Word games to play in chat

Texting games are useful if you’re bored and you don’t like the typical texting conversation. With these games, you’re playing a game over SMS. Also, when you are away from your girlfriend or boyfriend, a single text can bring you two closer in an instant. You’ll feel even closer while playing fun texting games. Some of our games are perfect for texting with your girlfriend/boyfriend, while others are more geared toward getting to know each other. Either way you will have fun and you can giggle and laugh while holding your phone. In this article, we have listed numerous fun texting games to play with a guy or a girl.

Time and distance have nothing to do when couples want to connect, and what better way to do it than texting. Texting has become an integral part of communication. So next time when you want to text your girlfriend/boyfriend, spice up the things and play a game instead!

1. Would You Rather

It’s usually played in a face-to-face set up, but you can do it over text instead. Would You Rather game may reveal the nature of your girlfriend/boyfriend. The rule here is to ask a question that starts with “would you rather…” Then, it’s followed by hypothetical scenarios.

Those scenarios can be interrelated or they can be as distant as you wish them to be. However, the two options should carry the same weight. Your questions must be creative. The best “would you rather” questions are those that depict uncomfortable yet equally terrible options.

Or “would you rather live with no arms or without legs?”

Another one: “Would you rather suffer from uncontrollable gas while at work for the rest of your life or uncontrollable fart for every first date that you have for the rest of your life?”

Last one: “Would you rather be rich but you need to be the assistant of Justin Bieber or be dirt poor, but you can be the assistant of your choice?” But make sure that the one you’re texting isn’t a fan of JB. Else, he/she will surely choose the first option.

Check out our 170 Would You Rather questions here.

2. Song Lyrics

This is a great texting game for music lovers. It tends to be boring for those who don’t like music that contain lyrics. Nevertheless, it’s a kind of game that you can play when you’re out and about while your boyfriend/girlfriend is bored in the house.

The game is played by one person quoting some lines from a song and send it to the other via text. The other person will have to guess the song that the lyrics are from. This is great if you two both love music.

Or you can also include classic lines from a movie or a plot. However, make sure that the two of you like to watch movies. Else, you can never guess the classic lines.

If you failed to guess the answer correctly, the punishment could be to call your boyfriend/girlfriend and sing the song and vice versa.

3. I Spy

It’s a favorite game amongst families for generations. Although it’s usually played during a long car journey, it can still offer fun and excitement when it’s played over text message.

To play this game, you can start by telling your girlfriend/boyfriend of where you are. Look around your environment and find something in particular. Your sweetheart should guess what you’ve spied. Of course, you’re going to give him/her a clue but you’ll only give the first letter of the object that you want him/her to guess.

You can give more clues for a wrong guess or limit the number of guesses that’s allowed in the game.

4. 20 Questions

It’s a 19^th-century game. This classic game is a form of deductive reasoning that became a quick hit in the late 40s. The typical game requires not more than two people. The rule is simple. One person should choose an object or a person while another person has to guess what that object or who that person is in 20 questions or less.

Once the subject has been chosen, the other player has to send a series of questions through a text to narrow down the subject. The questions are answerable with a yes or no answer.

For example, you’ve chosen an iPhone as your subject. Then, your boyfriend/girlfriend may ask, “Are you an animal?” You’d respond negatively, of course, because that’s wrong. Then he/she will move on to another question, like “Are you a gadget?” Since an iPhone is a gadget, you’d say yes.

The game will continue until both of you guess the correct answer or the 20 questions have been used up, whichever comes first. To make it more fun, pick a subject that’s harder to guess.

5. Abbreviations

This isn’t a popular game, but it still offers fun and excitement. You can find various abbreviations anywhere, from company names to phrases that are shortened for ease of use.

However, in this texting game, you’re going to abbreviate what you’re up to. For example, you can type in “I’m in a bathroom.” You can abbreviate it into IIAB. The other player will try to unabbreviate it so it’ll go back to its original form.

6. Never Have I Ever

This one usually involves a lot of players during a drinking session. However, this, too, can be played over text with just two people. It’s another great get to know you game. It reveals facts about your girlfriend or boyfriend.

The players will take turn in making statements about what they’ve never done before. Each time a statement is made that’s the opposite of his/her experiences, the opposite player loses one point.

Some rules should be applied on how someone will lose a point. The questions and answers of both players can reveal some deep-seated secrets about the players.

Check out our 300 Never Have I Ever questions here.

7. Story Time

This is great for writers. As they say, two heads are usually better than one. With this game, one player starts by texting the beginning word, sentence or a phrase to the other player. When the other player reciprocates with another word, sentence or phrase, another player reciprocates and so on and so forth.

The answers can build a narrative that’s built by the first player. Sometimes the story built can be terrific or horrendous. It can also be an epic or a real good story. The back and forth statements can eventually build a plot over text.

Don’t worry about the flow of the story. You shouldn’t expect it to be eloquent or seamless. But the twist of the story offers more depth that the two players are compelled to keep the story going.

Of course, you should make restrictions. For example, you should limit word count per text.

You can start by texting your boyfriend/girlfriend something like “Once a upon a time.” The second player will answer with “in a land called nowhere.” Then, your text buddy would respond with another phrase or a word, and so on and so forth.

8. What If

In this game, one of you will start to text a “what if” scenario and ask the girlfriend or boyfriend what they’d do in that particular situation. There’s no right or wrong answer but it’s fun to find out the other player’s responses. This will also help you get to know more about your crush.

You can use some variations like leaving the question to be open-ended. There are several variations that you can do with this game to make it more fun and exciting.

9. Personal Trivia

This is yet another awesome game to get to know each other. It’s perfect if you just started dating or have dated awhile already. There are always personal things that you might not know about your girlfriend or boyfriend.

It’s also a kind of game that requires asking of personal questions that are sometimes asked during a job interview. You can ask your text mate about his/her pet’s name, middle name and other questions that you want to ask.

To make the game more interesting, make sure that the questions don’t feel like an interview. For example, you may ask him/her the one thing that he/she would buy if he had one million dollars.

A personal trivia texting game will reveal fun facts about your text buddy. It can be a very simple game but it can go on indefinitely. You can even play this game for days or weeks. Alternate the questions so it feels less like an interview.

10. Name Game

This is an easy and fun word game to play over text. Both choose a topic like states, cities, animals, countries, or famous actors and actresses. After that one of the players begins the word game. For example, your boyfriend/girlfriend texts a word and you text another word, beginning with the last letter of the other player’s last word. This game can go on indefinitely. However, if one of you can’t come up with a new word, you know who’s the loser.

