Whether you prefer trivia, Bingo, word games, or card games, there's a way to play online.
In a time of social distancing, many of us are staying in touch with friends and family using modern technology and often the cameras embedded in our phones and laptops.
With so many video chat options available today including services like Zoom, FaceTime, and Skype, there are tons of ways you can move beyond just conversation while staying connected such as playing a really fun multiplayer game.
In fact, there are numerous games you can play over conference calls — and we don’t mean video games. Sure, you can do that too, but here’s a list of other games to try that will ensure your next virtual hangout is just as fun as your last in-person one.
Remember, just because you're staying home doesn't mean you have to cancel game night!
Scattergories
The popular creative-thinking category-based party game is perfect for the entire family to play. The objective of the 2-to-6-player game is to score points by uniquely naming objects within a set of categories, given an initial letter, within a time limit. There are several versions you can buy ranging from $20 to $150.
Werewolf
Werewolf is not necessarily a game for adults but it should be noted that it has a slightly steep learning curve during, but once you understand the rules, it’s incredibly fun to play.
The Werewolf deck comes with over 50 cards, allowing up to 35 people to play (enough for two simultaneous games as well). The cards are made of casino-quality paper with a black core to avoid any see-through detection.
The premise of the game is simple: participants must guess the identity of the werewolf. The catch is that if you guess wrong, the werewolf catches you and you’re out of the game. Werewolf is a game of deception and bluffing and possibly good acting. And the best part is the special characters you can play such as the Village Drunk, Alpha Werewolf, Witch, and so on. We recommend visiting the official website for more details.
Heads Up
Heads up is an easy and fun game that can be played by simply downloading the app. The game requires each participant to place their smartphone face-first on their forehead. It will then display random characters and events based on the category you chose along with a timer. This will be visible to your friends on Zoom who can then try and help you guess the term or character in question by providing hints. You can choose from a wide variety of categories including movies, celebrities, popular trends, songs, artists, and more.
Trivia
There are thousands of trivia games you can buy ranging from pop culture trivia to games about the history of Quebec. But did you know you can also challenge your friends to a classic game of trivia using this automatic online question generator. It’s a simple and great substitute for anyone who doesn’t want to spend money on buying an actual trivia card game.
Pictionary
Pictionary is a classic game and super popular since the rules are so simple. All you need to do is divide your group into teams and use this online Pictionary word generator to determine what each player must draw.
Psych
This party game comes from the makers of Heads Up and it's equally fun to play. It’s also super easy and only requires players to make up fake answers to real trivia questions, while everyone else must guess the real answer. And like many other games featured on this list, you can easily download the app so you can play with friends and family online. There's even an "And the Truth Comes Out" deck that allows you to do the same thing with personal questions about each other.
Charades
Charades is a basic game that translates easily to Zoom thanks to this Charades idea generator. All you need to do is split everyone into two teams and have the person who's acting out the charade use the Zoom "spotlight" feature while their teammates try to guess the phrase.
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There are of course, hundreds of other games you and your family can play and with time, we hope to update this list with a few more recommendations. In the meantime, we hope this list provides you with some ideas and inspiration to make your next conference call, even more exciting!
