Slack React

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Sematext team is highly distributed. We are ex-Skype users who recently switched to Slack for team collaboration. We’ve been happy with Slack features and especially integrations for watching our Github repositories, Jenkins, or receiving SPM or Logsene Alerts from our production servers through their ChatOps support. The ability to add custom integrations is really awesome! Being search experts it is hard for us to accept any limitation in search functionality in tools we use. For example, I personally miss the ability to search over all teams and all channels and I really miss having no analytics on user activity or channel usage. Elasticsearch has become a popular data store for analytical queries. What if we could take all Slack messages and index them into Elasticsearch? This would make it possible to perform advanced analytics with Kibana or Grafana, such as getting like top terms used, most active users or channels. Finally, a simple mobile web page to access only the indexed data from various Teams and Channels might be handy to have, too.

In this post we’re going to see how to build what we just described. We’ll use the Slack API, Node.js, React and Elasticsearch in 3 steps:

  • Index Data from Slack
  • Analyse Data from Slack
  • Create a custom Web-App for search

Use emoji reactions Emoji reactions are a quick way to respond to messages in Slack. They're both fun and helpful for getting work done — a simple reaction can often replace the need for a follow-up message. Using Slack emoji reactions for getting work done Slack 101. NativeBase is an open source framework to build React Native apps over a single JavaScript codebase for Android and iOS. Slack clone powered by Chatkit. See it in action here This is a static, single page web app bootstrapped with create-react-app for ease of setup, distribution and development. React Slack Chat A Beautiful Gooey / Material Design Slack Chat Web Integrating Widget. This widget can be integrated as a Live Chat / Help Desk / Discussions for Special Interest Sites in Solo Single Customer Mode (1:1) or Community Chat (Shoutbox) Mode. Give your users the Perfect Support / Engagement experience, with the comfort of Slack. The last react carousel you will ever need.

Index Data from Slack

The Slack API provides several ways to access data. For example, outgoing webhook. This looks useful at first, however, this needs a setup per channel or keywords as trigger. Then I discovered a better way – the Node.js Slack Client. Simply log in with your Slack account and get all Slack messages! I wrote a little Node.js app to dump the relevant information as JSON to the console or to a file. Having the JSON output, it can be piped to Logagent-js a smart log shipper written in Node.js. I packaged this as “slack-elasticsearch-indexer” so it’s super easy to run:

The LOGSENE_TOKEN is what you can get from Logsene – the “ELK log management service”. Using Logsene means you don’t have to bother running your own Elasticsearch, plus the volume of most team’s Slack data is probably so small that it fits in Logsene’s free plan! 🙂

Once you run the above you should see new Slack Messages on the console. At the same time the messages will also be sent to Logsene and you will see them in the Logsene UI (or your local Elasticsearch server or cluster) right away.

Analyze Slack Messages in Sematext

Now that our Slack messages are in Logsene we can build our Kibana Dashboards to visualize channel utilization, top terms, the chattiest people, and so on. But … did you know, that Logsene comes with a nice ad-hoc charting function? Simply open one of the Slack messages in Logsene, and click on the little chart symbol in the field userName and channel (see below).

This will very quickly render top users and channels for you:

Slack Alerting

Imagine a support chat channel – wouldn’t it be nice to be notified when people start mentioning “Error”, “Problems” and “Broken” things increasingly frequently? This is where we can make use of Logsene Alerts and its ability to do anomaly detection. Any triggered alerts can be delivered via email, PagerDuty, Slack, HipChat or WebHooks:

While Logsene is great for alerts, analytics and Slack message search, as a general ‘data viewer’ the message rendering in Logsene does not show application-specific things like users’ profile pictures, which would allow much faster recognition of user messages. Thus, as our next step, we’ll create a simple Web Client with nice rendering of indexed Slack messages. Let’s see how this can be done very quickly using some cutting edge Web technology together with Logsene.

