Texting is usually just a logistics tool. "Where are you?" "Did you buy the milk?" "K." It gets stale fast. But honestly, games to play while texting are the only reason some of my long-distance friendships are still alive. You don't need a console. You don't need a high-end PC. You just need a thumb and a slightly functioning brain.
Most people think mobile gaming means downloading a massive app that drains your battery. That’s not what this is. We’re talking about "text-native" games—things that live inside the chat bubble. It's about that specific vibe where you're waiting for a bus or sitting in a meeting that should have been an email, and you want to mess with your friends.
The Classics That Actually Work Over SMS
Let’s start with the stuff everyone knows but forgets to actually use. 20 Questions is basically the godfather of this category. It sounds cliché, but there’s a reason it survived the transition from telegrams to iMessage. One person thinks of an object, and the other person tries to narrow it down.
Here's the trick to making it not boring: don’t pick "a toaster." Pick something specific to your shared history. If you pick "that one terrible taco we ate in Austin," it’s no longer just a game. It’s a conversation.
Then there’s Would You Rather. It’s the ultimate low-stakes argument starter. You’ve probably seen the viral TikToks or the dedicated apps, but it’s better when it’s spontaneous. "Would you rather always have to hop like a kangaroo everywhere or only be able to speak in song lyrics?" It sounds dumb because it is. That’s the point. It breaks the "hey, how’s it going" loop that kills most text threads.
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Word Games and the Art of the Slow Burn
If you’re the type of person who still does the Wordle every morning at 6:00 AM, you’ll like the more intellectual stuff. The Word Association Game is probably the easiest thing to play when you’re distracted. I say "Apple," you say "Juice," I say "Box," you say "Cardboard." It sounds simple until someone says "Taxes" after "IRS" and suddenly you’re debating the economy.
Hangman works surprisingly well with emojis. You just send a string of underscores: _ _ _ _ _. Then your friend sends a letter. You edit the message (if you're on iOS or WhatsApp) or just send a new version of the string. It’s a slow burn. Sometimes a game takes three days. That’s the beauty of it. You aren't tied to the screen.
Story Builders are another heavy hitter. You send one sentence. Your friend sends the next. Usually, by sentence six, the plot has devolved into a sci-fi horror show involving a sentient sourdough starter. It’s creative. It’s weird.
The Game Pigeon Phenomenon
We can't talk about games to play while texting without mentioning GamePigeon. If you have an iPhone, this is the gold standard. It’s an iMessage extension. You get 8-ball pool, Sea Battle (which is just Battleship), and Poker.
I know people who have 8-ball pool tournaments that have been running since 2017. The physics are surprisingly decent for a chat app. The competitive element adds a layer of "I'm going to ruin your day" that text-based games sometimes lack. If you’re on Android, you’re kinda left out of the GamePigeon ecosystem, but Plato is a solid alternative that does basically the same thing through a dedicated app that feels like a chat room.
Why We Even Do This
Psychologically, these games fill a "micro-boredom" gap. Research into digital communication often points to the concept of social grooming. Like primates picking burrs off each other, we send memes and play "Kiss, Marry, Kill" to maintain social bonds. It’s low-pressure. You don't have to reply instantly.
If you're dating, these games are a lifesaver. Early-stage dating is fraught with "Did I say too much?" anxiety. A game of Truth or Dare (the PG-13 version, usually) gives you a structured way to ask questions you’d be too shy to ask in person. It provides "plausible deniability" for being curious.
The Weird Stuff: Emoji Games
Emoji games are basically Pictionary for people who can't draw. You try to describe a movie title using only emojis.
- 🚢 🧊 🥶 (Titanic)
- 🐍 ✈️ (Snakes on a Plane)
- 🦁 👑 (The Lion King)
It’s harder than it looks once you get past the blockbusters. Try doing Inception or The Godfather. It turns into a cryptic puzzle that can keep a group chat busy for an entire afternoon.
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Making Up Your Own Rules
The best games to play while texting are the ones you invent on the fly. My brother and I play a game called "Find the Weirdest Zillow Listing." We set a price cap and a specific zip code, and whoever finds the house with the most carpeted bathrooms wins. It’s technically a game. It happens over text. It’s hilarious.
There's also the "Trivia Guessing Game." No Googling allowed. "How many calories are in a Big Mac?" "Who was the 14th president?" You just guess and the person who gets closest without going over (Price is Right rules) wins. It’s fast. It’s dirty. It works.
Avoiding the "Cringe" Factor
Don't force it. If someone is giving you one-word answers, they probably don't want to play 20 Questions about your favorite fruit. These games work best when there's already a rhythm. Use them to bridge the gap when a conversation is naturally fading, or when you both know you’re just killing time.
Also, keep the stakes low. Nobody wants to lose a friendship over a heated game of text-based Connect Four.
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Actionable Steps to Start Playing
If you want to kick things off right now, don't ask "Do you want to play a game?" That’s creepy. Just start.
- Send an emoji string. Pick a movie and send 3-4 emojis to a friend. See if they bite.
- Start a "Would You Rather." Drop a ridiculous scenario into the group chat without context.
- Check your app store for iMessage extensions. If you’re on iOS, hit the App Store icon inside your messages and download GamePigeon or Cobi Hoops.
- Try the "Personal Trivia" route. Ask: "What’s the one food I hate that everyone else loves?" It’s a game, but it’s also a conversation.
The reality is that games to play while texting aren't really about the game itself. They’re a way to say "I'm thinking about you" without the awkwardness of actually saying it. They turn a cold, digital screen into a digital playground. Stop overthinking the "rules" and just send the first text.