Games you can play over the phone: fun activities to liven up calls with friends or a partner
Looking for games you can play over the phone?When you’re on a call with a friend or partner you can’t meet in person, you’ve probably thought, “It would be fun if we could play something together.”In fact, there are plenty of games that can get you excited even over the phone—from word games that require no prep to physical games that make use of video calls!In this article, we’ll introduce games you can easily enjoy while talking on the phone.Use them as conversation starters or tools to deepen your connection—give them a try!
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Games you can play over the phone: Fun activities to spice up calls with friends or your partner (11–20)
Picture shiritori
Picture Shiritori is a game that’s perfect for enjoying over video calls.
It’s a twist on the classic word-only Shiritori, played instead with drawings.
For example, if the previous player draws an apple (ringo), the next player draws something that starts with “go.” Since you first have to figure out what the previous person drew, the drawer needs to make an illustration that clearly conveys the idea to the next player.
This game promises laughs not only from the Shiritori itself but also from the quality of the drawings.
Even if you can’t meet in person, you can still have a lively, laughter-filled time together!
Mario Kart Tour
Mario Kart Tour, the smartphone app version of the popular game Mario Kart that people of all ages can enjoy, has been released.
By registering friends in-game, you can play with friends who are far away.
It’s easy to pick up—even beginners can enjoy it by simply moving their finger on the screen.
Chat on the phone while doing live race commentary, and get your heart pumping with the heated matchups.
Enjoy time with friends or your partner as you race with the beloved, familiar characters everyone knows.
Restricted Shiritori
A game of shiritori played under restrictions by setting themes like “Animals” or “Food.” Because it’s quicker than regular shiritori, it’s easy to try casually.
It’s also recommended to choose themes related to school or work to build rapport with the person on the other end of the phone.
Add conditions to spice up the game—like setting a time limit and being out if you can’t answer in time.
If you want to enjoy the tension of searching for words and the excitement on each other’s faces, try playing over a video call.
It’s a simple game that’s fun for small to large groups.
riddle
Riddles that anyone—from kids to adults—can enjoy casually.
You can easily look up questions online, so there’s no need to prepare anything special.
You can take turns giving each other questions, or if it’s an adult with a small child, the adult can actively ask the questions.
It’s also fun to decide something you want the other person to do next time you meet based on how many they get right.
Creating your own riddles can be interesting too.
There are countless riddles out there, so you can enjoy them on long phone calls without running out of ideas!
Ten Times Game
When it comes to games that bring people closer over phone or video calls, there’s the “10 Times Game.” You say the same phrase ten times, then answer a quiz related to that phrase.
The trick is to avoid getting tripped up by a phrase that sounds similar to the correct answer.
By firing off questions at a quick tempo, the respondent tends to slip up.
Since it’s a game where vibe and momentum matter, it’s also fun to play music or clap along.
If you’re playing over a video call, try using a body part or an item in your room as the quiz answer!
When, where, who did what?
A game where you connect scattered words to create a story: the When-Where-Who-What-Did game.
Make four groups—“When,” “Where,” “Who,” and “What did they do”—and write various situations for each.
For example, in “When,” put years or months; in “Where,” different places; in “Who,” names of people or animals; and in “What did they do,” verbs like ran or bought.
Once you’ve gathered enough prompts, draw one card from each group as if by lottery, then link the words together to make a story.
If you slip in a few tricky words, the story can roll off in unexpected directions! Over a video call, have one person, both of you together, or split the work to create the prompts and give it a try.
Myanmar Game
A Myanmar game that puts everyone’s enunciation to the test.
It’s a game that was played on the variety show “Gakkō e Ikō!” featuring V6.
You start with the call, “Uu, Myanmar!” and then each person increases the number of times they say “Myanmar” by one.
If the first person says “Myanmar,” the second says “Myanmar Myanmar,” and the count keeps going up until someone trips over their words.
Even saying “Myanmar” once is surprisingly tricky, so keeping it going for long is quite a challenge.
It gets harder and harder, and once someone stumbles and it turns into a weird word, you can’t help but laugh!
Richest Online
A card game where players take turns playing their dealt cards, and the first player to run out becomes the Grand Millionaire (Daifugō).
The online app version of this is “Daifugō Online,” which you can play over the internet.
It’s an app with multiple modes to enjoy, including nationwide matches, battles with friends, and matches against the CPU.
You can stick to simple rules or add more challenging conditions for deeper play.
It’s also recommended for those who want to savor an intense game with friends.
Try enjoying a phone conversation while playing this card game!
Try Not to Laugh GameNEW!
If you want an easy way to have fun, how about the “Try Not to Laugh” game? The classic way to play is to hold some water in your mouth before starting—if you laugh, the water will spray out, so it’s obvious right away! Of course, if the water comes out, you’re out—you lose.
You can watch funny videos together in real time, or show off your best funny faces over a video call.
In any case, the person who makes the other laugh first wins! If you don’t want to get wet or make a mess, try holding a plastic bag near your mouth while you play.
Finger Smash
One game I recommend for video calls is “Finger Sum” (yubisuma).
You start with your hand in a fist and say something like, “Ready, set, one!” while choosing whether to raise your thumb or not.
Many people have probably played it at school.
After “Ready, set,” you can call out a number from 0 to 2.
If the number you call matches the total number of thumbs raised by you and your opponent, the caller gets to lower one hand.
The non-caller’s state doesn’t change regardless of the result.
The first person to lower both hands wins.
It’s simple, but it’s addictively fun and you’ll want to play it over and over!