By Jay Filichia, TeamBuilding ROI — Last updated July 2026
Global Games is TeamBuilding ROI’s Office Olympics format: a rotating circuit of short physical, mental, and creative challenges where teams compete simultaneously across multiple stations for a medal finish. It runs 90 to 120 minutes for groups of 10 to 2,000, indoors or outdoors, at your office or any venue across Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego. We bring every station, the host, and the scoring, and we run the whole thing.
Because stations run at the same time rather than in sequence, nobody stands in line waiting for a turn. That single design decision is why this format scales past a thousand people and why it is the one we recommend most often for company kickoffs. If you are comparing formats, our Southern California corporate games overview covers all eight side by side.
What Actually Happens at a Global Games Event
A Global Games session divides your group into teams that rotate through a set of timed stations, earning points at each, with a medal ceremony at the end. Here is the shape of a standard 2-hour program:
Phase | Time | What Happens |
Setup | Before arrival | Our team sets every station. You do nothing. |
Team draft | 10 min | Host divides the group, teams pick names and a captain |
Rotation 1 | 35 min | Teams rotate through the first block of challenges, scored live |
Midpoint standings | 5 min | Leaderboard reveal. This is where the competition sharpens. |
Rotation 2 | 35 min | Second block, higher point values |
Final challenge | 15 min | All teams compete at once. Can flip the standings. |
Medal ceremony | 10 min | Gold, silver, bronze. Photos. |
Debrief | 10 min | Optional, and the part that produces measurable outcomes. |
The debrief is optional and we recommend against skipping it. Teams that connect the event back to a stated cultural goal report stronger results 30 days later than teams that treat the day as standalone entertainment.
The Challenges
Global Games challenges are short, equipment-based tasks designed so that physical ability, problem-solving, and communication each decide at least one station. That mix is deliberate: it prevents the most athletic team from simply winning. A representative selection:
Ring King
A precision and accuracy challenge. Teams compete on placement rather than power, which tends to surprise groups who assume the athletes will dominate. Usually one of the first stations because it settles nerves and gets people talking.
Four Man Walking Skis
Four teammates stand on a single pair of oversized skis and have to move in unison. It is the purest communication test in the set: teams that call a rhythm finish, teams that do not fall over. Reliably the station that produces the most laughter and the most footage.
Water Pipe Challenge
Teams work a shared apparatus to move water without losing it. Coordination under mild pressure, with a visible penalty for breaking rhythm. Outdoor favorite in Southern California for obvious reasons.
Helium Hoop
Every team member keeps a finger under a hoop and the group has to lower it to the ground together. Sounds simple. It is the challenge groups most often fail on the first attempt, because it punishes anyone acting independently. The best single-station illustration of what the whole program is about.
Plus a rotating set
Who Global Games Works Best For
Global Games is the right format when you need every person in a large group participating at the same time, rather than watching. It suits these situations in particular:
- Company kickoffs and all-hands. Scales to the whole room without splitting the agenda.
- Post-reorg teams. The team draft mixes departments by design, so people end up working with names they only knew from email.
- Distributed or hybrid teams meeting in person. Short stations mean no long stretches of standing around, which is where remote colleagues disengage.
- Groups with mixed physical ability. Because the mix includes precision and problem-solving stations, no one is sidelined.
- Repeat annual events. The challenge set rotates year to year, and returning teams arrive wanting to defend a title.
If your group is under 20, or the point is a build rather than a competition, Robot Rally or a city scavenger hunt may fit better. The full catalog is on our in-person programs page.
Global Games vs. Other Competitive Formats
Global Games differs from other competitive team building formats primarily in how it scales and in how much of the group is active at any moment.
Format | Max Practical Size | Active at Once | Setting |
Global Games | 2,000+ | Everyone | Indoor or outdoor; needs floor or lawn space |
Game Show Roundup | 1000 | Stage team plus audience | Any room with power |
Robot Rally | 400 | Everyone, seated | Indoor, ballroom-friendly |
Treasure Hunt | 1000 | Everyone, mobile | Outdoor, city streets |
Escape room | 1000 | Everyone | Indoor or Outdoor |
Is Global Games the Same as Office Olympics?
Yes. Office Olympics is the generic term for a rotating athletic and mental challenge circuit, and Global Games is TeamBuilding ROI’s version of that format. The difference is facilitation: an in-house Office Olympics usually means someone from HR running stopwatch duty, while Global Games arrives with equipment, a professional host, and live scoring.