11. Hangman

This is a fun game you probably know from your childhood. A text-based hangman is quite similar to a piece of paper version. Players set a number of points and after that the first player texts a series of underscores each representing a letter of the chosen word. The other player guesses a letter that they think might be a part of that word. If he/she guesses the correct letter, the first player applies the letter in one of the underscores which fills the slot. However, if the letter guessed is incorrect, the player loses a point. Whoever wins can choose another word.

This texting game is definitely a challenging game and each player will have to think harder. When playing this game with a guy or girl, you must have a goal in mind on how to make the conversation more interesting. Is your intention more on creating a connection with the guy/girl? Or would you like to be asked on a date?

Hangman texting game can be well-played if you and your text buddy are feeling bored. One of you will just have to text either a word with some missing letters or just blanks and give the opponent a hint.

12. Kiss, Marry, Kill

This is a popular game many people like to play online. However, it can be equally fun to play it over the text. Especially when your phone is not connected to the internet. This game involves names of people, celebrities or people you both know.

For example, your boyfriend or girlfriend texts a name of a person or a celebrity and you try to answer whether they want to kiss, marry, or kill the person.

13. Celebrity Friendship

This is a fun game where both of you pretend to be celebrities that you like and know well. You should know how they behave and speak and what they would say in a particular situation. Text one another saying things that the real celebrity would say. The one who loses is the player who will lose the focus. Instead of a celebrity, you can also choose a movie character. Everything is optional.

14. Truth or Dare

This game can be played the same way like it is played in front of each other. You can make it more fun by sharing your picture when choosing a dare. Don’t forget to delete the picture later!

Although it’s usually played at social gatherings, it would be great to play it over text without losing its entertainment and fun elements.

When you choose “truth,” you should answer the question truthfully. Then, if the dare is chosen, the player’s camera should be used to capture the evidence of the dare.

What’s great about “truth or dare” game on text is that your girlfriend/boyfriend will be more open to share truths than he/she would in person. It’s one of the reasons it’s a great game if you wish to know the other person on the line. But make sure that the questions are not too offensive that you might hurt his/her feelings. It’s also a fun game because it creates a fun conversation as you learn more about each other. You may also have debates about every question without actually starting a fight.

Check out our 300 Truth or Dare Questions here.

15. Silly Pictures

This game isn’t really a texting game as you need to send a photo instead. However, it’s a great game to play. It may sound silly like the name of the game, but it can be quite fun. If your phone is connected to the internet, you can find the funniest photos you can find online and send them to your partner. He/she will get a good laugh and you can continue sending these silly pictures back and forth with each other for hours! You can also choose a specific category to make it more interesting. For example, you can use, animals, celebrities, people, funny quotes etc.

Within minutes of playing the game, the two of you will have lots of funny images found on the Internet in your phones.

Silly pictures is an awesome game that can be funny, absurd or serious. Either way, you must try to find photos that aren’t only silly but they require a lot of thinking, especially if the photos are too absurd you don’t know what they truly are.

16. Emoji Translation (emoticons)

This requires you to both have emoji keyboard on your smartphone. If you do then this is a great game to play with your boyfriend/girlfriend. There are so many emojis that don’t seem to have any meaning at first but stringing them together in a way that could sort of make sense will most likely lead to many laughs.

To make things even more fun, use your creativity and try to communicate using only emojis to see if you are able to understand each other.

The best part about this game is that the two of you probably won’t be successful in communicating using emojis alone. And this is what makes this game funny and interesting. You need to be creative when playing this game. And make sure that you have the latest keyboards so you can have as many options as you want to be.

17. Reversed Writing

This is absolutely an awesome texting game where all the words of the message should be written reverse. Also, the response should be given in the same way. This is a fun way to kill time or just make things more interesting. Sometimes, plain old texting gets boring, so spice up the things. You will sure have a laugh or two trying to figure out what the messages are saying.

18. Rhymes

This is another fun game to play over text. You can choose a single word or a phrase to start with. The other player has to follow up with another word or phrase that rhymes with the first one. Players continue to go back and forth until one player cannot come up with a response that rhymes.

19. Breakdown

This is a great game that may even increase your vocabulary skills. It doesn’t only reduce boredom but it also reduces stress. The game is simple, the players choose a random word which needs to be broken apart and rearrange its letters to generate as many combinations of words as possible. You can choose the time frame to 5 minutes or longer, whatever is comfortable for both of you. Whoever creates more words is the winner.

To make this game more challenging besides setting the time limits, you could give extra points for every type of word. For instance, the longer the words, the higher the points. For every round, the two of you should get a turn to create or make up the word and choose as many rounds as you wish.

When you first think about this game, you might find it a little boring. But don’t underestimate how fun this game can be. It’s a great texting game that may help in forming a bond with your partner, especially if you like him/her. This is also a great game to pass the time while you’re bored at work. But make sure that you’re not caught by your boss playing during work hours.

20. Fill In The Blanks

This can be a flirty texting game to play with your girlfriend or boyfriend. If you are comfortable enough with your partner then this can be a fun game to play when you haven’t seen each other for a while.

One player starts out with a question about herself/himself, and leave one important word blank – and let the partner fill it in! For example: “You really love it when I…” or “I am at my cutest after…”

The great thing about this game is that you get your girlfriend/boyfriend start thinking about you and little flirting is always fun. He/she will be more happy to see you next time.

However, you should not expect your text mate to send only compliments. That said, don’t be too surprised if you get an answer of “washing the dishes” in response to the “You’re the cutest after…”

But some could be quite graphic when answering. That said, if you don’t want to ruin the game with some absurd questions, you should establish some rules.

21. Where Am I?

This is another fun guessing game that will give you and your partner full of entertainment for hours. “Where Am I” texting game is a fun game that requires the two of you to take a turn in describing a surrounding of a specific place. This is quite similar to “I Spy”.

In this game, you don’t have to be in that particular place that you want your buddy to guess. But you must be precise with your description. The location might be a shared classroom or a famous landmark in your hometown or other parts of the world. You need to give generic description of the place so your friend could guess it. However, you should not say anything that’s too obvious or specific.

To make it more fun and interesting, you should avoid getting into boring subjects. If you’re playing it with a guy/girl that you’re interested in dating, you should make the game light and flirty. Some think that “Where am I” game is a little vapid but it’s actually a lot of fun, especially if you’re descriptions are quite difficult to guess.

If your partner is a cute guy/girl that you want to get to know more, you need to allow your imagination to run wild.

The two of you should take turns for building the game in funny and interesting ways. But you must have a set of rules, like allowing each to describe a place in five to six sentences and ensure that the guesser has a few minutes to guess the place.

Want a challenge game? Check out these fun challenges you can do with friends or your girlfriend/boyfriend.

Final Thoughts

These games that can be played over a text are a fun way to connect with each other. Since, the other person cannot see your reactions, you can add in your personal touch to your texts by being cute and flirty by adding tons of smiles and other icons.

