classic titles have been adjusted to support multiplayer. Players go head-to-head in Solitaire, and Minesweeper has players forming teams to clear out mines from the board. 

Some titles include leaderboards so you can see how you compare to your coworkers. Nothing wrong with a little friendly rivalry, right? There is even a game called Microsoft IceBreakers that helps coworkers, well, break the ice by asking pointed questions and engaging in fun activities. 

"Games promote creativity, collaboration, and communication in powerful and unique ways, and we can't wait to see how the Games for Work app on Microsoft Teams inspires productivity and helps foster connections in the workplace," Jill Braff, the General Manager of Integrations and Casual Games at Microsoft, said in the press release.

To that end, the company cites data indicating that coworkers who play games together for 45 minutes are 20 percent more productive than those who choose other team-building exercises.

Microsoft says they are open to feedback regarding the app and will be adding more games and updating current games in the near future.