15 Fun Games To Play With Friends Online

These 15 games to play with friends online are perfect for 2 people, families or even a small group. Some activities are on paper, some will get your brain working, while others are super easy and just plain funny. So grab your computer and let’s get playing!

In 2020, after being quarantined for over a week I noticed my young son was missing connecting with his friends. (He’s an only child so I totally understood). I mentioned it to my family and they gladly volunteered to have a Zoom call with him. We took it a step further and decided to play family bingo (see below) which was a hit.

How To Connect With Friends Online

We used Zoom because it’s the easiest for a larger group (our family has 5 households). They offer calls for free up to 40 minutes. But you can pay only $15 for the month to get unlimited calls. That was a no brainer for me! Sign up for Zoom here.

You can also use Skype or FaceTime (if everyone you’re calling uses Apple products)

15 Fun Games To Play Online with Friends or Family

1. Hangman

Supplies Needed: Paper and Pen (Zoom also has a free white board feature that you can use)

• Use dashes to represent each letter of a word.
• Taking turns, each player tries to guess the letters of the word.
• If a correct letter is chosen add the letter in the correct position. If an incorrect letter is chosen start to draw a stick man. (i.e. head, arm, torso, etc.)
• Continue taking turns until the word is guessed or the stickman has been hanged.

2. Imaginary Traveler

• Taking turns each player imagines where they might travel to and what objects they might like to take with them on their trip.
• The first player starts with the letter A. (i.e. I’m going to Alice Adamson’s and I’m taking an apple.)
• The next player continues with the next letter of the alphabet. (I’m going to Baltimore and I’m taking my bird.)
• While there might not be a winner for this game, it encourages them to think creatively.

3. Board Games To Play With Friends Online

As long as both players have the game, you could easily play these board games together online.

Guess Who

Battleship

Hi Ho! Cherry-O

Chutes and Ladders

Hedbanz

Yahtzee

4. Story Time

• The first player begins the story with a single sentence.
• Player number 2 continues the story with his own sentence.
• This activity can be varied by telling the story with alternating words, sentences, phrases or paragraphs.
• While there might not be a winner for this game, it encourages them to think creatively.

5. I Spy

• Place an assortment of 20+ random objects on a tray.
• Give the players a few minutes to study the objects on the tray.
• Move the tray away from the camera so that no one can see it. Remove 2-3 items and place it back in front of the camera.
• Players try to guess which items have been removed.

6. Passage Dice Game

Supplies Needed: Each player needs a pair of dice.

• Everyone rolls a die. The player to get the highest number goes first.
• The player to roll the lowest score will roll again and the number on the die becomes the “point” number.
• Players take turns rolling both dice (with only one roll per turn). Each time you roll the point number you get a point. If you roll doubles of the point number you get two points.
• The first player to get to 11 wins.

Related: Best Dice Games for Kids

7. Bingo

Supplies Needed: Bingo Cards and something to cover the bingo squares (coins, buttons, etc.)

Setup: Only the caller needs to print pages 2-3 of the bingo cards. Cut them into squares and place in a bowl/hat.

Friend 1 prints pages 4-9; 2 prints pages 10-15; 3 prints pages 16-21; 4 prints pages 22-27; 5 prints pages 28-33. (Doing this ensures that the cards aren’t duplicated.)

Playing the Game: 

• The caller chooses one card and calls out the letter and number. (I’ve found it’s helpful to hold up the card to the camera so the players can see it.)
• When the card called matches a spot on the players card they place their coin/button over the spot.
• The first player to get five in a row (vertically, horizontally or diagonally wins).
• (Mix things up by doing rounds where the winner has to get 3 in a row, 2 sets of 3 rows, etc.)

8. How Many Can You Name

• On their turn each player is given a category and 20 seconds to name as many items in that category as possible. (For older children make the categories more specific. i.e. U.S. states that begin with the letter M)
• The player to name the most items wins.

9. Charades

• Players get two minutes each and take turns acting out phrases.  (Here is a charades word lists with ideas for the kids.)
• The first player to answer 10 correctly wins.

10. Two Truths and a Lie

• Players take turns making three statements. Two are true and one is a lie.
• The first player to correctly guess which statements are a lie wins.

11. Categories

Supplies Needed: Categories cards or paper and pencil to draw a five-by-five grid.

• The title for the first column is letters.
• Players choose categories for the next four columns (i.e. fruits, animals, male names, etc.) (Here’s a categories list with ideas for the kids…look for the word Categories at the bottom of the post.)
• In the letters column let players each choose a letter.
• Set a five minute timer and let players fill in their card with words that fit each category and begin with the matching letter.
• When the time has expired compare answers.
• One point is earned for each player who has a unique answer. (i.e. their answer doesn’t match any other player’s answer)
• The player with the most unique answers wins.

12. Twenty Questions

• One player thinks of a person, place or thing.
• Using yes or no questions the other players have 20 questions to figure out what that thing is.
• The player to guess correctly gets to choose the next person, place or thing.

13. I Went To Market

• The first player starts by saying, “I went to market and bought a _____.” (gallon of milk)
• Player 2 repeats what player one said and adds another item. “I went to market and bought a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread.”
• The next player repeats what players one and two bought and adds a third item.
• Play continues until someone guesses incorrectly on their turn. Players are eliminated until only one winner is left.

14. Word Squares

Supplies Needed: Word Squares cards or paper and pencil to draw a five-by-five grid.

• The first player calls out a letter. Each player must add this letter to any square on their card.
• Play continues with players calling out different letters. The object is to use the letters called out to form words (vertically, horizontally or diagonally).
• Three letter words are one point, four letter words are one point and five letter words are three points.
• See the game in action in this Word Square video.

15. Minute To Win It Games

• Players race against each other and the clock with timed challenges.

Ideas: Minute To Win It games for Kids | Minute To Win It games for Kids and Adults

Hopefully you found a few games to play with friends online from this list. You might also enjoy:

• Connect with friends or family with one of these fun and unique 2-player games.
• Limiting screen time can be fun with these one person screen free activities for boys.
• Keep your little one entertained with one of these screen free activities for preschoolers (they’re perfect for an upcoming roadtrip).