Group GamesWhatsApp group games
Games that are played by typing, tapping and sending photos or voice notes. Nobody needs to be in the same room, so they suit family groups, friends in different cities, school batches and society groups. Most need only a host who posts a ready message and keeps the score. Start with a quick one such as This or That, and keep the longer games for a weekend evening when most members are free.
- Emoji GuessThe quizmaster posts a few emojis and the group guesses the dish, place or festival they stand for.WhatsApp group games · 3 or more players · 10 to 20 minutes
- Name, Place, Animal, ThingThe old school-notebook game works very well on WhatsApp.WhatsApp group games · 2 or more players · 15 minutes
- Two Truths and a LieEach player shares three statements about themselves.WhatsApp group games · 3 or more players · 15 to 30 minutes
- Would You RatherPost a funny choice between two things and ask everyone to pick one and say why.WhatsApp group games · 2 or more players · 10 to 20 minutes
- This or ThatA rapid-fire game of quick choices.WhatsApp group games · 2 or more players · 5 to 10 minutes
- Pick a NumberThe host keeps a secret list of small, harmless tasks.WhatsApp group games · 3 or more players · 15 minutes
- Unscramble the WordThe host posts words with their letters jumbled.WhatsApp group games · 2 or more players · 10 minutes
- Story ChainThe group writes one story together, one line at a time.WhatsApp group games · 3 or more players · 15 to 30 minutes
- Photo Scavenger HuntThe host names an object and the players run around their homes to find it and send a photo.WhatsApp group games · 3 or more players · 15 to 20 minutes
- Twenty QuestionsOne player thinks of an object.WhatsApp group games · 2 or more players · 10 minutes a round
- Guess the Word (Hangman)One player thinks of a word and shows it as blanks.WhatsApp group games · 2 or more players · 10 minutes
- Find the Odd OneThe host posts a block of the same emoji with one that is slightly different hidden inside.WhatsApp group games · 2 or more players · 5 minutes
- Guess the MemberMembers send the host one little-known, harmless fact about themselves.WhatsApp group games · 5 or more players · 15 minutes
- Caption ThisThe host posts a funny, harmless photo and everybody writes a caption for it.WhatsApp group games · 3 or more players · 10 minutes
- Fastest Finger FirstOne question at a time, and only the first right reply scores.WhatsApp group games · 3 or more players · 10 minutes
How to host a game in a chat group
A game on WhatsApp needs one thing a room game does not: a host who writes clearly. Before the first question, post the rules as one message, say how long the game will run and how points are counted. Number every question. Close each round in words ("Round 3 closed") so that late answers are not argued over. Post the scores after every few rounds; people stay when they can see they are still in the race.
Choosing the right game for your group
- A silent group: begin with a one-tap game such as This or That or Would You Rather. Nobody can be wrong, so even the shy members reply.
- A family group with children and elders: Emoji Guess, Find the Odd One and Name, Place, Animal, Thing. Let small children play on a parent's phone.
- Friends and cousins: Two Truths and a Lie, Pick a Number, Caption This and Story Chain, which run on teasing and imagination.
- A group that loves to compete: Fastest Finger First, Unscramble the Word and the Photo Scavenger Hunt.
Good manners for chat games
Ask before you start: "Game at 9 pm tonight, who is in?" A game dropped into a group without warning annoys the members who are at work. Keep to the time you announced. In a large group that is also used for notices, run the game in a short burst and end it clearly, or make a separate games group for those who want to play. And keep every question and task kind; a game should leave the group warmer than it found it.