Top 8 'Virtual-Watercooler' Software to explore for remote teams rebuilding culture beyond the Zoom call. - Goh Ling Yong
Remember that feeling? You’d wander over to the office kitchen for another cup of coffee, bump into a colleague from a different department, and end up having a five-minute chat that sparked a new idea or simply brightened your day. That was the magic of the watercooler—the spontaneous, unplanned interactions that wove the fabric of company culture.
Then came the great remote work migration. We traded commutes for sweatpants and office desks for kitchen tables. While the productivity benefits have been immense, something vital got lost in translation. Our days became a series of scheduled, agenda-driven video calls. The casual "hellos," the shared laughter over a silly meme, and the serendipitous brainstorming sessions vanished. We’re suffering from a severe case of culture-recession, and Zoom fatigue is the primary symptom.
It's a challenge I, Goh Ling Yong, am passionate about tackling because a thriving culture is the engine of any successful team. The good news? We don't have to accept this as the new normal. A new breed of software has emerged, designed specifically to bring back that spontaneous, human connection. These "virtual-watercooler" platforms go beyond the formal meeting, creating digital spaces for the informal moments that truly build bonds. Let's dive into eight of the best tools out there that can help your team rebuild its culture, one casual chat at a time.
1. Donut
Donut isn't a standalone application but a clever bot that integrates directly into Slack, which is precisely why it's so brilliant. Its core mission is simple: connect teammates who don't normally interact. By lowering the barrier to entry to almost zero, it nudges people into conversations they wouldn't otherwise have, creating a web of connections across your entire organization.
The most popular feature is "Coffee Chats." Donut randomly pairs up colleagues (from specific departments or the whole company) and encourages them to schedule a short, informal 15-30 minute chat. It handles the introductions and the scheduling suggestions right within a Slack DM. But it's more than just coffee. You can set up channels for peer-to-peer mentoring, new hire onboarding buddies, or even "lunch lottery" groups. It's a structured approach to generating unstructured conversations, which is the perfect recipe for a remote environment.
A great tip for implementing Donut is to create themed channels. For example, a #donut-book-club channel could pair up avid readers, or a #donut-learning-buddies channel could connect people who want to learn a new skill together. By giving the pairings a light-touch theme, you provide an instant icebreaker and make the interaction feel even more purposeful and less like a forced corporate mandate.
2. Gather
If you've ever thought, "I wish our remote office felt more like... an office," then Gather (or Gather.town) is for you. It’s a virtual office platform that looks and feels like a classic 2D role-playing game. Each employee has a little customizable avatar they can move around a digital campus using their arrow keys. The magic is in its proximity-based video chat.
When your avatar gets close to a colleague's avatar, their video and audio feed automatically pop up, allowing you to start a natural, spontaneous conversation—just like bumping into someone in the hallway. Walk away, and the call seamlessly ends. This eliminates the friction of having to send a Slack message, find a Zoom link, and formally "start a meeting." Teams can design their own virtual spaces with dedicated desks, meeting rooms, social lounges, and even game rooms.
Gather shines when used for more than just daily work. Host your weekly all-hands meeting in the virtual auditorium, where people can "sit" next to each other and chat in the "aisles." Set up a "silent co-working" library for focused work. Or, for pure fun, hold a virtual scavenger hunt or a holiday party within your custom-built office space. It gamifies presence, making it fun to see who's "in the office" and available for a quick chat.
3. Tandem
While Gather leans into a playful, gamified experience, Tandem offers a more streamlined, workflow-focused approach to the virtual office. It acts as a communication hub that shows you what your teammates are working on in real-time. Instead of a 2D map, you see a simple list of your colleagues and an icon indicating which app they are currently active in—be it Figma, Google Docs, or VS Code.
This ambient awareness is incredibly powerful. You can see that your design partner is also in the Figma file and, with a single click, start a voice or video call to collaborate instantly. There's no need to ask, "Are you free?" You have the context to know it's a good time to connect. Tandem also features "virtual rooms" for specific projects or teams, allowing for persistent, drop-in conversations. Its "wave" feature is a lightweight way to get someone's attention without the formality of a full call.
Tandem is perfect for fast-moving product, engineering, and design teams who thrive on quick, ad-hoc collaboration. A pro-tip is to encourage the use of status updates. Setting a status like "Deep work on Q3 report - DMs only" or "Open to chat about the new feature" adds another layer of context that helps the team respect each other's focus while still fostering an open-door policy.
4. Watercooler
Video fatigue is a real drain on energy and focus. Watercooler tackles this head-on by creating a space for casual, drop-in, audio-only conversations. Think of it as a persistent, high-quality voice channel for your team that's always on. You can see who is in the "room" and talking, and you can jump in and out of the conversation with a single click.
The beauty of Watercooler is its low-friction nature. Because it's audio-only, you don't need to worry about your background, what you're wearing, or whether you're making enough eye contact. You can have it running in the background while you work, creating a sense of ambient social presence—the comforting murmur of an office without the pressure to be "on."