Each time you play any of these games, make sure that you’re subscribed to unlimited SMS package so you can affordable play them without having to worry about SMS charges. And when you’re playing these games, keep an open mind your so you won’t get offended by your partner’s responses.

If you need more games? Check out our girlfriend and boyfriend games, Halloween games, and drinking games for two.

You don’t need to download any special apps to play games with friends. Text-based games can provide hours of fun in their own right, and all you need is SMS text messaging or a chat app such as WhatsApp or iMessage.

There are a host of great text and chat games to play, and in this article we’ll help you discover the best out there.

Most of these texting and chatting games are simple in nature. And they can provide free fun for family and friends alike regardless of your ages or interests.

Games to Play Over Text or Chat

While there are plenty of free mobile games without ads or in-app purchases, sometimes, you want to play something even simpler. These games can be played over text or chat without the need to download and install yet another app on your phone.

1. Story Builder

As a writer, I tell stories for fun. But even non-writers who find it difficult to create worlds, characters, and plots by themselves could gain enjoyment from this simple game.

With Story Builder, one of you begins the story by messaging a sentence to the other. The other person then messages the second sentence in the story back to the first person. Slowly but surely, the two of you build a story over the course of several texts or a messaging thread.

Variations include sentences containing a certain number of words or characters, or even sentences with exactly 160 characters in them (which is how many characters an SMS text message can handle).

2. 20 Questions

This is the classic 20 Questions that originated in the US and spawned various radio and television shows. The concept of this game is simple, and yet it requires a degree of intelligence to succeed at.

One of you thinks of an object or person, while the other fires questions at them via text or a messaging app. Your «Yes/No» responses help the guesser narrow down the possibilities until they can make an educated guess as to exactly what you were thinking of.

Variations include limiting the object being thought of to a particular genre. Or, you can increase/decrease the number of questions the guesser can ask.

3. I Spy

This is the classic I Spy, a game that has been a favorite of families for generations. Surely we have all whiled away a long car journey as a child playing this. And the version played via text or chat app is just as much fun.

Begin by telling your opponent where you are to at least give them a fighting chance. Then look around your environment until your mind’s eye fixes on something in particular. Your opponent then has to guess what thing you have spied, with only the first letter of the object to guess from.

Variations include giving clues after each negative response to a wrong guess, or limiting the number of guesses allowed.

4. Song Lyrics

Assuming you’re not exclusively interested in instrumental music, you’ll know certain lines from certain songs. Whether because of an emotional attachment or simply because they sound good together, most people have been affected by song lyrics in some way.

The Song Lyrics game plays on that by having one person quote lines from a song to the other via text or in a messaging thread. The other person then has to guess the song the lyrics are from. It helps if this is played with someone you’re close to or with whom you share similar music tastes.

Variations include classic lines from movies or plots from games. Failure to guess correctly could mean having to phone up and sing the chorus of the song to your opponent.

5. Abbreviations

Abbreviations are everywhere, as you can see from our list of internet acronyms you need to know. It’s even possible to abbreviate your entire life by describing what you are up to with just the first letters of each word in that description.

To play Abbreviations, one of you abbreviates the activity you’re currently engaged in. For example: «In a coffee shop in town» becomes «IACSIT», and the other person sets about trying to un-abbreviate your short sentence back to its original form. Be prepared for some rude replies.

Variations include giving more than just the first letter of each word, and abbreviating something other than your current activity. Such as what you truly think of the person you are playing against.

6. List Builder

We all make lists. They detail everything from our chores for the day to our overall aims in life; from what groceries we need to the gadgets we want to buy in the future. When turned into a game, making lists can be a lot of fun, especially in a message thread.

List Builder is a competitive game in which each player takes a turn to name something belonging to a particular genre. This could include capital cities, actors from a certain series of movies, or anything else your mind can conjure up. The winner is the last person to successfully add an item to the list.

Variations include going through the alphabet one letter at a time, or requiring the next answer to start with the same letter the last answer ended with.

7. Where Am I?

The reason we all carry smartphones is that we’re not always at home. Which makes this game perfect for playing on your mobile.

With Where Am I?, each player takes it in turn to describe one feature of their surroundings, while the other tries to guess where they are. You can make it as easy or as hard as you like by varying the level of detail you give to your opponent.

Variations on the game include limiting it to a house, with the room you’re in being the correct answer, or asking which shop in town you are in. You could also change it to Who Am I With? by describing the person or people who are there with you instead.

8. Kiss, Marry, Kill

You may know Kiss, Marry, Kill as something else. The Kiss, for instance, may be a little more intense than just a peck on the cheek. However, the basic concept is the same, and is fun as long as no offense is taken by the answers given.

One person names three people, be they celebrities or individuals you both know, and asks, «Kiss, Marry, Kill?» The other person then has to determine which of the three they would kiss, which they would marry, and which they would kill. All in jest, you understand.

Variations include dropping certain names into the mix you know will upset your friend. Or changing the question entirely. As long as there are three choices and three names in the mix, the sky’s the limit with this one.

9. What If…?

If you’re prone to daydreaming, you should be familiar with the concept of What If? Once one of these scenarios pops into your brain, you can spend several minutes working out which option you would choose in that scenario. Which is perfect fodder for a texting game.

One of you messages the other a What If? scenario and asks what they would do in that situation. There are no correct or incorrect answers here. It’s not only fun to see the responses given, it can also give you an insight into your friend or family member’s outlook on life.

Variations include leaving the question open-ended with any answer possible, or giving multiple choice answers and forcing the other person to choose from one of those.

10. Simple Quiz

Quizzes of any kind can be fun, even if they’re supposedly testing your IQ. And they don’t have to be long, drawn-out affairs with a quiz master asking difficult questions and enjoying watching you struggle to find the answers.

In the form of a texting game you can play in a chat app, Simple Quiz requires one of you to message the other a general knowledge question. The other person then has to try to give the correct answer, or, if they’re a little too dumb for that, the funniest joke answer imaginable.

Variations include switching this to a test of web browsing skills as they try to find the answer online in the shortest time possible.

These Texting Games Can Provide Hours of Fun

These games range from the simple to the more complex. But they’re all supremely playable between any two (or more) people with mobile phones to hand.

And remember that while most people will use a messaging app such as Messenger or Telegram, they’re even playable using old-school SMS text messages.

FAQ: Word games

Here are some frequently asked questions about fun word games.

What are some fun word games for adults in English?

Some fun word games for adults in English include The Alliteration Game, Random Word Game, and The Word Spell.

How do you play word games as an adult?

To play word games as an adult, choose fun verbal games that test and challenge your spelling, vocabulary, and language skills. Choose a group of friends or teammates to play with and ensure that you have a fair point system to select winners easily. It is also essential to have plenty of paper and pens handy to play these games. You can play these games in person or online using the screen sharing feature, whiteboard feature or have responses sent via the chat box on your video conferencing software.

