Phones are basically glued to our hands. But honestly, most of that time is spent doomscrolling or ignoring emails that could have been a Slack message. We've forgotten that the simplest way to kill time—and actually connect with someone—is through the native messaging app. Games to play with text messages aren't just for bored teenagers in 2005; they are surprisingly effective at breaking the ice during a long commute or keeping a long-distance friendship from fizzling out into "How was your day?" "Good."
It’s about low-stakes fun. No consoles. No $70 price tags. Just 160 characters and a bit of creativity.
The psychology of why we text-game
Texting is asynchronous. That’s the magic. You don’t have to respond immediately like you do in a Call of Duty lobby. You can take twenty minutes to think of the perfect response to a riddle or a "Would You Rather" prompt while you're standing in line for coffee. This gap creates a specific kind of anticipation. Dr. Jane McGonigal, a renowned game designer and author of Reality is Broken, has often talked about how games provide "urgent optimism." Even a tiny game of Hangman over SMS gives your brain a hit of dopamine because you’re solving a problem with a partner. It’s collaborative play in its rawest form.
People get it wrong when they think these games have to be complex. They don't. Complexity usually kills the vibe. If I have to download a third-party app to play with you, I’m probably going to close the notification. The best games to play with text messages leverage what we already use: emojis, autocomplete, and our own shared history.
Would You Rather: The undying heavyweight
You’ve played this. Everyone has. But there is an art to making it not suck. If you ask "Would you rather fly or be invisible?" you’re failing. That’s boring. The goal of a text-based Would You Rather is to create a genuine dilemma.
Try these types of scenarios:
- The Sensory Nightmare: Would you rather always smell like wet dog but not know it, or always smell rotting garbage that only you can perceive?
- The Lifestyle Swap: Would you rather live in a high-tech city where you’re constantly watched, or a beautiful cabin in the woods with no internet for the rest of your life?
- The Social Horror: Would you rather have to announce every single thought you have out loud, or never be able to speak again and only communicate through interpretive dance?
The beauty here is the follow-up. Why? Why would you choose the wet dog? The debate that follows the choice is where the actual "game" happens. It’s a window into how your friend’s brain works, and honestly, sometimes it’s a little terrifying.
Twenty Questions and the power of constraints
It’s a classic for a reason. One person thinks of an object, and the other person has twenty chances to narrow it down. But when you’re doing this over text, the "object" can be anything from a specific celebrity to an inside joke from three years ago.
Start broad. "Is it alive?" "Is it bigger than a breadbox?" (Does anyone even know how big a breadbox is anymore?)
The constraint of the twenty-question limit forces you to be strategic. You can’t waste moves. If you’re playing this over a few hours, it becomes a slow-burn puzzle. Experts at this game—yes, they exist—usually recommend the "binary search" method. You want to cut the field of possibilities in half with every question. Instead of asking "Is it a dog?", ask "Is it a mammal?" It’s more efficient, though maybe a little less "fun" if you’re a nerd for taxonomy.
Emojis as a language
We have thousands of tiny icons. Why not use them? Emoji Pictionary is probably the most popular variant of games to play with text messages right now. You translate a movie title, a song title, or a book into emojis.
Think about it. 🦁👑. Easy. The Lion King.
But what about ☁️🏰🎷? That’s "Castle on the Hill" by Ed Sheeran. Sorta.
It becomes a game of "how does my friend see the world?" Some people are literal. Others are metaphorical. You end up creating a weird, private language.
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Story Building: One sentence at a time
This one is for the creative types or the ones who have had a few drinks. You start a story with one sentence. "The cat realized the door wasn't actually locked." Then the next person adds a sentence. Then you.
The goal isn't to write a masterpiece. It’s to sabotage the other person. If I write "Suddenly, the floor turned into marshmallows," you have to deal with that narrative choice. It’s basically digital improv. It’s "Yes, and..." but via iMessage or WhatsApp.
The "Lyrics" Game
This is a test of musical knowledge and speed. One person texts a line from a song. The other person has to text the next line. If they get it right, they get a point and start the next round with a different song.
The catch? No Google.
Obviously, this relies on the honor system. But if you’re playing with someone you actually like, the honor system usually holds up. It’s a great way to rediscover old playlists. You start with something ubiquitous like Queen or Taylor Swift, and before you know it, you’re arguing over the bridge of a song from a 1998 one-hit wonder.
Why text games are better than "App" games
We’ve all seen those GamePigeon apps or the built-in iMessage chess. They’re fine. They’re polished. But they aren't conversational.
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When you play a game that is pure text, you are forced to talk. You are forced to engage with the person, not the interface. There is a "humanity" in a misspelled text game that you just don't get from a perfectly rendered digital dartboard.
Also, they work on everything. You don't need a flagship iPhone. You don't need 5G. You can play these games on a flip phone from 2004 or a satellite phone in the middle of the Mojave. They are universal.
The Autocomplete Challenge
This is a newer phenomenon. It’s less about "winning" and more about the chaos of AI-driven predictive text. You start a sentence with a prompt like "I really want to eat..." and then you just keep hitting the middle suggestion on your keyboard until it forms a complete (and usually nonsensical) sentence.
Example: "I really want to eat the cake and then I will be home in about an hour and a half to get the kids."
It’s stupid. It’s fast. It’s usually hilarious because it reveals the weird patterns of your own typing habits. If your autocomplete is constantly suggesting "the gym" or "the tavern," it says a lot about your Tuesday nights.
Truth or Dare (The Text Edition)
Truth or Dare over text is actually better than in person for one specific reason: Proof.
If someone picks "Dare," they have to send a photo or a video of them doing it. "I dare you to wear your shirt backward for the rest of your Zoom call" is a lot funnier when you get a screenshot ten minutes later as evidence.
As for "Truth," the distance of the screen often makes people a bit bolder. They might admit to something via text that they’d be too embarrassed to say while looking you in the eye. It’s a double-edged sword, sure, but it makes for a much more interesting game.
Finding the right rhythm
The biggest mistake people make with games to play with text messages is forcing it. If the other person is busy at work, don't spam them with "Would You Rather" prompts. These games are "filler" in the best sense of the word. They fill the gaps.
If a game is dragging on for three days, it’s okay to let it die. You can always start a new one next week. The lack of stakes is the feature, not the bug.
Setting the ground rules
Before you dive in, just a couple of things to keep in mind:
- Keep it light: Unless you’re playing with a partner or a very close friend, avoid the "Truths" that might actually ruin a relationship.
- No Googling: It ruins the trivia-based games. The struggle is the fun part.
- Know your audience: Don't play the "Lyrics" game with someone who only listens to podcasts.
Actionable Next Steps
To get started, don't overthink it. Pick one person you haven't talked to in a while and send a single, provocative "Would You Rather." Don't explain it. Don't give a preamble. Just send the question.
Most people are looking for a reason to be distracted from their daily grind. Being the person who provides that distraction with a clever game makes you a better friend and a more interesting contact in their phone. Start with the "Emoji Pictionary" for a movie you both saw recently. It’s the lowest barrier to entry and almost always gets a response.
If you're feeling particularly bold, try the "One Word Story" method. It moves fast and usually devolves into complete nonsense within ten texts. It's a reminder that your phone is a tool for play, not just a tool for productivity.