Create a Custom Web-App for Search

We recently started using Facebook’s React.js for rendering of various UI parts like the views for Top Database Operations and we came across a new set of React UI Components for Elasticsearch called SearchKit. Thanks to Logsene’s Elasticsearch API SearchKit works out of the box with Logsene!
After a few lines of CSS and some JavaScript a simple Slack Search UI is born. Check it out!

You just need to use your Logsene token as the Elasticsearch index name to run this app on your own data. For production we recommend adding a proxy to Elasticsearch (or Logsene) on the server side as described in the SearchKit UI documentation to hide connection details from the client application.

While this post shows how to index your Slack messages in Logsene for the purpose of archiving, searching, and analytics, we hope it also serves as an inspiration to build your own custom Search application with SearchKit, React, Node.js and Logsene?

If you haven’t used Logsene before, give it try – you can get a free account and have your logs and other event data in Logsene in no time. Drop us an email or hit us on Twitter with suggestions, questions or comments.

Sematext is Hiring

Hi! You found our list of fun Slack games for remote teams.

Slack games are ways to use the communication platform Slack for fun and remote team bonding. For example, tic tac toe, ping pong and hangman. The Slack App Directory hosts a wide selection of bots that facilitate games, and you can also launch challenges by typing prompts into Slack channels and threads. The purpose of these games is to foster camaraderie among distributed teams.

These games are a subset of online team building games and virtual employee engagement.

This list includes:

  • Slack icebreakers
  • Ideas for team building on Slack
  • Slack mini games
  • Slack office games

Let the games begin!

List of Slack games

From Slack game apps to manual challenges, here is a list of fun games to play on Slack.

Slack Reaction Size

1. Tic Tac Toe

Tic Tac Toe is one of the most popular Slack mini games. The Slack tic-tac-toe bot automatically populates the game board within a channel or direct message, and follows traditional rules.

To play:

  1. Install the tic-tac-toe app.
  2. Type /ttt to populate the board.
  3. Each player takes a turn placing an “x” or an “o”.
  4. The first player to get three letters in a row, column, or diagonal wins.

If you are playing the game in a channel, then the gamestarter should tag a specific player by using the @mention command. This action is not necessary for direct messages.

Since there is no time limit for Slack tic-tac-toe, games can last throughout the day, meaning players do not need to synchronize work schedules.

2. Hangman

Starting a game of Slack Hangman is simple.

To play:

  1. Create a hangman channel
  2. Post a certain number of blanks
  3. Invite other players to guess letters by replying in the thread.
  4. If players guess correctly, then replace the blank with the letter. If players guess incorrectly, then draw one part of the hangman.
  5. The game ends when players guess the word, or when the drawing is complete.

Here are images you can use for your hangman:

To keep order, limit the number of players and decide a turn order.

3. Rock Paper Scissors ✊ ✋ ✌️

Rock Paper Scissors is an easy and quick game to play in Slack. Simply download the rock-paper-scissors app, then use the /rps @mention command to launch the game. Challengers respond using hand emojis. Participants can play many rounds or just one, making Slack rock-paper-scissors a great game for any workload.

For an extra challenge, players can use the /rpsls command to start a game of rock-paper-scissors-lizard-Spock instead.

4. Trivia

To play trivia in Slack, install the Trivia app, then choose from a suite of games and a variety of topics. Most questions come in a multiple choice format, and there are many different game types. Rounds are quick, and Trivia tracks wins and losses in a scorecard.

Slack trivia is a great midday break and remote team building exercise. If you prefer a higher-energy, comprehensive online trivia competition, then host an online trivia activity.

Here is a guide on how to do trivia online.

5. Connect Four

While there is no official Connect Four game in the Slack directly, you can add a bot integration using this connect4bot from Github. Once the integration is complete, launch a game by using the @<bot-name>: start command. The game populates a board full of circles, and players make moves by choosing columns. The first player to link four consecutive color circles wins the game.

