- Virtual Happy Hour Games
- Fun Virtual Happy Hour Ideas
- Virtual Games For Groups
- Virtual Interactive Games
- Virtual Games To Play With Friends Online
A natural extension of the above skillset is playing digital board games online. Plenty of these games do a great job of recreating the homely experience of bundling around a table with friends. 8 Ball Pool is the biggest & best multiplayer Pool game online! Play billiards for FREE against other players & friends in 1-on-1 matches, enter tournaments to win big! Level up and earn Pool Coins for your wins. Customize with cues & cloths in the Pool Shop. Also available for FREE on iPhone, iPad, iTouch & Android devices. Best online games to play with friends that will make you feel less cooped up in 2021. From Among Us to Jackbox Party Packs to virtual escape rooms, we've got you covered for virtual cold weather.
Believe it or not, you don't have to venture out to a restaurant to enjoy happy hour with your people. After a day of sending emails, typing out reports, and attending meetings on Zoom, you can still pour a glass of wine and catch up with your BFFs. Thanks to apps on your phone, like FaceTime and Google Hangouts, you can even challenge everyone to a few virtual happy hour games.
These are the games you might have played in person — after ordering a pitcher for the table or perusing the menu for sliders, wings, and other tasty appetizers — or they may be entirely new to you and your happy hour crew. Either way, they'll likely brighten your day and give you a reason to smile. They may bring you closer to people who you may have considered acquaintances beforehand, too, and give you a chance to tell your greatest stories.
![Games Games](https://thesmartlocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/free-online-games-1.png)
To get started, you simply have to make sure everyone has the same app on their phone and coordinate a time everyone is free to 'happy hour' in a group chat. Once you've reached a time, log on accordingly and have a drink prepared. After everyone has caught up on the latest hot gossip, propose playing one of these 15 games. Grape times are ahead.
1. 'Never Have I Ever'
The first of these games is a classic: 'Never Have I Ever.' In this game, every friend puts up five fingers and takes a turn saying something they've never done. If you have done it, you put one finger down. The last friend with a finger up wins.
2. 'Would You Rather'
Most of us have pretty strong opinions. Your happy hour crew is no exception and will have heated (but fun) debates thanks to 'Would You Rather.' Start it off by asking your BFFs, 'Would you rather only be able to whisper or only be able to shout?' Then, sit back and watch the game grow.
3. '20 Questions'
If you've never played '20 Questions' before, then virtual happy hour with your friends will be a grape time to try it out. Start by having one friend think of a person, place, or thing. Then, have each friend ask a question and see if you can figure out what that person, place, or thing is. The only catch: You have to figure it out in 20 questions or less.
4. 'Two Truths And One Lie'
One of your favorite icebreaker activities in college might've been 'Two Truths and One Lie.' This game instantly makes you closer to the friends in your life, revealing their wildest stories and fun facts. Just come up with two truthful statements and one lie, and see if the group can guess which one is the lie. The more clever you can be, the better.
5. 'Guess My Sign'
Astrology-loving friends will adore playing 'Guess My Sign.' It's pretty simple: Based on what you know about someone, their personality, and their interests, you have to guess their zodiacsign. If you're right, treat yourself to a sip or snack.
6. 'A Famous People Picnic'
Are you and your crew deeply interested in everything related to popular culture? Do you frequently talk about celebs at the office or who's dating who? In that case, play 'A Famous People Picnic,' where you declare the five famous people you'd want to have a picnic with. See how your answers differ from those of your BFFs.
7. 'For One Million Dollars'
![Play Play](https://onigiri.cyberstep.com/images/library/wallpaper001_1920x1200.jpg)
To get started, you simply have to make sure everyone has the same app on their phone and coordinate a time everyone is free to 'happy hour' in a group chat. Once you've reached a time, log on accordingly and have a drink prepared. After everyone has caught up on the latest hot gossip, propose playing one of these 15 games. Grape times are ahead.
1. 'Never Have I Ever'
The first of these games is a classic: 'Never Have I Ever.' In this game, every friend puts up five fingers and takes a turn saying something they've never done. If you have done it, you put one finger down. The last friend with a finger up wins.
2. 'Would You Rather'
Most of us have pretty strong opinions. Your happy hour crew is no exception and will have heated (but fun) debates thanks to 'Would You Rather.' Start it off by asking your BFFs, 'Would you rather only be able to whisper or only be able to shout?' Then, sit back and watch the game grow.
