The 12 best games to play over a video call
Zoom, Google Meet, Discord — the party games that actually work when everyone is on a screen, and how to run them without screen-sharing headaches.
Video calls are great for seeing faces and terrible for playing games — unless the game was built for it. The trick is simple: everyone should play from their own phone, with the call running purely for chat and reactions. No screen-sharing, no passing control around, no "can you see my screen?"
That is exactly how Fate Round works. One person creates a room, drops the code in the chat, and everyone joins from their own device. Below are the modes that land best on a call.
Quick icebreakers (2–5 minutes)
- Would You Rather — two options, everyone votes, votes stay anonymous. The perfect warm-up while stragglers join the call.
- Most Likely To — vote for the friend who fits the prompt. Reveals are always the highlight.
- This or That — rapid-fire preferences, no wrong answers, keeps the energy up.
Bigger group energy (5+ players)
- Trivia — pick a category or paste your own questions. Works for 3 people or 30.
- Codewords — two teams, one grid of words, a battle of clever clues. The best game on this list for a competitive group.
- Quiplash-style prompts — everyone writes a funny answer, then the room votes on the best.
When you want the call to get loud
- Never Have I Ever — anonymous confessions, no awkward eye contact. (18+ — read the note on its page.)
- Codenames-style word games — see the full directory for more.
How to run it on a call
- Start the video call as normal (Zoom, Meet, Discord, whatever).
- On Fate Round, hit Create and pick a game.
- Paste the room link into the call chat.
- Everyone taps it and joins from their phone — no download, no account.
- Keep the call for talking; play happens on each person's device.
That last point is the whole game. Because nobody is sharing a screen, there is no lag, no "you go first," and no host fumbling with controls. Ready? Browse every game and start a room.