Microsoft Excel is a savior in many ways. Formulas, functions, workbooks, and business intelligence are only some of its data processing powers. But what about those times where it's all too much, when you just want to relax, if even for a moment? Well, Excel still has you covered, genius software that it is.

Let's take a quick look at eight games you can play in Microsoft Excel without ever having to leave your spreadsheets behind.

1. 2048

microsoft excel 2048 game

Single-player puzzler 2048 remains an extremely popular choice for Android and iOS devices. 2048 is built on previous iterations of games such as Threes and 1024, and was coded in one weekend by 19-year-old Gabriele Cirulli. Unwilling to make money from "something he didn't invent," Cirulli uploaded free versions of 2048 for both iOS and Android.

Spreadsheet1 has built an Excel version of 2048, allowing you to play the numerical puzzler from your spreadsheet. It comes with a 2D or 3D view, sound effects, move tracking and history, and some more handy tricks.

Download: 2048 for Microsoft Excel (Free)

2048 Stealth Mode in Excel

microsoft excel stealth 2048 game

If displaying a game in Excel is frowned upon in your workplace, you can use Redditor Krzychu81's stealth version with "highly advanced cloaking mechanisms to camouflage itself as financial statements."

The game hides in a financial statement, disguised with other numbers. It's basic but gets the job done.

2. Scrabble

microsoft excel scrabble game

Keeping with the puzzle games, why not try playing Scrabble in Excel?

Redditor Tom_Jobim coded a game that launches in a separate window to Excel, so it isn't quite "in" the spreadsheet. However, the Scrabble version uses VBA to run the entire program, making it very much an Excel game.

The implementation is great, too. You play against a challenging AI opponent with a variable skill level (between 1-100). There's also an anagram tool, integrated dictionary, different themed board, turn timers, and much more.

Download: Scrabble for Microsoft Excel (Free)

3. Arena.Xlsm

microsoft excel arena roguelike game

Prefer hacking and slashing to puzzle games? How about a little of both? Arena.Xlsm pits you against over 2,000 potential enemies, all with different AI abilities. As the enemies roll onto the screen, it's your job to take them down, all the way from the little bunny up to the Death Mauler.

Arena also features eight boss encounters, 12 pre-programmed battle arenas, over 30 different spells your character can use, 20 unique items, and even an achievement system.

Arena.Xlsm is also available on Itch.io if you prefer to keep track of your games using a specific platform.

Download: Arena.Xlsm for Microsoft Excel (Free)

Related: How to Get Free PC Games: 4 Sites to Download Premium Games

4. Candy Crunch Number Saga

microsoft excel candy crush stock game

Take control of the stock market, specifically influencing the market price of Candy Crush Saga developer, King.com. This satirical take on the series "takes place in the not too distant future, where King.com (KING) has had a successful IPO," placing the burden of boosting their stock market dreams into the stratosphere.

Candy Number Crunch Saga features over 35 news events directly affecting your stock price, includes a real-time stock ticker, and was the excellent result of around 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 Number Saga for Microsoft Excel (Free)

5. Championship Manager for Microsoft Excel

microsoft excel championship manager manage club game

One of the world's most addictive gaming franchises makes the jump into Excel. It makes sense, really, as earlier versions of Championship Manager were essentially just spreadsheet interfaces (in fact, has much changed?!), and this rendition of Championship Manager is just as one-click-more inducing as the best sports management games around.

You can play in the top four English leagues, the FA Cup, the League Cup, and the Champions League, and you can make transfers from a 3,000-player database.

Suspensions and injuries seem to come quite easily, but it's also easy to bulk out a squad with youth players to mitigate them. I'm also quite fond of the old-school style scoresheet for each week's round of fixtures.

Just bear in mind you won't be signing any top-tier Premier League players from the real world. All names are random to ensure the game doesn't receive copyright takedown requests.

Download: Championship Manager for Microsoft Excel (Free)

6. CellSweeper

microsoft excel cellsweeper game

CellSweeper is a dungeon-crawling RPG-come-roguelike, based on the Minesweeper from older versions of Windows.

Built using Excel, CellSweeper features six character classes, quick gameplay, and a seemingly reversed difficulty curve. Nonetheless, it's more engaging than it appears, and I'm sure you'll sink more time into it than you realize.

Download: CellSweeper for Microsoft Excel (Free)

7. Tetris

microsoft excel tetris game

Microsoft Excel lends itself to puzzle games. What list, then, would be complete without a mention of Tetris?

Tetris's Excel game is definitely on the basic side, but it's fine to pass some time.

If Tetris isn't your thing, check out these quick free web games instead.

Download: Tetris for Microsoft Excel (Free)

8. Yahtzee

microsoft excel yahtzee game

Yahtzee is a great dice game you can play alone or with friends. You're essentially trying to make poker hands using a set of dice, keeping back dice you want, or swapping them into your next roll. It is basic gameplay but fun in its simplicity.

The Excel version comes with a versus-AI mode and a 2-player mode. There are also instructions on how to play and how to score.

Download: Yahtzee for Microsoft Excel (Free)

Bonus: Fraqcel

microsoft excel fraqcel

This isn't entirely a game, more a psychedelic exploratory experience. Or at least an attempt at one.

Fraqcel generates a sprawling fractal design for you to explore within Excel, allowing you to zoom in many hundreds of times to explore the depths of geometry. It features four fractal types, export functions for images, deep zooming capabilities, and customizable color palettes.

The deeper you dive, the more incredible the designs become. You can use the menu to customize settings, change colors, and more, so make sure to play around.

Download: Fraqcel for Microsoft Excel (Free)

Excel Games Roundup

Excel games are fairly niche. Most of the time, they come from people learning VBA as part of a course or to expand their Excel skillset. Almost all games use a combination of VBA and handcrafted macros to deliver the fun, but Excel can also play host to many flash games.

Be warned: the flash games are much harder to hide from other people!

These games show the amazing versatility of Excel, and if you're caught playing while at work, you can at least point to your ever-expanding knowledge of the inner-workings of Excel!