Here is our list of the best work desk games.
Work desk games are a fun way to relieve your stress in the office. For example, crossword puzzles, sudoku, and Rubik’s Cubes are just a few work desk games you can play alone in your cubicle. These activities help you beat your boredom in the office as the hours go by on a slow day.
These activities are ways to have fun at work and are similar to office game room ideas and office break room ideas.
This list includes:
- desk games for adults
- games to play at your desk at work
- games for office desks
- mini office desk games
Here we go!
List of work desk games
Playing games at your desk is a great way to pass the time on a slow work day. Playing games at work can help you stay positive and energetic throughout the day while boosting productivity and improving focus. If you are looking for games to play at your desk at work, here are a few fun games you can enjoy in the office.
1. Rubik’s Cube
If you have a lot of time to kill, then a Rubik’s Cube may be one of the best games for office desks. However, Rubik’s Cubes require critical thinking, patience, and determination, as these puzzles can take quite some time to solve.
A Rubik’s Cube is a logic puzzle of six faces with different colors on each side. When you first pick up the cube, you will notice that the colors are all mixed up and shuffled around. The goal of this puzzle is to get each mismatched color to the right side, ultimately making up a cohesive cube with each side being a single color.
Due to different algorithms and tricks, there are many ways to solve a Rubik’s Cube. If you have enough time, we recommend studying the steps to solve a cube and then putting your skills to the test.
For the pros who already know how to solve the Rubik’s Cube, you can make this puzzle a personal competition with yourself. All you need to do is time yourself each time you solve the challenge and aim to beat your personal best.
Learn about Rubik’s Cubes.
2. Mini Basketball Hoop
For sports fanatics and basketball fans, a mini basketball hoop will undoubtedly be one of the most fun office desk games. You can strategically place the miniature ring above your trash can to entertain yourself while keeping your work area orderly.
To make your mini basketball game fun and exciting, you can move your trash can and hoop combination to different areas of your office. This idea will provide you with more practice shooting from various angles.
Buy a mini basketball hoop.
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3. Buddha Board
A Buddha Board can be one of the best desk activities if you are an artist at heart. A Buddha Board is a miniature canvas in which your work of art eventually disappears.
To use a Buddha Board, you must dip your brush in water and paint on the canvas. Once the water evaporates, your art will disappear from the canvas, giving you another chance to create another work of art.
The purpose of a Buddha Board is to help folks practice the art of letting go. This board is a great relaxation tool to help you combat stress while working on your art skills from the comfort of your desk.
Buy a Buddha Board.
4. Zen Garden
If you are looking for peak office relaxation, we recommend a zen garden as one of the most calming desk activities. A zen garden is a peaceful area meant to promote meditation and relaxation.
Mini zen gardens come in small sizes, making them the perfect accessory and activity for your work desk. Most mini zen gardens also include sand, rocks, and miniature tools, like a rake, which create the perfect ambiance for rest and relaxation. You can use the tools included in the zen garden to create drawings in the sand while letting your mind roam away from stress.
When you face office stress, zen gardens are an ideal way to collect yourself in the heat of the moment and stay calm and stress-free.
Get a zen garden.
5. Fidget Spinner
If you are looking for games to play at your desk that keep your hands busy, then our recommendation is a fidget spinner. Fidget spinners are small toys with a button in the middle and paddles on their sides.
Fidget spinners are a great sensory activity for folks who have trouble concentrating on one thing at a time. In fact, fidget spinners aim to improve concentration and attention to essential tasks.
While a fidget spinner may be a toy for children, it makes great desk games for adults. For example, if you have stress on a work call, you can simply grab your spinner and fiddle until the call ends. Using the toy to purge nervous energy can help you relieve stress and remain calm during stressful work moments.
Shop for fidget spinners.
6. Stress Balls
Stress balls are great for office desks as these tools can help relieve any stress and tension you may feel at work. When you are sitting in your office stressing about the day’s work, one of the best things you can do is grab a stress ball to decompress.
There are several reasons why people use stress balls, including physical therapy for disabilities like arthritis. However, one of the main reasons people use stress balls is to relieve stress and anxiety.
In fact, stress balls, like fidget toys, have been proven to help folks find peace in their daily lives. All you have to do is squeeze the ball as hard as you can, and you will start to feel the tension release from your body.
Stress balls are available in many colors and designs, so you can find one that best suits your desk setup.
Shop for stress balls.
7. Desktop Darts
If you are looking for fun mini office desk games, then consider adding desktop darts to your office. A miniature dart board is small and folds in half for easy transportation. In addition, the board will not take up much room on your desk, leaving you just enough space to work as usual.
The best part about desktop darts is that you can move around, shooting darts from different angles and spots in your office, improving your skills, and having fun as you do so.
Get desktop darts.
