Being apart changes which games work. Text is slow and has no voice, a video call has a face but a small screen, and a game room needs both of you to have the same app. The games below are sorted by the channel you are on, so you can pick one in ten seconds.
Which game for which channel
| How you are connected | Best for | Good games |
|---|---|---|
| Text | A slow back-and-forth over a day | Emoji story, twenty questions, letter chain, this or that |
| Voice call | Talking while doing something else | Hum it, the story game, categories |
| Video call | Faces and props | Charades, draw and guess, photo hunt, truth or dare |
| A shared game room | A real game with a winner | Four in a row, dots and boxes, tic tac toe |
Games over text
1. Emoji story
One of you tells a short story or describes a movie, a memory or a day using only emojis. The other has three guesses. Then swap. It works best with shared memories: “our first trip” in eight emojis.
2. Twenty questions
One thinks of a person, place or thing; the other asks up to twenty yes or no questions. By text, it can stretch over a whole afternoon, a question every time one of you picks up the phone.
3. Letter chain
Pick a category (cities, foods, bands). Each reply must start with the last letter of the last answer: “Denver”, “Rome”, “Edinburgh”. No repeats, no looking things up. The first who cannot answer within five minutes loses.
4. This or that
Send two choices, get an answer and a reason, then send two more: “Road trip or flight?”, “Cook at home or eat out?”. It is a gentle way to keep learning about someone you do not see every day.
5. Two truths and a lie
Send three statements about your day, one invented. The other guesses the lie. It turns the usual “how was your day” into a game. More ideas: two truths and a lie.
Games on a call
6. Hum it
One hums a song, the other names it. Works on a plain voice call, no camera needed.
7. The story game
Tell a story together, one sentence each. Good for a call during a walk or a commute.
8. Categories
Pick a category and a letter, and both of you name as many things as you can in one minute: “foods that start with P”. Compare lists; only answers the other did not say score.
Games on a video call
9. Charades
One acts out a word on camera, the other guesses within a minute. Sit back so your whole upper body is in the frame. Use our easy charades words to start.
10. Draw and guess
Draw on paper and hold it up to the camera, or share your screen with a drawing app. The other has a minute to guess. Ideas: things to draw.
11. Photo hunt
Send each other five things to find and show on camera within 15 minutes: “the oldest thing you own”, “something that smells good”, “the view from your window”. Show them one by one.
12. Truth or dare
Pick truths, and dares that work through a camera. Agree that either of you can pass any card. These are from the mild dares in our free deck:
Mild dares that work on a video call
From the free truth or dare deck in the app. Each one works through a camera.
- Talk in a robot voice until your next turn.
- Make an animal sound and let the group guess it.
- Give a 30-second speech about why socks matter.
- Try to lick your elbow.
- Do a slow-motion replay of your last turn.
- Do an interpretive dance about your favorite food.
For couples, our truth or dare for couples guide has ground rules and a heat level system.
Games in a shared room
13. Two-player board games on two phones
Four in a row, dots and boxes and tic tac toe all work turn by turn on two phones. In the app, one of you opens a room and the other types the 4-letter code; you can play while on a call or leave a move for the other to answer later. Keep a season score: first to 20 wins picks the next visit’s restaurant.
14. Imposter with friends on a call
For a group call of 4 or more, play imposter: everyone gets the same secret word except the imposter, who only sees the category. Each player says one word about it, then everyone votes. On a call, the host can send the words by private message, or everyone joins the same room on their own phone. How to play imposter.
Make it a habit
- Pick a regular slot, like a game on Sunday evening, so you do not have to plan it each time.
- Keep a running score across weeks. A rivalry gives you something to talk about.
- Mix one game with a winner and one without, so neither of you feels like it is a contest every night.
More ideas for two: games to play with your boyfriend or girlfriend.