Remote game night: how to play party games over a video call

Friends move. Jobs change cities. Group chats survive, but group nights out get rare. A remote game night won't replace being in the same room, but done well, it's the closest thing to it: an evening of laughing at each other's answers instead of just liking each other's posts.

The difference between a great remote game night and an awkward one is mostly preparation. Here's how to set one up.

The two-screen setup

The single most useful trick for remote party games: put the video call on one screen and the game on another.

• Screen 1, the call: a laptop, tablet or TV, so everyone can see each other's faces. Faces are the point. Watching someone react to a reveal is half the fun.
• Screen 2, the game: each player's own phone. Games where every player has their own device avoid the clumsy "can everyone see my shared screen?" problem completely.

If someone only has a phone, they can still join the call on it and play, but it gets cramped. Ask in advance and help them find a second device if possible.

Sound

Echo kills remote games. Ask everyone to use headphones, or at least to keep game sounds low so they don't feed back into the call. In Mind Raider, players can switch off the music and keep the sound effects in Profile > Settings > Sound.

Which games work over a call?

The rule of thumb: games with private answers work; games that rely on a shared table don't. Board games with physical pieces, card games where you need to see a pile and anything involving pointing are hard online. Games where everyone answers secretly and then reveals translate perfectly.

Games that work well

• Two Truths and a Lie. Needs nothing but voices. Have people type their guess in the chat at the same moment, so nobody copies.
• Would You Rather, with predictions. Before each answer, everyone privately messages the host their prediction for one other player.
• The Hot Seat. One person answers questions about themselves; everyone else guesses first by private message to the host.
• Mind Raider. Everyone joins the same party from their own phone with a 4-letter code or an invite link. Everyone picks an answer and guesses everyone else's, and the app handles the hidden answers, the timer, the reveal and the score. It's Android only for now, so check your group first.
• Drawing and word games built for browsers or phones. Many work well remotely, as long as every player has their own screen.

For more ideas that test how well your friends know each other, see 7 party games that test it.

Before the night

1. Pick a time that works across time zones. If your group is spread out, a weekend afternoon for some is a weekend evening for others. Say the time in each person's zone in the invite.
2. Send the call link and the game link together, a day ahead.
3. Ask everyone to install and open any app in advance. For Mind Raider, one practice round against the bots is enough to learn the game and create a username.
4. Decide who hosts. One person should run the call and create the game parties. It's much smoother than everyone trying to start things at once.
5. Optional: make a custom question pack about your group. Remote groups often share years of history, and questions only you would understand are the best part of the night. Our guide to writing party questions explains how.

A ready-made 90-minute plan

Keep the plan loose. If the conversation after a reveal is going well, let it run. The game is an excuse to talk, not the other way round.

Keeping the energy up

• Talk over the reveals. Silence feels much longer on a call. Encourage people to react out loud, even if it's just a groan.
• Use cameras if you can. Ask, don't demand. But reveals are far more fun when you can see faces.
• Keep games short. On a call, three short games beat one long one. Attention drifts faster on a screen than around a table.
• Rotate who chooses. Let the person in last place pick the next game or the number of rounds.
• Include the quiet ones. Calls favour whoever talks loudest. Games where everyone answers privately help, because everyone's answer counts equally.

When things go wrong

• Someone's connection drops. In Mind Raider, opening the app again puts them back into the game they were in, with their answers. On the call, ask everyone to stay muted until they're back.
• Lag. If the call is struggling, turn off video for a few minutes. Audio needs far less bandwidth.
• Someone can't install the game. Have a no-app backup ready, like Two Truths and a Lie or Would You Rather with predictions.
• The group is too big. Mind Raider parties hold up to 6 players. With more, split into two parties and compare scores, or have people play in pairs on one phone.

Make it a habit

The groups that stay close remotely usually have something on the calendar. A game night once a month is easy to keep, gives everyone something to look forward to, and builds up running jokes from one night to the next. Before everyone leaves the call, pick the next date.

New to Mind Raider? Start with how to play, or read our host's guide for in-person nights.