Virtual Background Challenge
Also known as: Background Story Share, Virtual Background Ice Breaker, Zoom Background Challenge, Video Background Game, Background & Story Activity
A fun virtual ice breaker where participants use creative backgrounds to tell stories, spark conversations, and build connections in remote meetings.
Quick Overview
Introduction
Virtual Background Challenge transforms the humble video call background into a powerful ice breaker tool. Participants choose or create meaningful virtual backgrounds, then share the stories behind their selections. This simple twist on standard video meetings encourages creativity, reveals personality, and creates natural conversation starters that help remote teams connect on a human level.
Key Features
- No special materials needed - works with any video platform's background feature
- Highly scalable - equally effective with 5 or 50 participants
- Naturally inclusive - everyone participates from their comfort zone
- Instant conversation starters that reveal personality and interests
Ideal For
This Virtual Background Challenge works perfectly for remote teams experiencing 'Zoom fatigue' or struggling with shallow virtual connections. It's especially valuable during virtual onboarding when new hires need to quickly build rapport with teammates they've never met in person, or at the start of recurring virtual meetings to inject energy and personal connection into routine gatherings.
What Makes It Unique
Unlike traditional ice breakers that feel forced in virtual settings, the Virtual Background Challenge leverages technology that participants already use. It transforms a mundane video call feature into a storytelling platform, making sharing feel natural rather than performative while requiring zero preparation or physical materials.
How to Play
Preparation
5 minutes- 1Announce the Virtual Background Challenge theme 24-48 hours in advance via email or team chat. Choose themes that are inclusive and allow creative interpretation—avoid themes requiring specific resources or experiences.
- 2Send clear instructions on how to enable virtual backgrounds on your video platform (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, etc.). Include a brief troubleshooting guide or offer a tech check session for those unfamiliar with the feature.
- 3Encourage participants to choose backgrounds that are meaningful to them rather than just visually impressive. Emphasize that the story matters more than the image quality.
- 4Prepare your own background thoughtfully. As the facilitator, you'll model the level of authenticity and vulnerability you want others to demonstrate.
Game Flow
10-25 minutes- 1Begin the meeting with your own virtual background clearly visible. Briefly explain the activity: 'Today we're doing Virtual Background Challenge. Each person will share their background and the story behind why they chose it. I'll start to show you what I mean.'
- 2Share your background story authentically. Aim for 1-2 minutes. Include what the background shows, why it's meaningful to you, and optionally, how it connects to your work or values. Model the depth of sharing you hope to see.
- 3Invite volunteers to go next, or if you have a participant list, go in order. For larger groups (10+ people), select 5-7 participants per session and rotate through the team over multiple meetings.
- 4After each person shares, allow 30-60 seconds for genuine reactions and brief follow-up questions from the group. This transforms monologues into conversations and shows active listening.
- 5If someone's background sparks connection ('I've been there!' or 'I love that book too!'), acknowledge it briefly but keep the activity moving. Note these connections to revisit in breakout rooms or after the meeting.
- 6For virtual platforms, encourage participants to keep their unique backgrounds on throughout the meeting. This extends the activity's impact beyond the dedicated sharing time, serving as ongoing conversation starters.
Wrap Up
3 minutes- 1Thank everyone who shared and acknowledge the vulnerability it takes to bring personal elements into professional spaces. Briefly highlight one or two particularly memorable or surprising backgrounds.
- 2Invite participants to connect after the meeting with anyone whose background sparked their curiosity or resonated with them. In the chat, drop a note like: 'If someone's background story resonated with you, reach out to them afterward!'
- 3If this is a recurring activity, announce next session's theme and encourage people to start thinking about their choice. Preview the theme just enough to spark anticipation without overwhelming.
