Why board games bond colleagues

3…2…1!

Hands shot out to grab at the gigantic pile of cards on the table, turning them over at random. The challenge: to find the right ingredient cards to make the perfect kopitiam drink. In those few minutes, it was every person for themselves. Sighs of frustration bounced off the walls amidst the card-flipping frenzy.

Hey! You stole my card!

Argh!! Where’s the sugar? There’s no sugar!

Close shop!

Fei was crowned Kopi King after winning twice in a row, only for his throne to be usurped by Jarod in the last game.

To work better, teams need to establish mutual trust and build rapport through shared experiences. After a year of mostly working from home, we decided to be more intentional in understanding one another by organising light-hearted and fun activities to do together as a company. This time, we played board games.

Here are some reasons why board games help teams work better together:

#1 They strengthen communication

Board games are a great way to foster collaboration and communication in teams. Like client projects, collaborative board games usually have a common goal or objective that must be achieved by all parties.

For example: in Codenames, we had to quickly discuss and agree on which words to select when our “spymaster” gave one-word clues that related to the specific cards on the table.

#2 They help you become a better strategist

Strategy games require us to be more intentional in our actions and to think of how we can assist one another to achieve a common goal. To succeed, a team should be on the same page about how things are done, and play to each other’s strengths.

For example: in Sequence, we each played a card and placed a chip on the matching space on the board. As the game was played in total silence, each pair had to anticipate and cooperate with one another’s moves to create a sequence of five same-coloured chips in order to win.

#3 They motivate us through fun

We believe that having fun benefits our creative work, and going to new places can inspire us with fresh ideas. Team bonding sessions also give us the chance to destress and recharge so that we can perform better at work.

I found the company outing to be a fun and fruitful one, and hope to have more of such opportunities to get to know the team better.