Where We Run Global Games in Southern California
Global Games needs open floor or lawn space and nothing else, which means it runs almost anywhere: an office parking lot, a hotel ballroom, a resort lawn, or a public park. We are a mobile provider. We do not own a venue and we do not need you to travel to one.
Los Angeles County
Office parking lots and campus quads, Griffith Park, hotel ballrooms across downtown, and Santa Monica beach space. City-specific detail on the Office Olympics Los Angeles page and the Los Angeles team building page.
Orange County
Resort lawns from Newport Beach through Laguna Niguel, conference hotel ballrooms, and Huntington Beach sand. See the Office Olympics Orange County page and the Orange County team building page.
San Diego County
Balboa Park lawns, bayfront hotel space, and Mission Bay. Venue detail on the San Diego team building page.
For a beach-specific alternative, the Sandcastle Crusade runs the same competitive structure with sand as the medium. Coastal permits take four to eight weeks, so plan accordingly.
What Global Games Costs in Southern California
Global Games in Southern California costs between $85 and $150 per person for a standard 90 to 120 minute program, with pricing driven by group size, station count, and whether the event runs indoors or outdoors. Our structure is a base fee covering groups up to 15 guests, a per-person rate from 16 to 100, and a separate rate above 100. A group of 80 lands between roughly $6,800 and $12,000 all in.
Full pricing tiers across all our formats, plus booking timelines and the 2026 regional event calendar, are in the Southern California team building guide. For venues, logistics, and a quote form, start on our Southern California team building page.
Why This Kind of Event Is Worth the Line Item
Gallup’s 2026 State of the Global Workplace report put global employee engagement at 20 percent, the lowest reading since 2020, with 64 percent of employees not engaged and 16 percent actively disengaged. The estimated cost is roughly $10 trillion in lost productivity.
A two-hour competition does not reverse that on its own. What it does reliably is get people who have stopped talking to each other into a situation where they have to communicate to succeed at something trivial, which is often the shortest path back to communicating about something that matters. Set a cultural goal before the event, run the debrief, and survey against it in 30 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Global Games team building?
Global Games is an Office Olympics-style corporate team building program where teams rotate through timed stations of physical, mental, and creative challenges, competing for a medal finish. TeamBuilding ROI runs it across Southern California for groups of 10 to 2,000.
How long does a Global Games event take?
90 to 120 minutes for a standard program, including the team draft, two rotation blocks, a final challenge, and the medal ceremony. Add 10 minutes for the debrief. Longer formats are available for full-day offsites.
How many people can participate in Global Games?
Ten at the low end and past 2,000 at the high end. Large groups run as additional simultaneous stations rather than longer rotations, so the event duration stays the same regardless of headcount.
Do we need athletic ability to compete?
No. The challenge mix deliberately includes precision, communication, and problem-solving stations alongside physical ones, so the most athletic team does not automatically win. Groups with a wide range of ages and mobility levels compete on even footing.
Can Global Games run indoors?
Yes. All stations have an indoor configuration. We need open floor space, typically a ballroom, a large conference room, or a cleared cafeteria. When we plan an outdoor event we confirm an indoor backup with your venue at booking.
How much does Global Games cost in Southern California?
Between $85 and $150 per person for a standard program. A group of 80 lands between roughly $6,800 and $12,000 total. We return a custom quote within 24 hours.
Can you run Global Games at our office?
Yes, and it is common. A parking lot, courtyard, cafeteria, or large open floor all work. We bring every station, the host, and the scoring, set up before your team arrives, and break down afterward.
Book Global Games in Southern California
Tell us your date, your headcount, and roughly where you will be. We come back with a plan that fits, usually the same day. Start on our Southern California team building page or reach us directly.
Phone: 855-TEAMROI (855-832-6764)
Email: info@tbroi.com
Web: teambuildingroi.com
About the Author
Jay Filichia is the President of TeamBuilding ROI and has hosted and facilitated corporate team-building events across California for 15 years, running programs for groups from 10 to 2,000, including Fortune 500 teams throughout Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego. TeamBuilding ROI L.L.C. is based in Santa Clara, California, and has delivered 1500+ events since 2011.
Sources
Gallup, State of the Global Workplace: 2026 Report. gallup.com