14 DAY TRIAL // Solitaire has long been considered the best way to waste time at work, and now Microsoft wants to turn this old saying into a literal thing.
Microsoft Teams is being updated with Games for Work, which is a collection of games that workmates can play together on Microsoft Teams.
The lineup includes Solitaire, Minesweeper, Wordament, and IceBreakers, and it is powered by Microsoft Casual Games under Xbox Game Studios.
Microsoft explains that all games that are available for Microsoft Teams users come without ads, and what’s more, some of them can be played together. On the other hand, Solitaire sports a spectator mode that allows Teams users to watch one of their colleagues play and chat in real-time.
“Now, you can easily add a game in the context of where work happens: in Microsoft Teams meetings. Choose from a selection of favorite casual games including Microsoft IceBreakers, Wordament, Minesweeper, and Solitaire—all easy to play in quick, interactive, and multi-player versions (from 2 to 250 players). They are safe for work (verifiably “E” rated) and ad-free. To address the various needs of teams, each game within the app emphasizes a different element of team building,” Microsoft explains.
To be honest, I’m mostly excited about Solitaire, and Microsoft says this is obviously a fan-favorite.
“And fan favorite Microsoft Solitaire Collection provides a head-to-head competition encouraging group participation. This might sound like an oxymoron—the multi-player capability and enhanced spectator mode allows everyone, whether actively playing that round or not, to follow the action and engage with the players on-screen. It’s like calling out the answers while watching a game show or assisting a friend with a word puzzle,” the company explains.
Needless to say, all games are available for Microsoft Teams users completely free of charge.