Microsoft’s newest app, Games for Work, is adding a handful of casual games right into Microsoft Teams to allow users to play against each other during meetings. Games available through the app include Solitaire, Minesweeper, Wordament, and IceBreakers — all games that are noted as being safe for work and ad-free by Microsoft.
All four games are interactive and support multiple players, ranging from just two players all the way to 250.
Each game offers a different play experience, with Solitaire focused on head-to-head competition and Minesweeper leaning heavily into the cooperation element of gameplay where users have to work together to solve problems. IceBreakers is designed to encourage conversations among co-workers as a variation on this or that, prompting players to choose between two options such as yes or no questions. And Wordament focuses on creating team competition through a word challenge that can easily accommodate large groups.
The Games for Work app was developed by Microsoft Casual Games, a part of Xbox Game Studios. The app was created with the goal of addressing team-building needs and offers users the ability to experience games right in the Microsoft Teams app.
In a Microsoft blog post, Jill Braff, general manager of integrations and casual games for Microsoft said: “Games promote creativity, collaboration, and communication in powerful and unique ways, and we can’t wait to see the how the Games for Work app on Microsoft Teams inspires productivity and helps foster connections in the workplace.”
The Games for Work app is only available for Microsoft Teams Enterprise and Education customers
