50 Virtual scavenger hunt ideas to try with your remote team

In 2020, the pandemic forced companies to develop new event concepts that are covid-free, such as virtual scavenger hunt ideas. This became one of the most brilliant things created by this crisis.

Nowadays, the pandemic is over. And yet, this type of game is still popular. Indeed, it allows hosting events without paying plane tickets for members of remote teams.

Based on my experience, I’m going to give you 50 ideas to bring your remote teams closer together now!

1. Any game using Zoom or Google Meet

All you need to have is a conference tool like Zoom or Meet. This is a must to start a virtual game as it has all the tools to create something funny. And this is true for most of the upcoming virtual scavenger hunt ideas.

2. Some scavenger hunt lists with items from your place

This can be an engaging virtual scavenger hunt for remote employees. Indeed, they can play such games from their own home: we all have common items.

3. A remote outdoor game

Wait, what? How can an online scavenger hunt be outdoors? I can tell you that it exists because I’ve developed some of them. In my case, I generated challenges based on the walking distance using a scavenger hunts app such as Loquiz and its odometer feature.

4. A list of items that you can find on Google

If you type “virtual scavenger hunt” on Google Images, you’ll find many lists that you can simply print.

5. Some horror virtual scavenger hunt ideas

Everyone has to turn off the light! And then everyone has to follow a story.

Remote scavenger hunts with a horror story are popular and quite popular. We offer one that you can easily set up:

The Dark Manor. You can play it now.

6. A remote ice-breaker

I’ve seen many new employees struggling to know their remote colleagues. Well, here, an ice-breaker as a virtual scavenger hunt would be perfect.

I suggest that you replace items with questions about each other; such as “what’s your spirit animal?” or “who’s your second idol?”.

7. The missing player…

Our user Kronos Experience made some brilliant virtual scavenger hunt ideas. These are some of their specialties: They combine video production and scavenger hunt apps.

Here, we interviewed them about their game “the missing player”.

8. A musical scavenger hunt

With your group of remote players, try to find a list of songs following different conditions.

For instance… A song with grunge? A melodic song? A song with a bass solo? Let people choose their favorite song to fill the musical scavenger hunt list.

9. A virtual scavenger hunt team building

The word “team-building” is quite generic at this point. But in our case, this is one of the main reasons why we want to make a virtual scavenger hunt. We want people to get to know each other with something else than work.

10. Some workplace’s virtual scavenger hunt ideas

In a remote office scavenger hunt, you can engage team members in interacting with their surroundings. This can work if every colleague is working from home, or if they are working from different offices across the world.

11. Find a list of office ware

Blue pen? Scissors? Pink post-it?

Well, this one is easy, classic, and simple. Let’s see more challenging ideas.

12. Spread virtual items around the office

If you use a proper scavenger hunt tool, you can put different virtual items around each office. Then each team must pick these items the fastest possible.

13. Outdoor office scavenger hunt

What if you need to find items that are outside of your office? From this idea, you can even use an object finder.

We use such a feature in the virtual scavenger hunt. Try it now!

14. Competition of origami

Every team gets a list of origami to make. So the first one to fill a full list is the winner.

From your office, you must probably have quite a large stock of paper. So it’s an opportunity to use it!

If people enjoy playing with paper, I can ensure you it can be fun.

15. Color scavenger hunt

With your team, you get a list of particular colors to get. From there, find items with the same color so you can fulfill your list.

We made a color scavenger hunt that you can play already now.

16. Hand shadows

Play during the evening set a light on your wall, and then play with the shadow of your hands.

Why not add a bit of storytelling as a requirement to succeed in this remote scavenger hunt?

17. Do an after-work scavenger hunt virtually

Sometimes, we do after-works in our own office. Why not plan a common after-work party for all offices from the same company? Along with a few cocktails, you can also make a list of hidden items to find in each office.

18. A webinar remote scavenger hunt

If you’re hosting a webinar with the different offices of your company, feel free to add some gamification to entertain the attendees.

19. A virtual scavenger hunt that last weeks

Why would you make a short scavenger hunt that’d only last for an evening? You can extend the fun by making a game that would last for weeks. Every day, you can add a new item to find in each office.

20. Ideas for a virtual Scavenger from Home

With our coworkers, we sometimes all work from our own homes instead of offices. So here are 10 home virtual scavenger hunt ideas.

