Board Games For Product Teams

I’ve spent the last few years working in and building remote product teams. These are generally small teams of between three and nine people working towards a common goal or purpose. Comradery and team building are incredibly important on these teams. They’re designed to be a high-functioning team that can work closely together to build things quickly. Being a fully remote team makes it harder to do that so we value the time in person together even more.

Board games are perfect for product teams to play together because they offer an engaging way to build relationships, improve communication, and enhance strategic thinking. In addition, by playing board games together, team members can get to know each other personally, learn each other’s strengths, their weaknesses, and develop a sense of trust.

Exit: The Game

We always try to find an escape room when I get one of my teams together for a conference or a meetup. We’ve done them all over, from Oklahoma City to the Isle of Man. They’re a great way to see the team’s dynamic. They also provide hilarious insight into how much engineers can overthink problems. Once, we spent 10 minutes trying to remember how to decode binary for no reason.

“Exit: The Game” is the board game version of an escape room. They’re one-time-use games, making them perfect for bringing you to a team offsite and recycling afterward. They are best for around four players, so you can split up into a few smaller groups and compete in the same escape room!

Escape rooms benefit product teams by providing a unique opportunity for team members to work together, develop their problem-solving skills, and improve communication. The fast-paced, high-pressure environment of an escape room can also create a bonding experience for team members, as they are forced to rely on each other to succeed.

Complexity: Beginner to Advanced
Cost: USD 14.95
Players: 3-6
Time: 60 Minutes

Fake Artist Goes to New York

Players take turns drawing a word, and the other players must guess the word based on the drawing. However, one player is the “fake artist” who does not know the word and must bluff their way through the round by pretending to know it. This requires players to be creative in their drawings, communicate effectively with their team, and work together to identify the fake artist.

Playing “Fake Artist Goes to New York” can help product teams to build trust, enhance their communication skills, and foster a supportive and collaborative team environment. The game also allows team members to showcase their unique perspectives and problem-solving approaches, helping them understand each other’s strengths and work styles. Additionally, the fun and light-hearted nature of the game can break down barriers and encourage team members to interact with each other in a relaxed and enjoyable setting.

Complexity: Beginner
Cost: USD 16.99
Players: 5-10
Time: 20 Minutes

Sushi Go Party!

This one is a throwback for me; it’s one of the first board games I ever got into, playing with family and friends. You draft cards representing various sushi dishes and try to score the most points by creating the best combinations.

Playing “Sushi Go!” can help product teams to improve their strategic thinking, as they must make quick decisions about which cards to keep and which to pass based on their hand and the actions of their opponents. The game also requires players to think ahead and anticipate their opponent’s moves, which can improve their ability to anticipate and respond to challenges in a collaborative setting.

Complexity: Beginner
Cost: USD 19.99
Players: 2-8
Time: 20 Minutes

Decrypto

Teams take turns giving and guessing secret codes that represent words or phrases. The goal is to be the first team to correctly guess all the regulations while also trying to prevent the other team from doing the same.

Playing “Decrypto” can help product teams improve their communication skills. Players must work together to create concise code phrases that their team can guess while effectively tricking the other team. The game also requires players to think critically and creatively, as they must develop specific but easy-to-guess regulations.

Complexity: Intermediate
Cost: USD 19.99
Players: 4-8
Time: 30 Minutes

Captain Sonar

This one may be even better when two different product teams are together and want to face off. In this game, teams of players take on the roles of crew members on competing submarines, trying to locate and sink each other’s vessels while avoiding enemy fire.

Playing “Captain Sonar” can help product teams improve their communication and collaboration skills, as players must coordinate their actions and make quick decisions. The game also requires players to develop strategies to locate and attack the enemy submarine while avoiding their detection.

Complexity: Intermediate
Cost: USD 50.00
Players: 6-8
Time: 60 Minutes

Just One

I have many fond memories of playing casual games at the beach with friends. You give one-word clues to help their team guess a mystery word, aiming to get the most points. It’s quick, it’s fun, and it’s easy. Think of it as an icebreaker game to get the board game session started.

Playing “Just One” can help product teams improve their communication and collaboration skills, as players must work together to guess the mystery word based on the clues. Players must come up with unique and practical hints to help their team guess the word while avoiding duplicates with other players.

Complexity: Beginner
Cost: USD 19.99
Players: 4-7
Time: 30 Minutes

One Night Ultimate Werewolf / Blood on the Clocktower

“One Night Ultimate Werewolf” and “Blood on the Clocktower” are social deception games that play vastly different than everything else on this list. In these games, players have secret roles or motives that they must conceal from the other players while trying to advance their interests. As a result, the gameplay often involves lying, bluffing, and misdirection, and the outcome is determined by the players’ ability to deceive and outsmart each other.

In both games, players take on the role of villagers in a small town who must work together to identify and eliminate the evil players among them. However, you don’t know who you can trust - is your co-worker truly a villager, or are they evil in disguise?

Playing social deception can help product teams improve their communication and collaboration skills, as players must gather information, make decisions, and develop strategies to identify the werewolves. Players must determine who is trustworthy and who is not based on their behavior and interactions with others.

The downsides of social deception games are apparent - you’re spending them lying and manipulating each other! They’re not for every team but can lead to fond memories shared across an entire team for years to come.

One Night Ultimate Werewolf
Complexity: Beginner
Cost: USD 19.99
Players: 4-10
Time: 10 Minutes

Blood on the Clocktower
Complexity: Advanced
Cost: USD 119.99
Players: 5-20
Time: 60 Minutes