Games to play over text can be some of the most fun things to do when bored with friends.

Texting games are all the rage and are at the top of the list of fun things to do on your phone.

We’ve tried all these games to play over the phone, and, we have to say, these are the best SMS games to try out yourself.

Let’s dive in!

Contents

Are you bored at home? Stuck in school? In the middle of a boring meeting? In a long-distance relationship? These are the best games to play over text without any reason. All you have to do is pull out a smartphone and start typing.

1. Rock, Paper, Scissors

How to Play

We’ve all played this in our childhood in person. This is a popular game. You’re probably surprised to see this as a fun texting game, but this is one text game you don’t want to miss. Rock, paper, scissors over text can be played easily with the hand emojis on your keyboard. Use the fist for rock, the 5-finger-hand for paper, and the peace hand sign for scissors. Make sure to send the characters at precisely the same time to determine the winner.

Best For

You can play rock, paper, and scissors anytime in any situation because it’s fast and straightforward. You can even forget the hand signs and use the rock, paper, and scissor emoji on your keyboard.

2. Unpopular Opinions

How to Play

Unpopular opinions are more of a way to start bizarre conversations. You and your buddy go back and forth, stating unpopular opinions about any random topic. The catch — they can’t be what everyone else is thinking about on the subject.

Best For

This one is best played while watching popular videos on YouTube. Read through the comments and give your unbiased, unpopular opinion to your friend. This one is a great texting game because there’s no correct answer!

3. Emoji Translation

How to Play

Get your emoji keyboard ready for this. Emoji translation is one of the more challenging and hilarious games over text. You send your opponent many emojis that translate into a message and have to figure out what it says. Make sure your chosen words aren’t easy. You can even put in a dare if the second player takes a wrong guess. You’ll need some deductive reasoning for this particular situation. The number of guesses is all up to you.

Tip: You can make this more enjoyable by putting a fun twist and turning it into an emoji story builder.

Best For

Since this one is challenging, it’s probably best to save it when you don’t have any distractions. You’ll have to search for the actual emoticon to make sure your message is clear.

7 Questions Based SMS Games

Have questions? Ask them through text with these question SMS games. We’ve got all the best ones that you can easily play over the phone. 

4. Truth or Dare

How to Play

Through text, truth or dare questions are fascinating and can be played just like if you were actually with your friends. Ask the second person a truth question that they’ve got to answer truthfully — make sure it’s something they rather not answer. If they don’t want to answer, give them a dare question. To make sure they do the dare, have them record themselves through video or take a snap.

Best For

You should probably play this one when you’re safe at home with no one around, just because you never know what the dare will be. This one can also work well if you’re trying to be flirty with your boyfriend or girlfriend.

5. Trivia Game

How to Play

We all enjoy a good guessing game. You can play trivia questions over text, but no cheating! Ask your texting partner a trivia question from any category, and if they get it right, it’s their turn to ask you. If they get it wrong, you get to ask them another one. It’s a great game as long as you’re both being honest. Whoever gets the higher number of points wins!

Best For

Trivia questions, much like riddles, can be played whenever. Ask your friend a trivia question while you’re having a conversation through text, or make a challenging match out of it. It’s all up to you.

6. Would You Rather

How to Play

Another awesome drinking game that you can play over text is would you rather. Ask each other a bunch of would you rather questions that are hard to answer, just as much as they are interesting. Give the other player two equally bad options (or good), and let them figure out which one they’d instead do.

Best For

Would you rather is a classic game to play when you run out of things to talk about? It can also be a great conversation starter, especially when getting to know someone for the first time or even when you’re flirting with your crush!

7. 21 Questions

How to Play

Have you ever wanted to know someone you’re talking to more personally? Your crush? Your girlfriend? We’ll, with the 21 questions game, you can ask whatever you like without feeling awkward about it. A personal question works best here, so no worries! In this one, you have 21 chances to ask the other person 21 things about themselves, and it’s up to the first player to answer them honestly. Once you’ve asked your 21 questions, it’s the other texter’s turn to ask you. This one is some personal trivia activity.

Best For

This is one of the best games to get to know all the things you want to know about a person without directly asking them. 21 Questions gives you a fun way to get to know someone without looking like you’re trying to interrogate them. Plus, if you’re trying to get your flirt on, this is the perfect opportunity.

8. Most Likely To

How to Play

Most likely to questions can be a great group chat party game. Get a group of your pals in a group chat and ask who’s most likely to do a sure thing. Then everyone answers with the name of who in the group they think is most likely to do that. It gets pretty hilarious if you’ve got some ridiculous questions. They say this is even a test of friendship. Come up with more fun questions aside from who’s most likely to become an actor or actress and who’s most likely to marry or kiss each other.

Best For

Play this one when you’ve got a group chat going and nothing interesting to talk about. It’s sure to start up some interesting convos.

9. Never Have I Ever

How to Play

Never have I ever is another excellent group chat activity. This is the perfect thing to do if you want a good laugh. One person says the phrase «never have I ever,» followed by something crazy that you don’t think anyone would do. Then, everyone responds with «I have» or «I have never.»

Best For

This a fun game to get all your friends together and get them chatting away. It’s an easy way to start a conversation between friends who aren’t that close.

10. What If Questions

How to Play

What if questions give you a challenging scenario to answer. You’d feel like you’re in a movie with each hypothetical scenario. This one is easily played through text but not so easy to answer. The point of this is to give your buddy a tricky situation and see what they would do in that situation. It’s like a puzzle for them. For example, you could ask, «What if you could be famous but poor forever. What would you do?». The key is to make the other guy think about what they’d do in this type of scenario that you’ve created for them.

Best For

What if questions are all about making the other person think about things differently. It could be worse, and it could be better than the life they’re living now. The what-if activity is best played with someone who likes to look at life more creatively.

3 Exciting Texting Games To Play Over The Phone

Take games to the extreme with these exciting games to play over the phone. These get pretty interesting when you figure out how to play them through text.

11. Hangman

How to Play

Hangman is a fantastic activity to play over text. If you’re willing to give up the stick figure, you must try this one. The key is to use underscores to type out your single word, phrase, sentence, or even song lyrics so your opponent can guess what it is. Each time they guess a letter correctly, replace the underscore with that letter.

Best For

This random word game takes a little time to get used to over text. Give yourself some time to get the hang of the text message hangman before you play it any time. Once you do, you can play this one on any occasion.

12. Riddles

How to Play

Of course, you probably know how riddles work. They’re fun to say, but they’re even more exciting to text. You and your buddy can take turns sending riddles to each other and solving them. It’s up to your if you want to give hints or not. If you’re unsure what riddle to offer, the internet is your friend. Take score to figure out who got the most right. Wrong answers from your texting buddy can even get a dare.