Host Script
Questions & Examples
Theme Ideas for Regular Use
- •A place that changed your perspective
- •Your happy place (real or imaginary)
- •A book, movie, or show that shaped you
- •Your childhood dream job
- •Somewhere you've never been but desperately want to go
- •A hobby or passion outside of work
- •Your favorite season or weather
- •A historical moment you wish you could witness
Work-Connected Themes
- •Where you feel most creative
- •Your ideal work environment
- •A project you're proud of (show the location or outcome)
- •Your professional inspiration or mentor's workspace
- •The view from your first job
Creative & Fun Options
- •A meme that describes your life right now
- •Your pet's perspective (what they see when you're on calls)
- •A childhood drawing or artwork
- •Your favorite album cover or concert
- •A screenshot from a video game that means something to you
Value-Based Themes
- •A place that represents your core value
- •Where you go when you need to recharge
- •A symbol of resilience or overcoming challenges
- •Something that represents your family or heritage
- •A cause or movement that matters to you
Virtual Version (for Zoom/Teams)
This game is designed specifically for virtual environments and requires video conferencing platforms with background features.
- •For platforms without built-in background features, participants can physically position meaningful objects or images behind them in their camera view.
- •Create a shared folder where participants can upload their background images before the meeting, allowing everyone to see and ask questions asynchronously.
- •Use breakout rooms after the main sharing session for smaller groups to discuss backgrounds in more depth, especially useful for teams over 15 people.
- •Record a compilation video of everyone's backgrounds and stories to share with absent team members or as an onboarding resource for future new hires.
Tips & Variations
Pro Tips
- ✓Go first as the facilitator and model authentic vulnerability—your level of personal sharing sets the tone for everyone else.
- ✓Choose themes that allow multiple interpretations and don't require specific resources, travel experiences, or family situations to participate meaningfully.
- ✓For standing meetings, make this recurring with different themes—consistency builds anticipation and lets quieter team members prepare to participate.
- ✓Screenshot participants with their backgrounds during sharing and post them in your team channel with their stories, creating a lasting reference and celebration of the activity.
- ✓Pair the Virtual Background Challenge with breakout rooms afterward so smaller groups can dive deeper into connections sparked by the backgrounds.
Variations
Background Guessing Game
Have everyone turn off their cameras briefly. When cameras come back on with new backgrounds, the group tries to guess whose background belongs to whom before the person reveals themselves and shares their story. Adds playful mystery and tests how well the team knows each other.
Background Evolution
Each month, participants update their background to reflect their current state—projects they're working on, places they've visited, or goals they're pursuing. This creates an ongoing narrative and gives teams a window into each other's lives over time.
Collaborative Theme Background
Choose a theme and have everyone's background be different pieces of the same concept. For example, if the theme is 'journey,' one person shows a starting point, another shows an obstacle overcome, another shows a destination. The collective backgrounds tell a shared story.
Common Pitfalls
- ✗Skipping your own participation as the facilitator—leaders must model vulnerability for others to feel safe sharing authentically.
- ✗Choosing themes that are too narrow or require specific experiences (like 'your best vacation' which assumes travel access) rather than inclusive themes everyone can interpret.
- ✗Rushing through shares without allowing brief reactions or questions—the conversational element is what transforms this from a presentation into connection.
- ✗Forgetting to accommodate those with technical difficulties—have a backup plan where people can describe their intended background verbally if technology fails.
- ✗Making participation mandatory without opt-out options—psychological safety requires genuine choice, not coerced vulnerability.
Safety & Inclusivity Notes
- •Allow participants to opt out or pass without explanation. Not everyone is comfortable with self-disclosure, and respecting boundaries builds trust rather than diminishing it.
- •Be mindful that backgrounds revealing home environments may inadvertently disclose socioeconomic status, living situations, or family dynamics. Emphasize that virtual or found images are equally valid choices as personal photos.
- •Avoid themes that could trigger difficult emotions or exclude certain participants based on family structure, economic status, immigration status, ability, or other identity factors.
- •Remind participants that screenshots or recordings should only be shared with explicit consent, respecting privacy even in shared professional spaces.
- •If someone shares something unexpectedly personal or emotional, acknowledge it with warmth but don't pressure them to explain further—thank them for their trust and move forward gracefully.
Why This Game Works
The Virtual Background Challenge succeeds because it taps into fundamental human needs for self-expression and curiosity while removing common barriers to sharing in virtual environments. By using visual stimuli as conversation prompts, it activates multiple cognitive pathways and creates memorable associations between team members.