This tool is fantastic for recreating the feeling of sitting next to your teammates. A great way to use it is to establish a team norm of joining the Watercooler at the beginning of the day for a "virtual commute" chat while everyone sips their morning coffee. It can also serve as the go-to place for asking those "quick questions" that would feel too formal for a scheduled call but too disruptive for a Slack message.
5. Kumospace
Positioned as a more social-centric virtual space, Kumospace excels at hosting engaging and immersive virtual events. Like Gather, it uses spatial audio and video in customizable 2D environments, but its pre-built templates are often geared towards fun: think virtual bars, rooftops, and cozy lounges.
The audio experience in Kumospace is a standout feature. As you move your avatar closer to a group, their conversation gets louder, and as you move away, it fades, perfectly mimicking the acoustics of a real-life party. This allows multiple conversations to happen naturally in the same room without cross-talk. It's equipped with fun interactive elements like virtual drinks that you can "clink" with others and embedded YouTube players for shared music or presentations.
While it can be used as a daily virtual office, Kumospace is the undisputed champion for remote team-building events. Use it to host your next virtual happy hour, a department-wide celebration, or even a networking event. Pro-tip: assign different "topics" to various areas of the space (e.g., a "Sports Corner," a "Project X Discussion Table") to encourage mingling and give people a natural reason to move around and interact with different groups.
6. Snack
Breaking the mold of real-time interaction, Snack offers an asynchronous video-messaging platform to build team culture. Think of it as a private, internal version of TikTok or Instagram Stories for your company. Team members can record and share short, informal video clips to a shared feed, providing a window into their lives and personalities.
This asynchronous approach is a game-changer for globally distributed teams working across different time zones. It allows a colleague in Singapore to share a "good morning" video that a teammate in New York can wake up to hours later, fostering a sense of connection without requiring everyone to be online simultaneously. This aligns with a principle I often discuss with clients: for remote teams to succeed, you must master both synchronous and asynchronous communication. Snack masters the latter for culture.
Encourage creative prompts to get the ball rolling. Start a thread asking, "Show us your workspace," "What are you having for lunch?" or "Share a weekend highlight." These lighthearted "Snacks" build personal rapport and humanize colleagues in a way that status updates in Slack simply can't. It’s a powerful tool for storytelling and sharing the human side of work.
7. HeyTaco!
Culture isn't just about socializing; it's also about appreciation and recognition. HeyTaco! is a wonderfully simple and fun tool (for Slack and MS Teams) that builds a culture of gratitude. The concept is straightforward: every team member gets five virtual "tacos" to give out each day.
To give a taco, you simply tag a colleague in a public channel and add the 🌮 emoji. For example, "@Jane thanks for helping me with that spreadsheet! 🌮" HeyTaco! keeps a public leaderboard of who has received the most tacos, creating a bit of friendly competition. Teams can also set up a custom rewards catalog where employees can redeem their hard-earned tacos for real-life perks, like a gift card, company swag, or an extra day off.
The key to HeyTaco! is that it promotes frequent, peer-to-peer recognition for actions both big and small. It moves appreciation from a top-down, quarterly review process to a daily, organic habit. A great tip is for leadership to actively participate. When managers and executives are seen giving out tacos for specific, positive behaviors, it reinforces the company's values and encourages everyone else to join in.
8. Co-Work Cafe
Sometimes, what we miss most about the office isn't the conversation but the quiet, productive hum of people working alongside us. Co-Work Cafe is a unique tool that recreates this very specific feeling. It's a virtual space focused on "body doubling" or parallel work, not active collaboration.
When you join, you enter a virtual cafe with ambient background sounds (like soft music, clinking cups, and distant chatter). You can see other team members who are also present and working. The platform often includes features like a shared Pomodoro timer, encouraging everyone to work in focused sprints together. There's no pressure to talk; the value comes from the shared sense of presence and accountability.
This is the perfect tool for those afternoons when you're struggling with procrastination or feeling isolated. Schedule a two-hour "Deep Work Session" in the Co-Work Cafe. Everyone joins, briefly says hello, states their goal for the session, and then mutes their mics. The shared timer and the quiet presence of others can be a powerful motivator to stay off social media and get things done.
The Future is Intentionally Connected
The transition to remote and hybrid work isn't just a logistical shift; it's a cultural one. We can't simply replicate the old office model online and expect the same results. The serendipity of the physical watercooler is gone, and it must be replaced with intentionality.
Choosing the right tool depends entirely on your team's specific needs, size, and existing culture. A small, highly collaborative team might thrive in Tandem, while a large, globally distributed organization might get more value from the asynchronous connections of Snack and the structured fun of Donut. The key is to experiment. Pick one or two platforms that resonate with you, run a pilot with an enthusiastic group, and gather feedback.
Building a vibrant remote culture doesn't happen by accident. It happens when we provide the digital spaces for connection, conversation, and collaboration to flourish beyond the confines of the scheduled video call.
What tools does your team use to stay connected and build culture? Share your favorites and experiences in the comments below!
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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