Games for long-distance couples

What makes a good long-distance game

The best ones leave room to talk. A game that needs total concentration can make a call feel quieter, not closer. It also helps when setup is short (you don't want to spend twenty minutes installing things before bed), when it works on whatever devices you each have, and when nobody has to be good at it. With that in mind, here are some ideas, roughly from calmest to most competitive.

Relaxed and cooperative

1. A shared jigsaw puzzle

A jigsaw is slow-paced, there's no winner or loser, and your hands are busy while you talk. With Puzzled Together, one of you makes a room and sends the link, and you both move pieces on the same board live. Try a photo of the two of you as the picture (photo puzzles need a free account). Rooms save, so a big puzzle can last a week of evenings. Free, browser, phone or computer. We make this one.

2. A co-op farming or building game

Games like Stardew Valley or Minecraft let you build a place together over weeks. It's a lovely slow shared project, but you both need to own the game and a device that runs it.

3. Cooking the same recipe

Not a game exactly, but it plays like one: pick a recipe, shop separately, and cook it at the same time on a call. Eating "together" afterwards is the prize.

4. Listening to an album together

Take turns picking an album, start it at the same moment (or use a shared listening session if your music app has one), and talk about it afterwards. Low effort, and you learn a lot about each other's taste.

Chatty and a little silly

5. Question decks

Lists like the "36 questions" used in psychology studies on closeness, or any "would you rather" deck, give a call structure without pressure. Take turns answering.

6. Drawing and guessing games

Free browser games like skribbl.io or Gartic Phone are quick to start and reliably funny, even with two players, though they're better with a few friends.

7. Watching something in sync

Watch-party features in streaming apps (or just counting down "3, 2, 1, play") let you watch the same film. Pausing to talk is allowed.

A bit more competitive

8. Word and trivia games

Race each other on the same daily word puzzle and compare, or play a trivia quiz head to head. Many are free and take five minutes, which suits a quick call.

9. Online board games

Sites like Board Game Arena have hundreds of board games you can play in the browser, many free, including lots of two-player classics.

10. Racing the same daily puzzle

Both of you play the daily jigsaw puzzle on your own, then compare times on the leaderboard. It's a small daily ritual that doesn't even need a call.

A few tips

• Put headphones in. Game sounds and a call on speakers don't mix well.
• Pick something the less "gamer" person enjoys. The point is the time together, not the high score.
• Mix time zones kindly. A game that saves progress lets you play in short sessions that fit both schedules.