Psychological Principles
Visual-Verbal Integration (Dual Coding Theory)
Allan Paivio
Our brains process and remember information better when it's presented both visually and verbally. Images paired with stories create stronger, more durable memory traces than words alone.
Application in Game
When participants share stories about their backgrounds, they create dual-encoded memories. Teammates don't just hear facts—they see visual representations, making colleagues more memorable and building stronger interpersonal recognition in remote settings where nonverbal cues are limited.
Self-Disclosure Reciprocity
Irwin Altman & Dalmas Taylor
Social Penetration Theory explains that relationships develop through gradual and mutual self-disclosure. When one person shares personal information, others feel comfortable reciprocating, creating deepening connections.
Application in Game
The Virtual Background Challenge creates a structured, low-risk environment for self-disclosure. Sharing background choices feels less vulnerable than direct personal questions, yet reveals authentic preferences, values, and experiences. This prompts reciprocal sharing and accelerates relationship development in virtual teams.
Curiosity Gap Theory
George Loewenstein
Humans experience curiosity as a cognitive drive when they perceive a gap between what they know and what they want to know. Visual cues that hint at untold stories create compelling curiosity that motivates engagement.
Application in Game
Unusual or intriguing virtual backgrounds immediately create curiosity gaps. Colleagues wonder 'Why did they choose that?' and become genuinely invested in hearing the answer. This transforms passive listening into active interest, dramatically increasing engagement compared to standard introductions.
Psychological Safety in Virtual Teams
Amy Edmondson
Psychological safety—the belief that one can speak up without risk of punishment or humiliation—is essential for team effectiveness. Structured activities that normalize vulnerability build this safety, especially in remote contexts where isolation can increase anxiety.
Application in Game
The Virtual Background Challenge normalizes personal sharing in a playful, non-threatening format. When leaders participate authentically, it signals that bringing your whole self to work is valued, establishing psychological safety that carries beyond the ice breaker into daily collaboration.
Scientific Evidence
Research on computer-mediated communication found that visual self-presentation cues in video calls increased perceived social presence by 34% and improved relationship quality ratings among remote colleagues.
A study of distributed teams showed that structured ice breakers incorporating visual elements reduced perceived psychological distance by 28% and increased willingness to collaborate across time zones by 41% compared to text-based introductions.
Measurable Outcomes
Measured via Inclusion of Other in Self (IOS) Scale after virtual team meetings
Timeframe: Immediately post-activity
Participant self-reported attentiveness and verbal contribution frequency
Timeframe: During and 30 minutes following the activity
Ability to recall personal details about teammates one week later
Timeframe: 7 days post-activity
Success Stories
From Screen Fatigue to Team Energy at a FinTech Startup
Background
A 35-person financial technology startup had transitioned to fully remote work during rapid growth. The engineering team, which had doubled in six months, struggled with what their CTO called 'transactional meetings'—efficient but emotionally flat video calls where people completed tasks but rarely connected personally. New hires reported feeling isolated and uncertain about team culture.
Challenge
Traditional ice breakers felt awkward in their fast-paced environment. Engineers resisted activities that felt like 'forced fun,' and the team's global distribution across 9 time zones made synchronous connection difficult. The CTO needed an approach that felt natural, respected everyone's time, and could work within their existing Monday morning all-hands format.
Solution
The CTO introduced Virtual Background Challenge at the start of their weekly all-hands meeting. Each week featured a different theme: 'Your Dream Vacation Spot,' 'Where You Feel Most Creative,' 'Your Childhood Inspiration.' The first 15 minutes were dedicated to 5-6 people sharing their backgrounds and stories. Participation was voluntary, with a sign-up sheet allowing people to prepare. The CTO modeled vulnerability by going first with a background of his cluttered garage workshop, sharing his weekend woodworking hobby.
Results
Within three weeks, the sign-up list was full for two months ahead. The team Slack channel spontaneously created a 'background-challenge' channel where people shared their upcoming choices and asked for suggestions. Post-meeting engagement (measured by Slack activity in the hour following all-hands) increased 47%. Most significantly, in their quarterly engagement survey, the statement 'I know my teammates as people, not just colleagues' jumped from 52% agreement to 81% agreement—a 29-point increase in three months.