21. Find specific pets

Who has a ginger cat? A border collie dog? A reptile as a pet?

This only work if most of the colleagues have a pet. But if it’s the case, it might be a good ice-breaker: We all like to talk about our pets.

22. Window scavenger hunt

No, I’m not talking about the most used operating system. I’m thinking of an actual window. Indeed, everyone’s window shows something different.

What if you ask to find a red car, a yellow building, or a dog through someone’s window?

23. Mug scavenger hunt

We all have colorful mugs in our kitchen. Thus, you can bring a game where everyone needs to show mugs with specific requirements: color, size, shape, etc.

24. Find items related to any countries

Bring a list of 15 countries for each person.

Then, from their home, they need to find an item related to a certain country. So the winner is the one fulfilling the whole list.

For example, if the country is Indonesia, then you can bring a bag of coffee from Java.

25. A virtual cooking game

Bring a list of things to cook, as a remote scavenger hunt game! In the end, players can compare the appearance of their dishes. So they can vote for the best-looking one. Yummy!

26. Bring your clothes on!

Make a list of cloth to show on your Zoom call. The players need to wear them.

Then, why not reward the most original or meaningful outfit?

27. A scavenger hunt with stories

Instead of items, why not replace them with stories? Indeed, it might be intriguing to hear everyone story’s from Zoom, while everyone is at their home.

You can choose different types of stories; for instance ghost encounters, family drama, or funny road rage situations.

28. Find your furniture!

Imagine a game where there’s an empty virtual room. This space needs… furniture! However, you need to find them. To do so, each person from a team needs to take pictures of furniture from their own home.

The winning team is the one with the most satisfying interior style, based on the furniture pictures.

29. Some other home challenges

What if… You ask the players to bring a maximum amount of one given item? This can lead to some funny situations.

Or you can also ask to bring the biggest item that you can show on a webcam.

People love challenges; even if it’s remote, with only a webcam as a separation.

30. Murder mystery

Among the virtual scavenger hunt ideas, we can include the murder mystery. But what’s the common point? They are both about accumulating items for a greater goal.

Indeed, you need to scavenge clues to solve the mystery.

31. Cluedo online

Many of view probably heard of the Cluedo game. It’s a board game: Players accumulate hints and interview each other. There’s always one opponent who’s a murderer.

And I have good news for you: It’s playable online!

32. Book a remote murder mystery game for your team

If you look on Google, there are plenty of murder mystery games that be played online, through Zoom.

Here is one of the examples among many… Zoom Murder Mystery Party! They offer your team to book a time with a professional actor for a unique experience.

33. A murder game that you can play with nothing but Zoom

Play together from 7 to 14 persons in a Breakout room.

Every round, one player is the host. They need to choose a murderer.

Then, using the private chat, they will designate one murderer.

Everyone needs to turn off their camera and loudly count until 10.

During these 10 seconds, the chosen murderer needs to write in the chat directly to the people they choose to kill.

At the end of the 10 seconds, all the surviving players (including the murderer) need to turn on their screens.

Then they have to debate who’s the murderer. Each player murdered gives the imposter 1 point. And each incorrect guess gives them an additional 1 point.

In the end, the winner is the one murderer with the highest point in the game. Nice remote scavenger hunt idea, isn’t it?

34. The same game as previously, but with each office

If each office of a company has at least 7 people, then you can play it remotely, office by office.

Instead of using Zoom, you can turn on and off lights. And the murderer has to tag whoever they “kill”.

Then you can compare the score of each team!

35. Your murder mystery game

If you’re good at storytelling, why don’t you create your own murder mystery? I’m pretty sure that you can set up the rules using the Creator from Loquiz.

From such complex rules, you can also implement a complex story.

If you’re interested in using the Creator but if you don’t know how to use it, then feel free to contact me!

36. Drawing scavenger hunt ideas

There’s a whole set of ideas for a remote game based on the following activity: Drawing. Players can easily share their results on their screens. And sometimes, the outcome can be hilarious.

37. Draw a list of animals

As an online game, you can give to each team a list of animals to draw.

Then the team can judge others’ drawings by giving points.

The winning team is the one with the highest score.

38. Draw using words

You need two players.

One draws, and the other one dictates what to draw… Without telling what the outcome should be.

