80% of people have played while working: Here is the TOP-5 video games they like

Being an office worker for years, I’ve realized that it’s impossible to keep focused on your tasks 8 hours in a row. That’s why we love these coffee breaks, endless heart-wrenching talks in a smoking room, and, of course…playing games right at the workplace. And don’t tell me you’ve never got distracted because I’ve done my research and found a bunch of amusing facts about workers playing video games. By the way, I even saw my Dream Teammates doing the same thing (but who am I to blame them when I’m a diehard fan of games, too).

Managers, breathe out! Today I’d like to share my discoveries and explain to you why gaming at the workplace is not an unforgivable sin — it even has some benefits for employees’ performance.

If you’ve ever been watching your colleagues in the middle of a working day, you won’t be surprised by these findings.

According to the study by Word.tips gaming studio:

• 80% of people played video games at their workplace (86% of millennials, 76% of Gen X, and 64% of baby boomers).
• 96% said they played a mobile game, while 33% played a PC game at work.
• A lion share of people who work remotely said they played over 4 days a week.
• 53% admitted extending a break to keep gaming.

What shocked me is the same study revealing that managers and supervisors spend even more time playing than their subordinates!

What is the best time for such breaks? 15% of workers said they don’t pay attention to Zoom calls because they are busy playing. 10% even manage to do that during in-person meetings.

Now, let’s take a sneak peek at employees’ screens: what games devour their time? Well, mobile apps allow for more discreet playing, that’s why I wasn’t surprised to see what crowns the list of workers’ favs:

• Candy Crush Saga (41%)
• Angry Birds (33%)
• Words With Friends (30%)
• Solitaire (17%)
• Minecraft and Fortnite (both 15%)

Other popular games include Tetris, Sudoku, Counterstrike: Global Offensive, and Runescape.

Why do people engage in these games?

• 57% respondents say they were bored
• 51% just wanted to pass their time
• 46% state they play because they completed their work

At first glance, it seems that gaming is nothing more than a time killer, but it has certain upsides too.

If you’re a boss or a team lead, you might be outraged by the statistics — all in all, people are paid not to wear out the seat of their trousers. I understand, it’s fair. But don’t rush to micro-manage and punish employees — let’s look at the bright side.

The same poll turns bane into the boon:

• 80% of in-office workers said they felt more relaxed while playing.
• 54% said that games alleviated the afternoon slump.
• 48% said feelings of creativity and burnout were both positively impacted by gaming at work.
• 20% compared gaming to coffee, saying their focus was improved by games.

Other poll participants emphasized that gaming actually improved their productivity and problem-solving ability. Some even said it added to overall job satisfaction (well, I’d also be more satisfied with work that allows me to get paid for this sort of relaxation).

As for myself, I’d say gaming helps me to relieve stress at times when Dealan becomes too demanding with his sudden startup ideas. Virtual worlds become my safe haven where I can calm down and reflect on what’s going on. We don’t have a meditation room, so I purge my mind in an alternate way.

Whether you like it or not, gaps are often unavoidable in an eight-hour workday, and playing is surely not the worst method to fill them. Games are more than just a stress buster — they improve logic, reaction, and many other skills that may improve your mental abilities and performance at work.

By the way, if you have already tried the above-mentioned bestsellers and want something fresh, consider WEB 3.0 games. There’s a myriad of Play-to-Earn games: MMORPGs (wow, it’s for risk-takers), strategies, collectible card games, like Bluelight.inc, and many other genres. They can help you both kill time and earn cryptocurrency (which makes it not such a guilty pleasure, I suppose).

And my final advice: keep the balance! Otherwise, you will be fired :)

P.S. I really hope Dealan will read this and introduce a game-break for our team 🙏🏼