Best For

Riddles can be sent at any time, whenever you feel like it. You can also solve them at any time. There’s no need to keep going back and forth. This one can start and stop whenever you like.

13. Guess the Song

How to Play

Music lovers will enjoy this one! You can already guess by the name what this one’s all about. Choose a song and send random lyrics to the person you’re talking to. They then have to guess what song you’re thinking about. Let’s hope you don’t come up with songs from famous celebrities only. Playing will be more fun if you can set a time limit.

Best For

This one is best played when you’re able to listen to music on your phone. It’s so much fun this way, so when your friend guesses wrong, you can send them the song via text message.

Downloadable and Printable List of Games To Play Over Text

Here is a downloadable and printable jpg/pdf list of games to play over text (right-click the image and select Save Image As…):

Frequently Asked Questions

Have some other questions about how these games over text work? We’ve got the answers.

How do you make games over text more exciting?

To make games over text more exciting, add more players, like in a group chat. You can also send pictures to let the other texters know how you feel about what you’re playing.

What are the scoring rules for texting games?

With some games, you don’t need to take score, but if you want to make it more exciting, add a point for each question or guess they get right. 

What are texting games I can play with my girlfriend?

Truth or dare and never have I ever are perfect games to play with your girlfriend over text. You can play just about any of these and make it unique by making it personal, like asking questions you’d like to know about her or picking a sweet song for her to guess.

How To Pick The Best Games To Play Over Text

Which games are the best? Well, that’s for you to decide. But, how do you decide which games to play over text are best, those that won’t end up in boredom? We’ve got tips for that down below.

1. Who Are You Playing With?

Who are you playing with? Figure out what the other person (or people) likes to play instead of just choosing one of your favorites. Do they like a challenge, or is a simple one more of their taste? Choose games you’ll all like to play. Sometimes, not knowing the next person’s sentences make the experience more enjoyable. You also have to consider if you’re playing with adults or teens. They have different tastes.

2. Where Are You Playing?

You can play all of these games from wherever you have a phone signal, and your phone is with you, of course. But, keep in mind that some of these games are more complicated than others. So, you won’t be able to play some of them if you’re a little busy at the moment.

3. When Are You Playing?

Timing does matter. If it’s too late and you’re tired, these games won’t seem as fun and exciting. Pick a time when you’re free, so you’re able to play these games to their full potential.

More Fun Games To Play

We’ve got plenty of more games for when you’re off your phones and face to face.

1. Check out our site for the most exciting minute it to win it games for adults.
2. For the funnest party board games, head over to Gamertelligence to give your party guests an unforgettable experience.
3. Need some Christmas party games to get into the holiday season? Gamertelligence has them all.

In Conclusion

Weren’t we right when we said we have the best games to play over text? These SMS games will give you tons of things to do when bored with friends.

When you need fun things to do on your phone, these texting games are the ones to play. Go ahead and try them out for yourself and see how entertaining they are. Happy texting! 

Texting games are a great way to interact with friends or get to know your partner better. These games range from fun and amusing for friends to hot and steamy for those who want to spice things up in their relationship.

If you’ve ever been in a group chat you’ve definitely been privy to a few of these games which are great for that group chat ice breaker. To play all you need is your brain and your phone. It’s that easy and can create amazing memories!

So buckle up for this list of the top 30 great texting games to play when you’re bored.

RELATED: 30 Fun Games To Play With Your Boyfriend Or Girlfriend

1. 20 Questions

The object of the game is to guess what one person is thinking; it can be a place, object, or person. To find out what it is the people or person guessing gets to ask 20 «Yes or No» questions. The goal is to guess the object within 20 questions or less.

2. Kiss, Marry, Kill

This one is a bit self-explanatory. So you get three people to choose from and they can range from mutual friends, exes, or celebrities. Then you need to pick which you kiss, which you would marry, and which you would kill.

3. Never Have I Ever

This game is usually played with alcohol in person, but since you are playing over text another form of punishment can be used like posting to social media or having a point system going. You can get creative with it. The game starts with an action being said with «Never have I ever…» (skipped school, kissed a boy, skinny-dipped, etc.) Then if you have done this deed, you do the set punishment.

4. Would You Rather?

This game is also known as «either-or» and «this or that.» The concept is that you have to pick from two difficult choices. For example, «Would you rather be stuck in a cage with a lion or be stranded in the middle of the ocean?»

5. Trivia

Trivia is great because it can be played anywhere, including over text messaging. You and your friends will pick a category you are familiar with like movies, history, celebrities, etc. Then you will ask each other trivia questions on that category. For each right answer, you score a point and the first one to 10 points wins.

6. Name Game

To play the game the group picks a topic. It can be anything like animals, celebrities, books, etc. The first player will say a word that goes in the category chosen. The second player has to name a word in the same category that starts with the last letter of the first player’s word. It continues until someone can’t come up with a word that fits.

7. Guess The Riddle

This game is for those who love brain teasers. The rules are to ask a riddle and set a number of guesses they have to solve it.

8. Word Unscramble

This game is super close to scrabble. So one person sends a word and then the other player/players have to make up other words using the letters from the initial one. The person who comes up with the most words wins.

9. Questions Only

This is a great way to waste time on a road trip or a boring afternoon. The name of the game is Only Questions and guess what? You can only use questions to play. The participants can only ask each other questions. When asked a question you must answer but with another question. You cannot repeat another question that’s been asked and if someone takes too long to respond, they are out.

10. Finish My Sentence

One player starts a sentence and the next one must finish it. These sentences can range. You can make it dirty, funny, intelligent, whatever you want it to be. Take a page out of Frozen: «We finish each other’s….Sandwiches?»

11. Lightning Fast

This game is a wonderful way to really get into someone’s psyche. One player sends a word and teh next player has to respond with the first thing they think of when reading it.

12. The Laughing Game

This game gets its name from the reaction its players have. In this game, you must choose your answers to every question from a list of preselected answers. These answers can be literally anything like cat, shoes, George Washington, and scuba lessons. Players will ask each other questions and you will answer with one from the list.

13. Fantasy Team

This game is for the imaginative ones. So have you ever wondered who’d you want on your team during the end of the world? In a rock band with you? In an operating room? On treasure hunt? This game gives you the chance to decide. Your group decides on the concept of the team you are building, then you will take turns reciting who is on your team until the set number of members is reached. The person with the strongest team wins. No repeats!

14. Tell the Truth

This is sort of like truth or dare but without the dare part. before you begin you must set a punishment. This can be anything from posting an embarrassing photo to sliding into a celebrity’s DMs. So you will ask a player a personal question and if they refuse to answer, then they must do the punishment.

