Various companies spend so much on team-building programs that help members of their work groups have more trust in each other, making the groups more cohesive. The activities in such programs vary, from complex amazing races to simple trust falls. Whatever the mechanics, these activities do share one thing in common: they are set in a totally different context–usually the facilitators create a ‘play’ environment–from the participants’ actual workplaces, and the learning acquired in such a fun atmosphere is expected to be carried over to the real-life scenarios of day-to-day work.

If such a principle works–most probably it does because a lot of team-building programs still follow it–then there is reason to believe that a team made more cohesive via a computer game can also function more usefully in actual corporate settings. If you want to design a team-building program for your group and you’re looking at including computer games in it, read on find out which co-op games you should pick.

Office Desk Computer

Overcooked

Overcooked looks deceptively childish with its kid-friendly graphics and cute-looking characters. But this game is an accurate reflection of everyday restaurant kitchens. As any professional cook will tell you, such places are the closest that you can get to hell here on Earth. With people ordering a lot with very limited time, the kitchen is truly one messy and stressful place with an interesting mix of hard work, adrenaline, and aggression. Teamwork will really be tested with this one, as there are points when the success of one dish depends on the work and success of a few individuals. The team’s skills in putting into action a strategy will also be fostered and honed. As they say, if a team survives the stresses of the kitchen–whether virtual or real–then they surely can survive any other stresses anywhere else.

A Way Out

A Way Out follows a jail escape plot. You and a friend will need to protect each other as you scramble to escape from various challenging scenarios such as busy hospitals and a mafia boss’s mansion. A major issue with this game is that it’s just limited to two people. If more people have to be accommodated, you can pick the game discussed in the next point.

Divinity: Original Sin 2

Divinity:Original Sin by EA provides a more realistic look at actual group life. In this game, you will have to deal with multiple other players who you cannot control. They will have their own sets of goals that can sometimes run in conflict with yours. In order to succeed, a great deal of trust and cooperation must be expressed by all interested parties.

You and your team can also go for an actual real-life activity to test out your newly-acquired teamwork skills. Top rated escape rooms are going to be great alternatives. An escape room offers a more cerebral approach to finding your way out. You need to solve puzzles and piece clues together to find the key to your escape. Team effort really has to be exerted, especially at times when the puzzles become too difficult for one person to solve or decipher.