Developers also created Halloween and Christmas versions of the game so you can play with festive colors instead of the standard blue and red.

6. One Word at a Time

One Word at a Time is a collaborative storytelling game that challenges channel members to write a story bit by bit. One player starts the story with a single word, and other participants reply within the thread. If more than one player answers at once, then the audience votes on the best word via emoji. The game is over when the story draws to a natural close, and the storystarter types, “THE END.”

7. ChessBot

ChessBot is one of the best Slack games for work. Since chess is a mental game, players will give their minds a workout while giving their work a rest.

To play chess on Slack:

  1. Install the ChessBot app.
  2. Challenge other players to a game.
  3. Players choose to accept or deny the challenge.
  4. ChessBot presents a board.
  5. Move your piece when ChessBot announces your turn.

As an added perk, ChessBot can run a computer analysis postgame to point out mistakes and strengthen strategy.

8. Gifs to Gifs

Gifs to Gifs functions similarly to games like Apples to Apples or Cards Against Humanity. Instead of placing cards in a pile, players post gifs in a Slack channel, using a gif app like Giphy.

To play Gifs to Gifs:

  1. Install a gif app in Slack.
  2. Create a designated channel for the game.
  3. Participants post prompts.
  4. Other players respond to the thread with gifs.
  5. Channel members vote on the gifs with emojis.
  6. After five minutes, the gif with the most emojis wins.

Here are sample prompts to kick off your game:

  • Mondays got me like…
  • If I won the lottery…
  • When you see a dog outside…
  • My current distraction…
  • Why I didn’t respond to your email…
  • Lunch plans…
  • If I didn’t work here I’d work….

If your team is extra ambitious, then they could even make their own gifs to share within the game.

9. React to the Fact

React to the Fact is a game that challenges players to decide whether statements are fact or fiction.

To play:

  1. Participants post a statement in the channel.
  2. Players react via emoji: thumbs up for true, thumbs down for false.
  3. After five or ten minutes, the first player reveals the answer by replying to the original post.

You can either keep a running tally of points throughout the workweek, or play for fun. If your team struggles to think of real facts, then use an amazing fact generator, or one of Slack’s fact apps like CatFacts or Shark Facts.

10. Icebreakers

Answering Slack icebreakers is a low-pressure way to have fun with remote colleagues. To generate prompts, you can use an app like Icebreakers, or choose from a list of icebreaker questions.

To start an icebreaker game on Slack:

  1. Create a special channel.
  2. Post a prompt.
  3. Give teammates time to respond.
  4. React to answers with emojis.

The Icebreakers app generates lists of selectable questions and prompts teammates directly, and you can answer questions manually by creating threads within the channel.

To make the exercise more competitive, invite players to guess each other’s answers in the style of The Newlywed Game. Or, award points for creative or popular questions or answers.

Here is a list of other question games to play.

11. Team building polls and quizzes

Polls and quizzes are some of the easiest ideas for team building on Slack. First, install a Slack poll app like Simple Poll or Polly. Next, create entertaining polls for teammates to answer in their spare time. For best results, set a deadline such as an hour, day, or week. Finally, once all answers are in, display the outcomes. To turn the poll or survey into a competition, award points to individuals or teams who submit the correct number of answers, or who vote for the popular choice.

Here are a few Slack poll game ideas:

  • Question games like This or That or Would You Rather
  • Flash pop quizzes
  • Trivia games
  • Predict the survey results
  • Family Feud

Slack Reaction

We recommend keeping questions light and fun to ensure the activity is enjoyable. For more tips, check out our team building quiz playbook.

12. Decode the emoji

Decode the emoji is a game that challenges players to translate messages written in symbols. To play this game, create a designated channel, then post messages written partially or entirely in emoji. Players must crack the code and decipher the message. The first player to answer correctly wins.