The second player can describe shapes to draw. Without a clear vision of the final outcome, results can be funny. Yet, isn’t that like real life? Aren’t things a bit ugly when there’s no vision of the final outcome?

Thus, that can also be a good teaching game.

39. Draw an item that the object finder can detect.

Remember the virtual scavenger hunt game mentioned in 13. ? Tasks will ask you to find cats, toothbrushes, umbrellas, oranges, etc.

What if players draw them instead of finding them? With a bit of persistence, the object detector works with the drawings, incredible!

40. Split the drawing

In the beginning, every player receives instructions to draw a part of something on their own A4 paper.

Once everyone is done, they use the different screen of Zoom. Then one person has to rearrange the screens and take a picture.

41. Use a jam board for your virtual scavenger hunt

Use Google jam board, so everyone can remotely connect to the same space.

A Google account is enough to access this.

You can challenge each team to draw the best set of items, in this virtual drawing scavenger hunt.

40. Seasonal virtual scavenger hunts ideas

What’s a way to engage your players? Bring them a game that’s coherent with the seasonality. If it’s Christmas soon, then offer a game related to Santa Claus and elves!

Here are a few examples of seasonal games to play remotely:

41. For winter or Christmas

When it’s winter, when it’s Christmas (in the Northern hemisphere), people might expect a game full of ugly sweaters and presents! We made a game Template for this: The Ugly Sweater Escape.

42. For Easter

When Easter comes, the spring comes too (sorry for anyone who lives in the Southern hemisphere!).

It might be a good time to go outside and gather items, as in a scavenger hunt. What if you’re remote and can’t spread items around? Then you can do it with virtual items.

We actually developed such a game, with virtual eggs to catch. Once you have these eggs, you get recipes to make an Easter lunch.

Here is the Missing Easter Dinner!

43. For summer, let’s go outdoors with the “Loops”!

Summer is coming and… Wait, you still want to play remotely? Do you still require players to remain behind their screens, on Zoom?

Let me give you a remote scavenger hunt idea that will solve this. An outdoor game that can be played online!

With the Cilpo games, you get a series of “loop” riddles that you unlock by walking a certain distance.

You can already try some of these brilliant games here!

44. When a high season comes

In different industries, different high seasons come at different months of the year. For example, tourism’s high season happens during the summer.

Right before it comes, why not entertain your employees with a fun game to play around?

Such a team-building game can be motivating when it happens before some tough times.

45. For your own national day

If you’re in an international company, you might have more than one different nationality among your colleagues.

What if you get some virtual scavenger hunt ideas based on this? You can for example ask other people to bring items related to your country’s national day.

In my case, I’m French, and I could offer my colleagues to find… something revolutionary in their office!

46. Why not some video games?

A virtual scavenger hunt is doable on some video games. My favorite example is Animal Crossing.

In this cute game, every player lives on their own island. They can customize it to the core.

And they can find many items, such as fruits, rare flowers, insects, fish, etc.

However, this implies that everyone owns a Nintendo Switch. But in some parts of the world (such as Japan, the USA, or France), most families own one.

In fact, in Japan, a company tried Animal Crossing to make a remote/gamified meeting. It wasn’t the best experience for work, but at least it was fun.

47. A learning scavenger hunt using online tools

If your audience of players enjoys more intellectual stuff, then you can offer them… Some learning scavenger hunt ideas!

For example, you can give them a list of mysterious words that they need to find on Wikipedia. The winning team would be the first one able to explain each word.

48. A photo scavenger hunt

When everyone is remote, you can challenge each player to go outside and snap pictures of different items from a list.

In fact, I’ve laid down many photo scavenger hunt ideas here. One or more might fit with your online events!

49. Remote hybrid game ideas as a part of a real event

If we want to build a game for everyone in an event, but we can’t invite all the employees, why not make a hybrid game? Some people are remote, others are located in an actual location.

During the pandemic, I wrote a few ideas about hybrid games.

50. Your very own virtual scavenger hunt with Loquiz

I exposed 49 different virtual scavenger hunt ideas here. And yet, you most probably did not find anything satisfying if you’ve read up to that point.

In this way, why not create your very own using Loquiz?

If you have a strong idea, you can book 30 minutes meeting with me. Then I would listen to your ideas, and show the Loquiz Creator in detail. In this demo, I would show you how to make your online scavenger hunt possible.