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12 games to play on a video call with friends and family

A video call with family in another city, or friends you haven't seen in months, goes better with something to do together. Here are 12 games that work well on a video call: some need nothing but your voices, and some are traditional board games you can play on Viaraa while you talk.

Every game here is just for fun, works in any language, and suits everyone from grandparents to cousins.

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Board games you can play during the call

These need a shared board. On Viaraa they open inside a one-to-one video call with a host, or in a group with up to 12 friends, and they're free inside calls.

  1. 1Ludo (Thaayam, Ashta Chamma, Chowka Bara, Pachisi): race your four tokens round the board and home. Lively, noisy and perfect for four. How to play Ludo.
  2. 2Snakes & Ladders (Paramapadham, Vaikuntapali, Saanp Seedhi): pure luck, so a five-year-old and a grandparent are equal. Paramapadham rules.
  3. 3Pallanguzhi (Vamana Guntalu, Ali Guli Mane, Kuzhipara): a calm counting game for two with seeds and pits. Pallanguzhi rules.
  4. 4Tiger & Goats (Aadu Puli Aattam, Puli Meka, Bagh Bakri): three tigers hunt, fifteen goats try to trap them. Aadu Puli Attam rules.

Acting and guessing games

  1. 1Dumb charades: act out a film title without a word while the others guess. On Viaraa it's built into video calls as Act & Guess, with titles in your language and a 60-second timer. The signs and tips.
  2. 2Guess the song: hum a film song, no words allowed, and see how fast the others name it. Start with the songs everyone's family knows by heart.
  3. 3Twenty questions: one person thinks of a person, place or thing; the others ask up to 20 yes-or-no questions to guess it. Great with young children.

Word and singing games

  1. 1Antakshari: one person sings a few lines of a song; the next must sing a song starting with the last letter or sound of that one. It works in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam or a mix, and older relatives are usually the best at it.
  2. 2Name, Place, Animal, Thing: pick a letter, then everyone writes a name, a place, an animal and a thing starting with it as fast as they can. Read the answers out and compare: unusual answers get the biggest laughs.
  3. 3Story chain: one person says the first line of a story, and everyone adds one sentence in turn. Try it in your mother tongue for extra fun.

Getting-to-know-you games

  1. 1Two truths and a fib: say three things about yourself, one of them made up. The others guess which one isn't true.
  2. 2Would you rather: ask funny either-or questions, like "Would you rather eat only idli or only paratha for a year?", and explain your choice.

These are lovely on a first video call with someone new, because they get both of you talking without any pressure.

Tips for games on a video call

  • Use a steady Wi-Fi or 4G connection, and keep the phone propped up so your hands are free.
  • For acting games, sit back so your whole upper body is in the frame.
  • Take turns choosing the game, so everyone gets one they enjoy.
  • Keep games short, ten to twenty minutes, and leave time to just talk.
  • Play in your own language: games feel more like home when the words do.

Play on Viaraa

Viaraa is a video call app in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi and English, with the traditional board games built in. During a one-to-one call with a host, open a game and keep talking while you play. With friends, make a group of up to 12 and start a game whenever you like. And when nobody's around, play against the computer.

Games inside calls are always free, and outside calls, playing with friends and against the computer is free for now. Everything runs in your browser, with nothing to install. Talk in your language: see our Tamil, Telugu and Hindi video call pages.

Questions, answered

What games can you play on a video call?

Board games like Ludo and Snakes & Ladders, acting games like dumb charades, and voice games like Antakshari, twenty questions and Name, Place, Animal, Thing.

What are good video call games for family?

Snakes & Ladders and Ludo suit all ages, Antakshari brings in grandparents, and twenty questions is easy for young children.

Which games can I play on a video call without any app?

Antakshari, twenty questions, guess the song, story chain, would you rather and two truths and a fib need only your voices.

Can I play Ludo on a video call?

Yes. On Viaraa, Ludo opens inside a video call and you keep talking while you play.

Are the games on Viaraa free?

Games inside video calls are always free. Outside calls, playing with friends and against the computer is free for now.

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