But it probably should get weird (in a good way)

Trust me, so do I. I have to wake up an extra 1.5 hours earlier to drive an hour to the office and an hour back home because my boss wants us to "have fun" with each other. She calls it a "fun event". When that hour of fun is over, we all go to our computers in our cubicles and complete our work in dead silence... you know, just like at home, except we're not home

Except it wasn't networking. We're literally all in the same department going over a new implementation of a procedure, reviewing what we did well and what could be improved.

Not answering your question but I don't know why more people aren't more like us: go to work, do your job, enjoy your life sway from work. I have a regular office job that's 95% work from home. I literally don't have to speak to anyone to complete my job.

Since the summer, the boss has been making us go into the office once a month for a 15 min meeting... the same meeting that has been held successfully via Teams throughout covid. After the meeting, we're forced to play a game with each other for the remaining 45 mins (two truths and a lie, trivia, etc).

Next time we go into the office, we have the pleasure of standing in front of each other to "talk for two minutes about anything because it will help improve our public speaking skills". Again, I work at a computer, where I do NOT have to talk. Why are we doing this?? I would just like to do the job I'm paid to do. I promise I don't NEED to have "fun" with my co-workers for 45 mins once a month or "practice" my public speaking skills.