Here are a few examples of emoji messages:

  • 👴🏠🎈🎈🎈👦🐕💬🌎 = Pixar’s Up
  • ❓🌎🚗👬⏳E A 🟢 = Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
  • (🎈+ 🎈+ 🎈) x 33 = 99 Red Balloons
  • 🔑🖊️🆙 🚗 🏃E NNNN = Keeping up with the Kardashians
  • 🚫🛑🐝🍁N = Don’t Stop Believin’

The Slack app Emojify translates messages into emojis instantly, making it even easier to generate puzzles for the game.

13. Plop

Plop is one of the best Slack office games to help remote coworkers connect. To play this game, first download the Plop bot. Plop then creates a direct message between the user and the bot. At any time, participants can use a play command to start a game. Plop then fetches profile pictures of coworkers, and players must name the colleague. If stumped, then players can ask Plop for a hint, and the bot will provide four multiple choice options.

Slack Reacji

Plop is an especially useful Slack game for larger organizations with many employees, and will likely make virtual meetings less awkward and more interactive.

Slack Reactor Go-kart Chassis

14. Wordsgame

Wordsgame is a Slack bot that appeals especially to fans of vocabulary games. Once you create a channel and install the app, you can use the /wordsgame slash command to prompt Wordsgame to issue random challenges. Wordsgame generates lists of letters, and players must make as many words as possible within sixty seconds. Wordsgame automatically tabulates the results, and the player who creates the most words wins.

Here are more vocabulary games you can play.

15. Ping Pong

Ping Pong is another example of the most popular Slack games. This app is more ideal for in-office or hybrid teams than remote teams, since it involves playing a physical ping pong match.

To play Slack Ping Pong:

  1. Install the PlayPlay.io app.
  2. Designate a channel to play in.
  3. Invite pongbot and other players to the channel.
  4. To initiate a game, type “@playpio challenge”, and the name of the player.
  5. Challengers accept by typing “@playpio accept.”
  6. Play an in-person ping pong match.
  7. At the end of the game, record the score by mentioning the bot and typing “won” or “lost.”

PlayPlay.io keeps a running tally of scores, making it easy to run a Slack Ping Pong tournament. Other features include fun GIFs and messages from the pongbot.

Conclusion

Playing games on Slack provides an efficient, no-additional-cost way to liven up company culture and foster relationships between remote colleagues. Most Slack games involve installation and explanation and require minimal skill or time commitment, giving them wide audience appeal.

Remote work can be lonely. Playing games together online provides a quick and accessible way to socialize and relax. Leisure time with coworkers makes the work from home environment more interactive and enjoyable.

For more games to play with remote teams, check out our lists of virtual team building games, games to play on Zoom, WebEx games, and Microsoft Teams games.

FAQ: Slack Games

Here are answers to common questions about Slack games.

What are Slack games?

Slack games are online challenges that take place via Slack channels. For example, rock-paper-scissors, chess, react to the fact, and Wordsgame. Many of these exercises use Slack apps to facilitate game play. The purpose of these games is to connect remote colleagues and foster friendships among distributed work-forces. Slack games are less time-sensitive than virtual team building activities like online murder mysteries or virtual escape rooms.

What games can you play in Slack?

You can play many games in Slack, including tic tac toe, rock paper scissors, chess, trivia, hangman and polls.

Why should you play Slack games?

Remote work can feel lonely and isolating. Virtual offices present less opportunities to interact, especially with colleagues in other departments. Playing Slack games gives virtual employees the chance to get to know coworkers better and unwind between tasks.

What are the benefits of Slack games?

Unlike video call games, Slack games can stretch over longer periods of time, so workers can play as the schedule allows. Since bots can launch challenges when prompted, managers do not need to organize or run the games. Plus, casual and competitive Slack channels unite cross-departmental employees who do not normally interact.

Slack reaction gifs

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Author: Angela Robinson

Team building content expert. Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses.

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