15. Most Likely To

This game is best played in big group chats. One player will ask a most likely too question like «Most likely to date a man in the military». Then, each of the rest of the players will decide who fits that question.

RELATED: 10 Fun Road Trip Games And Other Great Ways To Pass The Time While En Route

16. Text Strip Trivia

This game is played just like trivia, but with each wrong answer an article of clothing comes off. This is best played over video chat platforms like Snapchat. It’s also a great way for people in long-distance relationships to have some spice in their life.

17. Make It Rhyme

For this game, one player will send a word or phrase and then the next players will have to send back random words or phrases that rhyme. This continues until someone cannot come up with a rhyming response.

18. Take a Trip

This game is started by writing out a sentence and filling in the blanks with something that starts with the letter of the alphabet you are on. It starts out with A and you go all the way through Z. The sentence is » “I am going to ____ and I am taking ____.” SO you would fill in the blanks with something that starts with the letter A, B, C, etc. This is a great game to play on a road trip.

19. Where’s Your Location?

This game is similar to iSpy but instead of describing an object, your hints will describe a location. You will pick out things that make your location unique. So if you are in a living room, you may say a coffee table, a lamp, and a TV. Then the other players have to guess where you are.

20. Name that Tune

This game is simple. You will text a song lyric to your friends and whoever guesses the song correctly first wins. If no one gets the song by your first lyric you’ll keep sending them song lyrics until they do. If you reach the end of the song and no one has guessed you win.

21. Abbreviations

For this game, you will have to pick a category first like flowers, board games, etc. Then one person will send an abbreviation for something in that category and the rest of the players have to guess what the abbreviation means. The person who guesses the most correctly wins!

22. Friendship Tag

This is a good way to figure out how well your partner or friends know you. In this game, you will ask them questions about yourself or your relationship.

23. Gun to Your Head

This is a great way to start a conversation. The point is to ask each other uncomfortable questions with the saying «Gun to your head…» For example: «Gun to your head who what celebrity would you sleep with?»

24. Unpopular Opinions

In this texting game, you and your friends will go around voicing your unpopular opinions. The topics can range from celebrities to restaurants to grocery stores.

25. Ghost

This texting game’s goal is to add letters to a word without completing it. Rules can be set like the category the words come from or the length a word must be. Then each player adds a letter until the word is complete. The person who completes the word gets a letter from GHOST. So the first time «G», the second «H», etc. The first player to receive all letters to spell out the word GHOST loses. This is great to play with a group of friends.

26. Guess the Movie

This game can be played in 2 ways.

The first way is to share a gif or photo from the movie you want to present. Then the other players must guess the title of the movie the image or gif is from

The second what to play is by sending a line from the movie and then they have to guess the movie it came from. The first person to get 20 correct answers wins!

27. Hangman

Though you don’t visually see the man hanging you can still play this classic game over text. Start by sending your friend a series of underscores to represent each letter in your word. Your friend should respond with a letter they think is in it and you will either send back the underscores with the correct letter filled in or the number of wrong answers they have left. In a typical game of Hangman, you get 6 wrong answers before game over.

28. Story Time

This is a great game for writers to play over the phone. So in this game, you will be creating a story… one sentence at a time. One player will start by sending a sentence. Then the next will continue the story with another sentence. The game continues until the players wish to stop or the story comes to a logical stopping point. The game is also known as «Story Builder».

29. WWYD?

This is a great way to see what your friends or partner would do in different scenarios. Come up with a hypothetical situation and then see how your friend would escape or adapt to it.

30. Emoji Translation

If everyone has access to an emoji keyboard this game is perfect to play. It’s pretty simple. You will send an emoji or string of emojis and the other player/players have to interpret what they mean. You can do it with movies, songs, books, or any concept you can think of.

RELATED: 45 Scary Games To Play With Your Friends

Deauna Nunes is an associate editor who covers pop culture, lifestyle, love and relationship topics for YourTango. She’s been published by Emerson College’s literary magazine Generic. Follow her on Twitter and on Instagram.

Planning a game night is no easy feat. Making your friends show up on time is the first challenge. The second? Brainstorming what to play, as quips and complaints pour in.

To save you precious time, we’ve compiled a list of six fun word games that you can play with friends online. No downloads are needed—simply type these games’ addresses into your browser, and start playing:

1. Letterbox

How to play: In 60 seconds, make as many words as possible using nine letters shown on a grid. The longer the words, the more points you get:

Tricky letter combinations can show up on Letterbox. If you get an ‘S’ like this, try plurals for a higher score. (Source: letterboxgame.com)

No. of players: Min. 2-3 to be competitive, but you can also play solo. 

Play here: http://letterboxgame.com

2. Codenames

How to play: Codenames is a cult party game that tests your ability to link diverse concepts. To play, operatives from two teams (red and blue) must compete to guess the secret cards assigned to them on a board. But there’s a catch: only the spymaster (leader) of each team knows which cards are red, and which cards are blue—everyone else is guessing blind. To help their operatives pick the right card, each spymaster must speak in code, and write down one word that acts as a clue to link their team’s cards. The team that correctly finds all of their cards first, wins:

No. of players: Min. 4, to allow at least one spymaster and one operative per team. Codenames is best played via voice chat, for easy coordination. 

Play here: https://codenames.game

3. Google Feud

How to play: Predict the top 10 most popular online searches on a given topic. You’ll get a partial search prompt to start with, and must make educated guesses on how Google would auto-complete that search query. The format is based on the hit US show Family Feud:

I’ll leave the rest to your imagination. (Source: googlefeud.online)

No. of players: Min. 2 to solve as a team, but you can also play solo. Use a voice chat to make the guesses together!

Play here: https://googlefeud.online

4. Eldrow.io 

How to play: Like the name, it’s Wordle in reverse. In Wordle, you use the placement of green, yellow and grey tiles to guess a word within six tries. In Eldrow, you are given one solved word as the answer, and must find the previous word that led to it. A set of five words are released daily, and it can be challenging for even the best Wordle players to get them all right:

The yellow tiles hint that two letters except R and E from the word ‘THREE’ are present somewhere in the blank word, but at a different spot. (Source: eldrow.io)

No. of players: Eldrow doesn’t have a live multiplayer option, but you can compete with 3-4 other players via voice chat to see who finishes first. You can also play solo. 

Play here: https://eldrow.io

5. Scattergories 

How to play: If you passed out of school in the last 10 years, you might know the game ‘Name Place Animal Thing’. Well, Scattergories is the more intense version. First, players must join a lobby where an admin can pick multiple categories out of 30 free options (e.g. ‘bad habits’, ‘movies’, ‘memes’). Once the game starts, everyone gets the same letter (e.g. ‘C’), which must be used to name one thing in each category. When the clock stops, everyone weighs in on whether your answers were valid, or too creative:

Example of a completed list of answers before the timer runs out. (Source: scattergoriesonline.net)

No. of players: Min. 2 to be competitive, but you can also add bots to play with. The answer ‘approval’ process at the end is best done via voice chat. 