3. '20 Questions'
If you've never played '20 Questions' before, then virtual happy hour with your friends will be a grape time to try it out. Start by having one friend think of a person, place, or thing. Then, have each friend ask a question and see if you can figure out what that person, place, or thing is. The only catch: You have to figure it out in 20 questions or less.
4. 'Two Truths And One Lie'
One of your favorite icebreaker activities in college might've been 'Two Truths and One Lie.' This game instantly makes you closer to the friends in your life, revealing their wildest stories and fun facts. Just come up with two truthful statements and one lie, and see if the group can guess which one is the lie. The more clever you can be, the better.
5. 'Guess My Sign'
Astrology-loving friends will adore playing 'Guess My Sign.' It's pretty simple: Based on what you know about someone, their personality, and their interests, you have to guess their zodiacsign. If you're right, treat yourself to a sip or snack.
6. 'A Famous People Picnic'
Are you and your crew deeply interested in everything related to popular culture? Do you frequently talk about celebs at the office or who's dating who? In that case, play 'A Famous People Picnic,' where you declare the five famous people you'd want to have a picnic with. See how your answers differ from those of your BFFs.
7. 'For One Million Dollars'
Spoiler alert: Not everyone would do anything for one million dollars. Some people wouldn't touch a spider, even if it meant receiving a giant check at the end. In 'For One Million Dollars,' you get to find out where your BFFs draw the line.
8. 'Name That Song'
You don't have to be a pop star in order to play 'Name That Song.' You just need to be able to hum and have a similar taste in music to your happy hour crew. In this game, one BFF starts humming a song and the rest have to guess what song it is. This game gets lively, and fast.
9. 'Tell Me Your Top Three'
What are your top three rom-coms of all time? What are your top three snacks in your kitchen? In this game, you reveal it all while drinking wine, eating snacks, and hanging out with your BFFs ~virtually~.
Virtual Happy Hour Games
10. 'Dance Battle'
Do yourself a favor and set up your laptop or phone in a place where it won't fall for 'Dance Battle.' Then, when your camera has a good view, your BFF is ready, and you've chosen a song, challenge each other to a dance-off. Have everyone else judge and decide who the winner is.
11. 'Tour Guide'
Playing 'Tour Guide' can be fun if you're having happy hour with co-workers or friends who don't see your space on the reg. It simply entails having each person give everyone else a tour of their apartment or home. Of course, only play this game if you feel comfortable to.
12. 'Cooking Show'
Create your very own version of Chopped or Top Chef during 'happy hour' with your friends and play 'Cooking Show.' In this game, you teach your crew how to put together your favorite nachos or cook homemade meatballs. The recipe or delicious snack is up to you, but be sure to end the game with a chef's kiss.
13. 'Snack Attack'
Fun Virtual Happy Hour Ideas
The rules of 'Snack Attack' are simple. When your crew starts to get hungry during 'happy hour,' you pull out the snack of your choosing and begin to rate it. After a few bites, you give your people a review of the notes, flavors, and crunch factor. At the end, you answer this vital question: 'Would you snack on it again?'
14. 'The Alphabet Game'
You've probably heard of 'The Alphabet Game.' However, it can come with different rules. When you're doing a virtual happy hour with your friends, play the version where someone picks a category — like fruits, colors, or places you'd go on #vacay — and then everyone takes their turn naming something in that category, with the first letter being their designated letter in the alphabet. Play a few times to keep the party going.
15. 'Meet My Dog'
Pets are bound to make an appearance during your happy hour with your friends. When that happens, you should start to play 'Meet My Dog.' This game works for any animal, really, but is meant to bring your friends closer to your forever fluff. Tell them your pet's name, favorite food, and what they like to do all day.
Virtual Games For Groups
If there's anything grandparents hate, it's being far away and unable to see their grandkids. At least thanks to technology, there are plenty of online games for grandparents and grandchildren to play together no matter how far apart they are. These interactive games are a great opportunity for them to connect, and for you to get a little break!