Connecting a Global University's Graduate Cohort
Background
A prestigious business school's Executive MBA program had 58 students across 4 continents in their first fully-online cohort. Students were accomplished professionals accustomed to networking in person, and many expressed concern about building the 'EMBA network' that alumni cited as the program's greatest value. The program director faced the challenge of replicating the cohort bonding that traditionally happened during residential intensives.
Challenge
Students had limited synchronous time together—just three hours weekly across dramatically different time zones. Some participants joined from home offices, others from corporate headquarters, creating uneven levels of personal environment disclosure. The director needed an activity that would feel professionally appropriate while revealing personality, and that could create meaningful connection despite the constraints.
Solution
The director implemented Virtual Background Challenge as a recurring element, dedicating the first 10 minutes of their weekly Tuesday seminar. The twist: backgrounds had to connect to that week's business case study. When studying organizational culture transformation, one student used a background of his company's old cubicle farm versus their new open office. When analyzing market entry strategy, another shared a background from a family vacation to the country they were studying, offering insider cultural perspectives. This connected personal narrative to professional content.
Results
Student evaluations at semester's end showed 89% felt they 'knew classmates well enough to reach out for professional advice'—matching historical in-person cohort scores. The program saw spontaneous formation of 6 peer study groups and 2 informal 'accountability partnerships' between students in different regions, none of which were formally organized. Students reported the backgrounds made classmates 'real people' rather than 'gallery view tiles,' with one commenting that he could still remember 15 classmates' backgrounds months later, helping him recall their expertise areas.
What Users Say
"I was skeptical at first—another virtual team building thing. But when our CEO put up a background of his hometown in Nigeria and shared how it shaped his leadership philosophy, it completely changed how I saw him. Now I actually look forward to Monday meetings."
Marcus Chen
Senior Software Engineer
Use Case: Weekly team meetings
"As a new hire who started remotely, Virtual Background Challenge was the first time I felt like I actually met my teammates. Hearing the stories behind everyone's backgrounds gave me conversation hooks for our 1-on-1s. Three months in, I feel more connected to my remote team than I did to my in-office team at my previous job."
Priya Desai
Marketing Manager
Use Case: New employee onboarding
"We've done this 12 weeks running, and people are getting wildly creative with their backgrounds. Last week someone used a childhood drawing, another used a screenshot from their first video game. It's become our team's thing, and honestly, it's the best 15 minutes of our week."
Sarah Thompson
Director of People Operations
Use Case: Regular team building
"I teach fully online courses, and getting students to engage is always a challenge. Virtual Background Challenge completely transformed our first class. Students remembered each other's names because they remembered the backgrounds. Participation in discussions was noticeably higher all semester."
Dr. James Park
Associate Professor
Use Case: College classroom ice breaker
Frequently Asked Questions
Encourage them to describe the background they would have chosen and share the story. Alternatively, they can hold up a physical object or image to their camera, or simply participate by listening and asking questions without presenting their own background. The focus is on connection, not technology.
Thank them for sharing, focus on the personal meaning they described rather than the image itself, and move forward. Address it privately afterward if needed, reiterating the activity's focus on connection through shared humanity rather than debate. For future sessions, provide clearer theme guidelines emphasizing personal rather than political content.
Yes, but modify the format. Have 5-7 people share during each all-hands meeting and rotate through your roster over multiple sessions. Alternatively, use breakout rooms where smaller groups do the activity simultaneously, then reconvene to share highlights. This maintains intimacy while accommodating scale.
Crowdsource themes from participants themselves—create a suggestion box in your team channel. You can also repeat popular themes every few months as people grow and their answers evolve. Consider seasonal themes (New Year reflections, summer plans) or tie themes to company values or current projects to keep content fresh and relevant.
Give advance notice so people can prepare, make participation genuinely optional, and vary your invitation approach—sometimes invite volunteers, sometimes go in alphabetical order so introverts can mentally prepare. Consider asynchronous versions where people post backgrounds in a team channel with written stories, removing the real-time speaking pressure.