Play here: https://scattergoriesonline.net

6. Wheel of Fortune – Toss Up Challenge

How to play: The game selects a secret (but well-known) phrase around a common topic. Once you press ‘Play Now’, the letters making up the phrase will slowly appear on a tiled board. The goal is to quickly guess the phrase before all the tiles are revealed:

When you know the answer, tap on ‘Solve Puzzle’ to stop the tile reveal. (Source: wheeloffortune.com)

No. of players: Min. 2 to be competitive, but you could also play solo or as teams. There is no live multiplayer setup, so you can compete via voice chat. 

Play here: https://www.wheeloffortune.com/play/toss-up-challenge 

That’s our list so far for entertaining word games that adults would enjoy playing. Do you know any other crowd-pleasers that should make this list?

Texting doesn’t have to be a boring back-and-forth about your day—even if you love sending funny GIFs, it’s important to spice things up. And no, we don’t just mean sexting. Whether you’ve got a mind-numbing 7-hour layover or you’re just bored sitting at home, playing texting games (no, not dating games) is an entertaining way to keep up the convo between you and your texting buddy. Or sexting buddy—we don’t judge. Here are the best texting games to play with your friends, Tinder matches, or your long-distance significant other.

The 22 best texting games

1) Best texting games for flirting: Never Have I Ever

The purpose of “Never Have I Ever” is basically to expose the deepest and darkest secrets you may have been hiding from the people closest to you. The texting game usually always becomes borderline inappropriate, but it’s a lot more fun to go all in.

How to play: To play this texting game, set the rules as to how you and your texting buddy will identify if the other has been in a situation or not. This is usually communicated by sending a “finger pointing up” emoji mimicking the game IRL. After the rules are set, players will take turns making statements of things they’ve never done before.

In order to dig up any dirt or find out hilarious situations, you have to be clever with your word choice, but you won’t know if the person is lying or not since you can’t see their reaction. The player who has the most contradictions from their experiences, or the one who gets to ten first, loses.

You: Never have I ever slept with my best friend.

Player: Never have I ever sent a dirty text to the wrong person.

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WATCH: 10 Great Shows & Games to Binge While You’re Stuck at Home

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2) Best texting games for flirting: Would You Rather?

“Would You Rather” is a ruthless game that’s destined to show everyone’s true character in the end. Not to mention it’s one of the best texting games to play with your crush.

How to play: The game is pretty basic, all you have to do is base a question by staging it with “would you rather…” then finishing it with something simple or bizarre. The weirder the questions get, the more your opponent’s character will be exposed so don’t hold back if you are in the mood for digging.

You: “Would you rather have toes for teeth or unruly pubes as fingernails?”

Player: “Unruly pubes as fingernails.”

You: “Gross.”

3) Best texting games for flirting: 20 Questions

This spoken parlor game is probably already in your repertoire when you’re getting to know someone. The game uses deductive reasoning and creativity to find out what a player has in their possession, or what they are referencing to.

How to play: In this texting game, one person will be the “answerer” who chooses a subject (or object) and keeps it a secret. The other players have a limit of 20 questions to ask the answerer with the end goal of figuring out what they have in mind.

In turn, the answerer can only reply with “yes” or “no,” though some versions of the game will allow “maybe” as an answer. If the correct answer is guessed, the winner will be the questioner for the next round.

You: “Is it a tangible shape?”

Player: “No.”

4) Best texting games to get to know someone: Storytime

“Storytime” is a game with a life of its own, where players can build on each other’s creative snippets to make up a story with no boundaries. But it doesn’t have to be innocent like the ones your parents used to read you.

How to play: One person will start out the story by “setting the scene”, and the two players will take turns building on the first entry. Players can set boundaries like keeping it realistic, or throw everything out the window and have fun with it. The story can only be built with one sentence entries, and it will end after the 20th text.

You: “In a galaxy far, far away there once was a little dog who was searching for an answer.”

Player: “The dog, whose name is ‘Good’, was always confused when his owner said ‘good boy’ and was determined to find who ‘boy’ was.”

READ MORE:

• The best memes of 2017 (thus far)
• Reddit 50/50: What is it and why is it so popular?
• Donald Trump memes are making the internet great again
• 85 impossible ‘Would You Rather’ questions

5) Best texting games to get to know someone: Truth or Dare

Everyone has played this classic at least once in their life—and if it wasn’t totally mortifying, you probably weren’t doing it right.

Whether you dare your opponent to sneak a kiss with a crush or tell two people to stay in a closet for “7 Minutes in Heaven,” Truth or Dare has a way of making you uncomfortable. But like, in a fun way. Without the pressure of playing in person, Truth or Dare over text could be even more fun.

How to play: Set boundaries with the person you are playing with so you both are on the same page and things don’t get uncomfortable. Decide who will go first, and that person will ask if the other would like to choose a “truth” or “dare.” Then that person will follow up with a question or demand, and the other has to follow through or else they lose.

 You: “Truth or dare?”

Player: “Dare.”

You: “Go to the nearest balcony and drop an egg off of it.”

6) Best texting games to make friends: In Character

Have you ever wanted to be someone other than yourself for a few minutes? Playing “In Character” is your shot at texting as your favorite celebrity for a few minutes.

How to play: Both players will choose a character they would like to be and keep it a secret. Text each other saying things that that character would say, along with any quirky catchphrases they might frequently use as well. The player who can stay in character the longest wins.

You: “I feel like this year is really about, like, the year of just realizing stuff.”

Player: “Paris Hilton?”

You: “Nope.”

7) Best texting games to make friends: I Spy

Flashback to childhood memories of long road trips and being cooped up in the house with nowhere to go. “I Spy” is a childhood game at best, but it can also test your creativity when played as a texting game.

How to play: Text the person you’re playing with and set the rules. For instance, you’re only allowed to spy in the room you’re in, or what you see can’t be something you look up on the internet. To start the game, find something you see and text the person you’re playing with “I spy…” followed by a short description. The player will then have to guess what it is.

You: “I spy something red.”

Player: “Is it a stop sign?”

You: “No.”

Best texting games to make friends: Marry, Kill, F***

Arguably one of the most difficult games to play, “F***, Marry, Kill” is about setting your priorities straight. This texting game is based on choosing which celebrities (or friends) you would rather marry, kill, or ~rendevous~ with.

If you want to take the game down a notch, “Kiss, Marry, Kill” version that turns the game from R-rated to PG.

How to play: Choose three people and text them to your friend staging it with “f***, marry, kill?” at the end. The other player will then

You: “Jon Snow, Jaime Lannister, Dickon Tarly: f*** marry, kill?”