8. Solitaire
Solitaire is a classic card game often played on a flat surface, making it one of the top games to play at your desk at work. However, if you are unsure how to play solitaire, we encourage you to pick up your cards and follow our quick instructions below.
Here is a great method to set up your game of solitaire:
- You should begin your setup by laying one card face up and six cards face down right next to the first card.
- Then, you will put one card face up and add one more card to each row. In the end, each pile should have only one card face up. You should have rows of two, three, four, five, six, and seven.
- After you assemble your piles, any leftover cards go into a separate facedown pile.
As a solitaire player, your objective or goal is to create four piles of cards, making up one per suit. These piles should be in ascending order from the bottom, starting with an ace and ending with a king. You can refer to these piles as your foundation piles.
Here are the instructions to play the classic card game of solitaire right at your desk:
- To start playing solitaire, look at the cards face up in each pile. If you see any aces, you should use these cards to start your foundation piles. If you do not see any aces face up, move other cards to different piles.
- Each card should be a different color and one value less than the previous card in the pile. For example, if you have a red nine of hearts in your pile, then you can only add a black eight card underneath it.
- You should keep moving cards until you have no cards left to move. Remember that each pile should have alternating colors and be in descending order.
- The last card in each pile should always be face up, so if you move one, you will have to flip the other.
- You can pick cards up from your extra pile if you run out of moves.
- Throughout the game, you can flip over cards that are face down by moving around the other cards. You can do this until you have a place to move your cards to in the correct order.
- You can start a new pile with a king if you have any empty spaces. From there, you can place the cards that follow in descending order.
If you are looking for a game to play at work, solitaire is a classic choice. In fact, solitaire has been known to boost productivity and increase focus.
You can also play solitaire online.
9. Sudoku
One of the most classic games for office desks is Sudoku. If you have played this game in the past, then you know how tricky this puzzle can get.
The game of Sudoku consists of a 9×9 grid of 3×3 squares. The objective of this game is to fill in all spaces with the number one through nine. However, you cannot repeat any numbers throughout the row, column, or square.
While Sudoku may sound like a complicated game, it is relatively easy to get the hang of it. Each Sudoku grid has a few spaces already filled in for you. Your job is simply to fill in the rest of the spaces without repeating numbers.
The easier Sudoku grids have filled most of the spaces to make the game simpler for beginners. If you are looking for a challenge, however, you can try out a more advanced grid, which will only have a few spaces already filled out.
Sudoku is a game that requires a lot of thinking and problem-solving. Therefore, playing Sudoku in the office can be an ideal place since your office is more likely to be a peaceful and quiet environment.
Check out more puzzle games.
10. Crossword Puzzles
Crossword puzzles may be the best choice for you if you are interested in a game that will make you think and solve problems.
For the most part, crossword puzzles are self-explanatory. To successfully play this game, you will need to answer a set of clues at the bottom. Each clue corresponds to a specific row or column in the crossword grid. As you fill out the rows in the crossword grid, you will effectively give yourself hints for letters within the remaining words, making it much easier to solve the rest of the clues.
Most newspapers, such as The New York Times, offer daily crossword puzzles. We recommend picking up a newspaper on your way to work so you can solve a fun crossword puzzle throughout the day.
Check out more word games.
11. Mini Golf
As far as desk games for adults, desktop golf is a solid option if you have little room to spare on your desk. Mini desk golf sets often come in a small box that mimics a piece of grass and hole. The miniature golf clubs come in the shape of a pen, making them the perfect size for a desktop game.
Playing mini golf right at your desk will help you relax as you are transported to the golf course in the middle of your work day. Once you have accomplished a hole-in-one, you can easily pack your mini-desk golf game back into its box.
Get a desktop mini golf set.
12. What Am I?
If you are looking for games to play at work with your co-workers, then “What Am I?” is a great choice. For this game, you will only need common office supplies, including sticky notes, pens, and a timer.
Here is a full list of steps to successfully play this game with co-workers:
- Without reading the object’s name, participants should place the sticky note on their foreheads. The sticky note should have the name of a person, place, or object that the player is tasked with guessing.
- Once the player has attached the sticky note to their forehead, other players will need to give them hints on what object is written on their forehead.
- Based on the hints provided by others, the main player will need to guess what object is written on the sticky note.
- Providing a time limit of one to three minutes is ideal in helping the game move along quickly.
“What Am I?” is a fun guessing game that will get your whole team thinking. The best part is that participants can play together while sitting at their desks.
Here are more fun guessing games for work.
Conclusion
From Rubik’s Cubes and fidget spinners to crossword puzzles and word searches, there are many options for desk activities. Playing games at work can positively affect employees, such as increased productivity, a boost in motivation, and improved focus, all of which can result in happy employees and better outcomes and results for your company.
Next, check out the best team building board games.