Multi-player online games and apps can be a little tricky for parents to navigate simply because of the 'stranger-danger' factor. There are a lot of platforms where kids can connect with their friends but risk a random drop-in from a stranger, so you might feel the need to supervise their use. Depending on how old your kid is, your supervision could totally cramp their style and everything might end up in an argument. If they're playing with their grandparents, though, they have real-time supervisors in the game with them, so you can give your child freedom and privacy without having to worry about potential dangers (thanks, grandma and grandpa!).
Not all online games and apps are good for everyone, though. In picking the best one for your family, you'll want to consider a game that is age-appropriate for your child and user-friendly enough for their grandparents. If nothing else, you can always give your parents a quick FaceTime tutorial on how to add a Chrome extension or download an app before they start playing with the kids.
You probably grew up playing Uno with your parents, and now your parents can play it with your kids from anywhere. Both of you will need to download the game on your phone or tablet and connect with each other to start playing.
Safety Note: Uno will ask for permission to access your GPS to connect you with people nearby to play whether they are friends or not, so you may want to opt out.
Pokemon Go is an app that has users 'hunt' Pokemon characters in real life spots. Even though grandparents and their grandchildren are in different spots, they can still hunt together and compare their catches with each other to determine who wins. It's a great opportunity for kids to get outside and walk around their neighborhood to see if they 'spot' any characters.
Safety Note: Today's Parent advises setting hunting parameters for kids (or going on the hunts with them), using a family email for registration, and turning off GPS whenever the game isn't in use.
Grandparents can set up an account with Readeo, a safe online platform that allows them to read a story to their grandchild over video chat. Kids can actually see the pages of the book and even turn them for their grandparents. To use it, one person has to have a paid membership (you can get a 14-day free trial) and then they can connect with a guest for free.
Kahoot is a platform used in a lot of schools, but can be used at home as a way to connect with other people (and maybe even do some sneaky studying). Kids and grandparents can 'create their own Kahoot,' like a trivia game, and have a friendly competition, or you can use some of the already-created Kahoot games and play them virtually. You can access the site for free or pay for different upgrade options, and it's best for more tech savvy grandparents & kids.
Safety Note: Since the entire platform is designed for kids and education, there are a lot of safety features built-in. You can check them out here.
Grandparents and grandchildren can connect with each other through Roblox. It's similar to Minecraft, in that the 'world' you're gaming through is created by users. You don't need a game console to play it (you can download an app or play it on XBOX). Grandkids can create a world/game for their grandparents to get through or they can build one together and then play in it after. It's a fun game that needs intermediate technology skills to play.
Safety Note: Roblox is a free community game, so there are lots of players all over the world. You'll want to utilize the parental tools to ensure your kiddo doesn't connect or chat with any strangers. You can learn more here.
If you know how to add Chrome Extensions, then you'll definitely want to use Netflix Party to connect your kids and grandparents. It allows up to four people to sync up their Netflix stream so they can watch content together in real-time. It also has a chat feature so viewers can talk about what they're watching together via chat. If your kid can't read or spell yet, you can always let them talk to grandma and grandpa on the phone while they watch.
Safety Note: This is a newer extension so be cautious of any unintended glitches. If it's working as promised, though, the 'party' can only be accessed by the party host and three guests who need a link to get in.
Mario Kart Tour is the classic game you love through an app on Apple or Android phones. There are several tracks and users can play with up to seven friends at once (so everyone can play!). You'll both need a Nintendo account to play, and there is a monthly subscription fee.
Safety Note: You'll want to set your kids up with a Child Account so you can manage everything from your end. This is a global platform so kids can play against anyone in the world, so be sure to monitor the game and utilize parental controls.
Draw Something is the app-based version of Pictionary. You can both download the app to a phone or tablet and connect with each other for 1:1 games. This is a game that's better for kids who can read simple words, or if a parent is nearby to help a smaller kid.
Virtual Interactive Games
Safety Note: You'll want to download this app to your device, not your kid's, because strangers can request to connect with you for a game.
Grandparents or kids can initiate a game of checkers and send the other party a link to join. There is no chat feature at this time, so they can either just play or they can set up a chat on another platform to talk while they play.
Virtual Games To Play With Friends Online
There is a fun interactive game for every age and every skill-level that will allow grandparents and their grandkids the opportunity to connect. A lot of these games even allow more than two players, so cousins can join in the fun to make it a whole family event. Sure, online games aren't the same as a real-life game night, but they're still a nice consolation prize.