Player: “Kiss Jaime Lannister, marry Jon Snow, kill Dickon Tarly.”

READ MORE:

• A beginner’s guide to sexting
• The ultimate guide to Snapchat flirting
• 15 simple rules for Instagram flirting
• How to leave a group text message once and for all

9) Best texting games to make friends: Name Game

The “Name Game” is tedious and time-consuming, so if you have nothing to do this might be the perfect way to kill time. However, this texting game can get a little repetitive after a while.

How to play: Both players decide on a topic like names, sports, cars, etc. and the first player chooses and says a word. The other player will then say a word that starts with the last letter of the other player’s word and mimics the flow and rhythm pattern of the other player. The game can last for a really long time, so it might be helpful to set some rules like a time limit.

You: “Chrissy Chrissy mo-missy”

Player: “Mary Mary, fo-fairy”

10) Best texting games for your brain: Trivia

Texting trivia is similar to game show trivia, and it could be your shining moment to show your opponent up with any obscure knowledge you’ve been keeping to yourself.

How to play: You and the other player will pick a topic. Then, take turns firing questions back and forth about that specific topic. The first person to answer 10 right (without looking up answers) wins.

You: “How many James Bond movies are there?”

Player: “26.”

11) Best texting games for your brain: Backward Texting

Texting backward isn’t for the lazy, which could cost you a “W” in the end.

How to play: This texting game is really simple, the first person will text a sentence in reverse to the opponent and the other person will try and guess what that person is saying. The conversation can carry on as long as you both can stand it.

You: “?gniog ti si woh ,edud yeH”

Player: “.tserevE tnuoM gnibmilc morf kcab tog tsuj I ,llew ytterp gniod m’I”

12) Best texting games for your brain: Categories

“Categories” is a fast-paced game that challenges players’ ability to think on their feet. The game is also common at parties where players take a drink if they answer wrong, but while playing over text, it might not be the best idea.

How to play: Decide on a topic and the first person will name something within the category. Choose a category that will give you and the other player a lot of options. Taking turns naming things within a category that doesn’t have much to it will end this texting game quickly.

You: “The topic is types of Dinosaurs.”

Player: “Sinraptor!”

You: “Torosaurus.”

13) Best texting games for your brain: Guess What?

One of the more annoying games, “Guess What” might be a one-way ticket to getting blocked. However, if you and the other player are close it may be worth a few laughs.

How to play: The first person will text the other player “Guess what?” and the other player will try and guess what that person is going to say. Sometimes this texting game can be a bit ambiguous, but if you set guidelines or keep it refined to a specific topic it will make it easier.

You: “Guess what?”

Player: “You ate an entire pizza today?”

You: “Wow. You got it.”

14) Best texting games for friends: What if?

The phrase “what if” can come as an annoyance to some, but can also insinuate something more than just friends if used in the right context. This game will test boundaries and see if the person on the receiving end is really just a “friend.”

How to play: Text a “what if” scenario and the other person what they’d do in a particular situation. It is up to you if you want to take the questions to the next level or not. There are no right or wrong answers, just be creative.

You: “What if I were to tell you I thought you were cute?”

Player: “My reaction would depend on if you’re still single.”

15) Best texting games for friends: Fill in the Blanks

Finishing other people’s sentences isn’t considered socially polite, but over a texting game, it’s how you win.

How to play: Decide on a topic to start the conversation and who will go first. Text a sentence with a few words left blank, and the other person will try and guess what you are saying. Just like other games, this one can be twisted into a flirtatious battle.

You: “I want ___ to ____ my favorite ____.”

Player: “You want McDonald’s to make your favorite burger?”

You: “Not quite.”

16) Best texting games for your brain: Acronyms

Abbreviating words is a common theme if you are glued to social media, or if you’re just plugged into the digital world in general. This can be considered a texting game for those who aren’t used to talking like such, or it can just be a normal back-and-forth banter with a friend.

How to play: Text the person you are playing an unconventional abbreviation. For example, if you want to say “What are you up to tonight?” abbreviate the sentence and see if your friend can guess what you are trying to say. “WYD TN BB?”

You: “brb ily but g2g hang with oomf”

Player: “omg Ok I cu, who is oomf?”

You: “oomf aka the hottest human we know, imo lol.”

17) Best texting games for picture fans: Emoji translation

Decipher what your partner is saying through only emojis. Hint: use the eggplant emoji if you want to spice things up. 

How to play: Send a series of emojis that hides a secret message and have the recipient guess what you mean. Once they guess correctly, it’s their turn to send emojis. It is especially fun now that there are new emojis to use.

18) Best texting games for GIF lovers: Guess the Sound 

This game is attributed to a hilarious TikTok that shows two people guessing the sounds that different GIFs make. It’ll be sure to get some laughs.

How to play: Send a GIF to your partner. Then, over voice message, your partner sends back the sound that the GIF looks like it is making. Switch roles so you make the noise

19) Best texting game to test your friends: Friendship tag

See how much your friends or significant other really knows you. Things could either go really well or really bad. 

How to play: Ask the other player a series of questions that only true friends would know about you. If you want, you could time them too to add an extra risk factor. Tally up the correct answers at the end and see if your friend is a real one. Switch roles after!

You: What’s my favorite color? What do I study? What’s my favorite restaurant?

Player: Black, Journalism, P. Terry’s on a Saturday morning

You: OMG 3/3

20) Best Games for Friends: Most Likely to

This fun game determines who in a duo or group would be most likely to do something. For example, you could ask a friend or a group of friends, “Who is most likely to have 10 cats?” The group text or participating players would then answer who they think would do so. It’s also fun to play with celebrities or public figures like: “Who is most likely to do 10 pull-ups, AOC or Vanessa Hudgens?”

How to play: Think of a question that starts with “who is most likely to…” and then add something funny or absurd to make the game fun. You can play with one friend or a group.

21) Best Games for your Brain: Unscramble

This game is both a mind-boggler and will bring you back to your childhood. Mix up the letters in a word to see if your partner can guess the actual word!

How to play: Pick a fun word and mess up the order of the letters. Once your texting partner guesses the correct word, switch!

22) Best Games for your Brain: Abbreviations

Take it back to 2006 when abbreviating every word on SMS was cool. Determine what words your partner is saying with short abbreviations like LOL or LMAO.

How to play: Send one or a string of abbreviations to a friend over text. The receiver then guesses what the abbreviations mean. Then, switch!

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Still curious? Here’s how to start a cute conversation on Tinder, the ultimate guide to making long-distance relationships work, and how to be less socially awkward according to mental health professionals. Plus, read up on the reality of polyamory and gender dysphoria.

Editor’s note: This article is regularly updated for relevance.