Microsoft Excel is a savior in many ways. Functions, formulas, classifiers, and business intelligence are just some data processing powers. But what about those moments when everything is too much, when you want to relax, if only for a moment? Excel still gives you what you need, and it’s a brilliant app.
Look at eight games you can play in Microsoft Excel without leaving your spreadsheets.
2048
Still, a puzzle game, 2048, is a trendy choice for Android and iOS devices. Building on previous iterations of games like Threes and 2048, 1024 was programmed over a weekend by 19-year-old Gabriele Cirulli. Not wanting to make money on “something he didn’t invent,” Cirulli created free versions of the 19 for iOS and Android.
Spreadsheet1 has created a version for Excel of 2048, which allows you to do the number puzzle from your spreadsheet. It comes with 2D or 3D rendering, sound effects, motion tracking and history, and some handy tricks.
Download: 2048 for Microsoft Excel (Free)
Incognito mode for 2048 in Excel
If viewing a game in Excel is frowned upon in the workplace, you can use blogger Krzychu81 ‘s stealth version with “highly sophisticated cloaking mechanisms to masquerade as financial statements.”
The game hides in a balance sheet disguised as other numbers. It’s basic but does the job.
beetle
Keeping up with puzzle games, why try playing Scrabble in Excel?
Blogger Tom_Jobim I’m programming a game that runs in a separate window for Excel, so it’s not entirely “inside” the spreadsheet. However, the Scrabble version uses VBA to run the entire game, making it practically a game of Excel.
The execution is also excellent. You are playing against a challenging AI opponent with varying skill levels (between 1 and 100). There is also an anagram, a built-in dictionary, a different theme panel, timers, and much more.
Download: Scrabble for Microsoft Excel (Free)
Arena. xlsm
Would you instead hack and damage puzzle games? How about a little of the two? Arena. Xlsm pits you against more than 2000 potential enemies, each with different AI capabilities. As enemies roll across the screen, you must eliminate them, from the bunny to the deadly killer.
The Arena also features eight boss encounters, 12 pre-programmed battlegrounds, over 30 different spells for your character to use, 20 unique items, and even an achievement system.
Arena. Xlsm is also available at Itch.io If you prefer to track your games using a specific platform.
Download: Arena.Xlsm for Microsoft Excel (Free)
Candy Crunch Number Saga
Monitors the stock market, significantly influencing the price of Candy Crush Saga developer King.com. This parody of the series “happens in the not-too-distant future where King.com (KING) had a successful initial public offering,” putting the burden of promoting their stock-market dreams into the stratosphere.
The Candy Number Crunch Saga features over 35 news stories that directly impact your stock price, includes a real-time stock ticker, and the result is the perfect outcome of nearly four days of work by Canadian accountant Cary Walkin (also responsible for Arena. xlsm above).
Like Arena. Xlsm Candy Crunch Number Saga is also available on Itch.io.
Download: Candy Crunch Numbers Saga for Microsoft Excel (Free)
League manager for Microsoft Excel
One of the most addictive game franchises in the world is moving to Excel. It makes sense, as previous versions of Championship Manager were just spreadsheet interfaces (in fact, have they changed a lot?!), and this version of Championship Manager is just a more motivating option as a better management game sport around.
You can play in the top four leagues: Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, and UEFA Champions League, and you can make transfers from a database of 3000 players.
Suspensions and injuries come quickly, but putting together a squad with young players to mitigate them is easy. I’m also fond of old-school-style scoring for every round of weekly matches.
Please note that any real-world top-tier Premier League players will not sign you. All names are randomized to ensure the game does not receive copyright takedown requests.
Download: League Manager for Microsoft Excel (Free)
CellSweeper
CellSweeper is an RPG-come-roguelike game based on the minesweeper from old versions of Windows.
Built with Excel, CellSweeper features six character classes, fast-paced gameplay, and a difficulty curve that appears to be inverted. However, it’s more appealing than it looks, and I’m sure you’ll be immersed in it longer than expected.
Download: CellSweeper for Microsoft Excel (Free)
Tetris
Microsoft Excel lends itself to puzzle games. So what list would you find complete without mentioning Tetris?
Tetris for Excel is the essential aspect, but it’s okay to take your time.
If Tetris isn’t your thing, check out Fast Free Web Games This Is Instead.
Download: Tetris for Microsoft Excel (Free)
Yahtzee
Yahtzee is a great dice game that you can play alone or with friends. You’re trying to make hands of poker using a set of dice, keeping as many dice as you like, or swapping them onto the next deck of cards. It is basic gameplay but enjoyable in its simplicity.
The Excel version comes with AI and a two-player mode. There are also instructions on how to play and how to register.
Download: Yahtzee for Microsoft Excel (Free)
Bonus: Fraqcel
This isn’t quite a game; it’s a fantastic exploration experience. Or at least an understanding.
Fraqcel creates a sprawling fractal design for you to explore within Excel, allowing you to zoom in several hundred times to explore the depths of the geometry. It features four types of fractals, image export features, deep zoom capabilities, and customizable color palettes.
The more you dig, the more fantastic the designs become. You can use the menu to customize settings, change colors, and play it.
Download: Fraqcel for Microsoft Excel (Free)
Excel games summary
Excel games are specialized. More often than not, it comes from a user learning to program in VBA as part of a course or expanding their Excel skill set. Most games use some combination of VBA and hand-generated macros for fun, but Excel can also host many Flash games.
Be careful: flash games are hard to hide from others!
These games showcase the fantastic diversity that Excel offers, and if you’re caught playing them, you can at least point out your ever-growing knowledge of the inner workings of Excel!
