Games to play on a video call

The call is already open. Here's what to play on it, whether it's two friends, a family across three time zones, or a team that needs a break from meetings.

A shared jigsaw puzzle board that two people can play during a call — Co-op games work well when everyone is already talking.

Two ways to play on a call

Everyone plays in their own browser. Each person opens a link on their phone or computer and you play while the call carries the voices. This is the easiest for groups and works on any video app.

One person shares their screen. Good for quizzes or games only one person owns. Everyone else calls out answers. It's simple, but on some apps screen-shared video can lag.

Whichever you choose, headphones help: game sounds plus a call on speakers turn into echo quickly.

For two people

A co-op jigsaw puzzle

One of you creates a room on Puzzled Together and pastes the link into the chat. You both move pieces on one live board, see each other's cursors, and talk the whole time. It's calm, has no losers, and rooms save, so you can pick it up on the next call. Free, no sign-up, two players per room. We make this one.

Head-to-head daily puzzles

Both play the same daily puzzle, a word game or our daily jigsaw, at the same time, then compare. Five minutes, and it's easy to make it a habit.

For a group of friends

Drawing and guessing

skribbl.io and Gartic Phone are free browser games made for this: someone draws, everyone else guesses, and it gets silly fast. One person makes a private room and posts the link.

Word and team games

Browser versions of party games like Codenames split a call into two teams giving clues. They work especially well on Discord, where teams can hop between voice channels.

Party game packs

Paid party packs like the Jackbox games are built for calls: one person shares their screen and everyone else plays on their phones with a room code.

For family

Mixed ages need games anyone can play in their first minute. A shared jigsaw works for grandparents and kids alike: a child and a grandparent can build a 12-piece puzzle together while the rest of the family chats. A picture quiz about family photos, where one person shares the screen, is another easy win.

For teams at work

Keep it short, optional, and low on competition. A few ideas that fit into fifteen minutes:

Pairs puzzles: split into pairs, give each pair a room, and see which pair finishes a 24-piece puzzle first.
A quick quiz: ten questions about the team, the product, or general knowledge, with a free quiz tool.
Drawing games: they need no skill and everyone laughs.

Setting up without the chaos

Pick the game before the call and test the link yourself.
Paste the link in the call chat rather than reading it out.
Explain the rules in one sentence, then start. People learn by playing.
Have a backup that needs no installing, in case someone's device won't cooperate.

Open a puzzle for your next call

Create a room, drop the link in the chat, and build a picture together while you talk.

Create a room