Plato app alternative: Indian board games, face to face
Plato is a games app built around group chat. If you're looking for an alternative with the board games you grew up with in India, and the option to play them face to face on a video call, here's how Viaraa works.
Viaraa is a video call app in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi and English, with traditional board games you can play during a call or with friends in a group.
Free to join
What Plato is
Plato describes itself on its website as an app with more than 50 multiplayer games and group chat, available on iPhone, Android and Mac. Its games include pool, chess, card games and party games, and you can invite friends to private games with a link.
If you want a big catalogue of games to play with friends over chat, Plato is built for that.
What we say about Plato comes from platoapp.com, checked October 2026.
The games you grew up with
Viaraa has fewer games, on purpose: the traditional ones many of us played at home, with the names your family used.
| Game | Also known as |
|---|---|
| Ludo | Thaayam, Ashta Chamma, Chowka Bara, Pakidakali, Pachisi |
| Snakes & Ladders | Paramapadham, Vaikuntapali, Haavu Eni Aata, Pambum Koniyum, Saanp Seedhi |
| Mancala | Pallanguzhi, Vamana Guntalu, Ali Guli Mane, Kuzhipara |
| Tiger & Goats | Aadu Puli Aattam, Puli Meka, Huli Kuri, Aadum Puliyum, Bagh Bakri |
| Act & Guess | Like dumb charades: on video calls only |
Each game shows the name people know in your language, so on the Tamil site Snakes & Ladders is Paramapadham and on the Telugu site it's Vaikuntapali.
Play on a video call
The difference you'll notice most: on Viaraa you can play while you see and hear each other. During a one-to-one video call, open a game and keep talking while you play. Act & Guess only works on video: act out a film title without speaking while the other person guesses.
Video calls on Viaraa are with hosts: women aged 18 or over who chose to host, each checked by our team. Games inside calls are always free.
Why these games work so well on a call
Traditional board games are slow enough to talk over. A roll of the dice in Ludo or Paramapadham leaves plenty of time to chat, laugh and tease, which is exactly what you want on a video call. Pallanguzhi and Tiger & Goats are quiet thinking games for two, good for a calmer conversation.
They're also games almost everyone in India already knows, from grandparents' houses and summer holidays. Nobody needs to read the rules first, so you can start playing in seconds and spend the time talking.
Play with friends in groups
Make a group with up to 12 friends, chat, and start a game whenever you like. Friends invite each other with a Game ID, so nobody shares a phone number. Outside calls, playing with friends and in groups is free for now.
You can also play a game against the computer when nobody's around.
Just for fun
Games on Viaraa are only for fun: trophies, badges and bragging rights, nothing else. Nothing of value changes hands, whoever finishes first.
Nothing to install
Viaraa runs in the browser on Android phones, iPhones and computers. Send your friends the link and they can join without installing anything. Add Viaraa to your home screen and it opens like an app.
What video calls cost
Joining Viaraa is free. Video calls with hosts are paid per minute with coins bought by UPI. The smallest pack is ₹100 for 20,000 coins, and each host's rate is shown before you call, from 3,000 coins a minute.
- 20,000 coins₹100
- 40,000 coins₹200
- +25% extra1,00,000 coins₹400
- +25% extra2,50,000 coins₹1,000
Each host's rate is shown on her profile before you call, from 3,000 coins a minute.
Compare more on our Ludo King alternative and Houseparty alternative pages.
Questions, answered
Is Viaraa like Plato?
Both let you play games with people, but Viaraa focuses on traditional Indian board games and video calls in Indian languages. Viaraa isn't affiliated with Plato.
Can I play board games on a video call?
Yes. During a Viaraa video call, open Ludo, Snakes & Ladders, Pallanguzhi or Tiger & Goats and keep talking while you play.
Can I play with my friends?
Yes. Make a group with up to 12 friends and start a game whenever you like.
Are the games free?
Games inside video calls are always free. Outside calls, playing with friends and in groups is free for now.
Does Viaraa work on a computer?
Yes. Viaraa runs in the browser on computers, Android phones and iPhones.
Keep reading
- AlternativesHow Viaraa compares with other video call, language and game apps.
- Ludo King alternativePlay Ludo while you talk face to face, on a video call, in your own language.
- Houseparty alternativeHouseparty closed in 2021. On Viaraa you can play games on a 1:1 video call.
- Telugu video call appTalk in Telugu with checked hosts on a 1:1 video call, right from your browser.
Plato is a trademark of its owner. Viaraa isn't affiliated with it.