HOSTING THE GAME
Virtual Games With Friends: Quizzes and More Over Text or Video
Video call or group chat: how to run a quiz and other games with friends from a distance, with practical setup tips and the pitfalls to avoid.
Friends scattered across several cities, a cousin living abroad, a best friend who just moved across the country: you can still play together. Here’s how to run a quiz and other little games from a distance, either live on a video call or at your own pace over text during the day, with practical setup tips and the pitfalls to avoid.
Live or anytime: pick your format
| Live (video call) | Anytime (over text) | |
|---|---|---|
| Vibe | Like a party, with real-time reactions | Calmer, everyone plays when they can |
| Length | 45 minutes to 1.5 hours | A day or a weekend |
| Time zones | Find a time slot that works for everyone | No problem at all |
| Best for | Birthdays, reunions | Big groups, busy schedules |
The live quiz, on a video call
A group video call is all you need. On WhatsApp, the official Help Center says up to 32 people can join a group voice or video call, that you can share a call link in a group chat to invite everyone, and that you can schedule the call with WhatsApp Events, which reminds you when it’s about to start. FaceTime works too: Apple’s support guide says you can talk with up to 32 participants in a Group FaceTime call and start one straight from a group iMessage conversation. You can also create a FaceTime link and send it by Messages or Mail, or add it to a Calendar event. Friends who don’t have an Apple device aren’t left out: according to Apple, they can join from a compatible web browser, such as the latest version of Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge, with no login needed. Screen sharing also lets the host show the questions to everyone.
- Give notice ahead of time with a date, a time and how long it will last. For friends in other time zones, list the time for each one: 8 p.m. Eastern is 5 p.m. Pacific.
- Pick a host who reads the questions and keeps score in a table, shown by screen share or sent as a photo at the end of each round.
- Have people answer in writing in the group chat at the host’s signal, so everyone doesn’t talk at once.
- Plan breaks every twenty minutes: focus drops faster in front of a screen.
For the “Who knows me best?” round, each player creates their quiz before the call and shares the link when the time comes. Everyone plays at the same time on their phone, then you look at the leaderboard together and each person explains their answers.
The anytime quiz, over text
It’s the easiest option. One person posts their quiz link in the group chat with a clear rule: “You have until Sunday at 6 p.m., then I’ll reveal the podium.” Everyone plays when they have two minutes. At the announced time, the creator posts the leaderboard and tells the story behind two or three surprising answers. The link stays valid for thirty days after the quiz is created, which gives latecomers plenty of time.
To keep the group chat from getting flooded, set a single time for the results instead of commenting on every entry. And remind everyone that the leaderboard is visible to anyone who has the link: the How to play page explains what’s shown.
Five more games that work from a distance
- Mystery playlist. Everyone privately sends the host a song that represents them. The host plays them one by one; the group guesses whose song is whose.
- Two truths and a lie. Everyone writes three statements about themselves, one of them false. The others vote on the fake. Great for bringing new people into a group.
- Zoomed-in object. Everyone sends a super close-up photo of an everyday object, and the others guess what it is. Pick ordinary objects and make sure nothing personal shows up in the frame: mail, a screen, a window facing the street.
- Blind drawing. On a video call, the host describes a picture; everyone draws it on paper without seeing it, then holds their masterpiece up to the camera. Expect a lot of laughs.
- The round robin. Everyone creates a quiz and plays the others’ quizzes during the week. The table of everyone’s scores is revealed on the next call. This format is one of the friendship quiz variations.
Pitfalls to avoid
- The forgotten player. On a big call, quieter people barely get a word in. The host can give everyone a turn to comment on an answer.
- The link that travels too far. A quiz link forwarded outside the group is visible to strangers. Use a nickname and skip personal questions; our guide lists the questions you should never share.
- Screenshots. A screenshot of the call shows faces and sometimes the inside of people’s homes. Ask before posting one.
- The game that runs too long. From a distance, three short rounds beat one long one. Better to hang up wanting to play again.
Which occasions does it work for?
A birthday celebrated from a distance gets a real boost from a quiz about the guest of honor: the questions are ready in our birthday quiz guide. A remote team can borrow the formats from the coworker quiz, cameras optional. And for a best friend who moved far away, the 40 questions to ask your best friend make a great topic for a Sunday call.