Is this an app for Microsoft Teams?

No. It is a website that runs in any browser. The facilitator opens it in a tab next to the Teams call. That is the deliberate design choice — no app for Microsoft to change again.

Why did Microsoft change Games for Work?

We do not know the inside story and would rather not speculate. The practical effect for facilitators is the app no longer behaves the way it used to, and a replacement is worth setting up.

Do participants need a Microsoft account?

No. Participants click the link in the meeting chat, type a display name, and join. No Microsoft sign-in, no organization tenant check.

Will admin approval be needed?

No. Nothing is being installed in your Teams tenant. The game is a website. Same admin posture as opening any other browser tab during a Teams meeting.

All alternatives

Games for Work replacement

What to use after Microsoft Teams Games for Work

Microsoft changed the Games for Work app for Teams. If you are landing here from a search like microsoft teams games for work gone, this is the page. Same five-minute meeting opener, in a browser tab next to the call.

What Games for Work did well

It was an in-Teams app. The convenience was real: a Teams meeting host added the app to a meeting and the entire room could play without leaving the call. For a workplace team that already lives in Teams, that integration was the entire pitch.

Where workplace teams hit the wall

The app changed. "Microsoft teams games for work gone" and "microsoft teams games for work not showing up" autocomplete on Google, which means a non-trivial population of facilitators is searching for the replacement on the same Monday morning. The Microsoft side of the story is murky enough that we are not going to retell it; the practical effect for facilitators is a Teams meeting where the icebreaker app no longer loads.

What we built differently

Not a Teams app. The facilitator opens icebreaker.games in a browser tab next to the Teams call, shares the room link in the meeting chat, and the team plays from there. There is no install for Microsoft to deprecate, no admin approval to wait on, and the same browser link works in Zoom, Google Meet, or in the room if the meeting moves. See also our [Microsoft Teams platform page](/platforms/microsoft-teams) for the full Teams-specific setup.

Drop-in replacement games

StandpointThe closest replacement for the Games-for-Work polling icebreakers. Two-option votes, 4 to 6 minutes, scales to any Teams meeting size.5m2+Quick QuizLive multiple-choice trivia. The Games-for-Work trivia replacement. Write 10 questions in five minutes, run it in your next Teams meeting.5m2+Two TruthsThe classic guess-the-lie icebreaker. Works in a Teams meeting of 4 to 12 people without any setup beyond sharing the room link.10m3–12 Emoji GuessRace-to-type emoji puzzle. A 5-minute Teams meeting opener that needs no microphones unmuted.10m2–12

Common questions

Is this an app for Microsoft Teams?: No. It is a website that runs in any browser. The facilitator opens it in a tab next to the Teams call. That is the deliberate design choice — no app for Microsoft to change again.
Why did Microsoft change Games for Work?: We do not know the inside story and would rather not speculate. The practical effect for facilitators is the app no longer behaves the way it used to, and a replacement is worth setting up.
Do participants need a Microsoft account?: No. Participants click the link in the meeting chat, type a display name, and join. No Microsoft sign-in, no organization tenant check.
Will admin approval be needed?: No. Nothing is being installed in your Teams tenant. The game is a website. Same admin posture as opening any other browser tab during a Teams meeting.

Where these tend to fit

Icebreakers for All-Hands MeetingsFor larger groups Free Icebreaker Games for Remote TeamsFor distributed teams 5-Minute Icebreaker Games for Team MeetingsFor weekly meetings

Pick a game and play in your browser

Share the room link, no participant sign-up needed.

Browse all games