Let's be real for a second. We spend half our lives staring at those little gray and blue bubbles anyway. You're sitting there, waiting for a bus, or maybe you're just procrastinating at work, and the conversation starts to lag. You've already talked about the weather. You've complained about that one coworker. Now what? Honestly, this is where most people just stop replying. But if you know a few fun games to play on text, you can actually keep the vibe going without it feeling like a chore. It’s not just about passing time; it’s about that specific kind of low-stakes bonding that only happens when you’re both staring at a screen.
The psychology of texting games
Why do we even do this? According to social psychologists like Dr. Sherry Turkle, who has spent decades studying how we interact through screens, our digital "tethered" lives often lack the spontaneity of face-to-face talk. Texting is inherently asynchronous. You send a message, I reply ten minutes later. By introducing a game, you’re creating a shared "third space." It’s a framework. It gives you permission to be weird or competitive or creative without the pressure of a "real" conversation.
The Classics: Truth or Dare and Would You Rather
You’ve played these a thousand times. But on text? They hit differently.
Truth or Dare via iMessage or WhatsApp is honestly a bit of a chaotic masterpiece. The "truths" can be way more vulnerable because you have time to type out something honest instead of blurting out the first thing that comes to mind. The "dares" are where it gets tricky. Usually, a text dare involves taking a screenshot of something—your search history, the last photo in your camera roll, or sending a specific, embarrassing text to a random contact and proving it with a screengrab. It’s high-risk, high-reward.
Then there’s Would You Rather.
The key here isn't the easy stuff. Don't ask if someone wants a million dollars or a penny. That's boring. You want the "lose-lose" scenarios. Would you rather always have to announce every time you’re about to sneeze five minutes in advance, or always have to clap your hands every time someone says the word "the"? It sounds stupid. It is stupid. That’s why it works. It sparks a debate. You start arguing about the logistics of clapping in a quiet library, and suddenly you’ve been talking for an hour.
Why fun games to play on text keep friendships alive
It’s easy to let friendships drift into "How are you?" "I'm good, you?" territory. That's the death knell of a close bond. When you look for fun games to play on text, you're looking for a way to bypass the small talk.
20 Questions: The OG boredom killer
This is the gold standard. One person thinks of an object, a person, or a place. The other person gets 20 "yes or no" questions to figure it out.
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Pro tip: if you want to actually win, start broad. Is it alive? Is it bigger than a breadbox? If you start guessing specific Marvel characters on question three, you’ve already lost. There’s something deeply satisfying about watching your friend struggle to figure out you’re thinking of a "staple remover" or "the concept of Tuesday." It’s simple, requires zero apps, and works on literally any device that can send words.
Emoji Pictionary: The creative's choice
If you're more of a visual person, this is the move. You basically try to describe a movie title, a song, or a phrase using only emojis.
- 🧊🧊👶 = Ice Ice Baby
- ⚡️👓🪄 = Harry Potter
- 🚢❄️🧱 = Titanic
It sounds easy until someone sends a string of five obscure symbols and you're staring at your phone for ten minutes trying to figure out if it's a quote from The Office or a recipe for lasagna. It’s a great way to test how much you and the other person actually think alike.
Word Association
This is fast. One person says a word, the next person says the first word that pops into their head.
- Apple
- Pie
- Chart
- Graph
- Paper
- Cut
The goal isn't really to "win." It’s to see where the logic breaks down. Eventually, someone says something like "Existentialism" after "Toaster," and you have to pause the game to ask what on earth is going wrong in their brain. It’s a peek into someone’s subconscious. Sorta.
The "Deep Dive" Games for Couples and Best Friends
Sometimes you don't want silly. Sometimes you want to actually know the person on the other side of the signal.
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The Question Game
Rules are simple: you take turns asking each other questions. The catch? You can't skip. And you can't repeat a question. It starts with "What’s your favorite color?" and usually ends up at "What’s your biggest regret from high school?" within twenty minutes. This is especially good for long-distance relationships. It fills the silence that usually gets filled by just sitting in the same room together.
Never Have I Ever
Traditionally a drinking game, but it works perfectly over text. You start with "Never have I ever... traveled to Europe." If the other person has done it, they lose a point (or take a virtual "sip"). Since you aren't there to see them, it relies on the honor system. It’s a low-pressure way to find out weird facts about people you thought you already knew everything about.
Story Builder
This one is for the writers and the trolls. One person starts a story with a single sentence. "Once upon a time, a squirrel named Gary found a discarded lightsaber." The next person adds the next sentence. "Unfortunately, Gary had no idea how to use it and accidentally toasted his own tail." You keep going back and forth. Usually, the story devolves into absolute nonsense within ten turns. It's a great way to kill time on a long commute.
Some things people get wrong about texting games
People think you need an app. You don't. While things like GamePigeon on iMessage are cool—playing 8-ball pool or Cup Pong is a vibe—they're different from "text games." App-based games are about skill. Pure text games are about conversation.
Another mistake? Playing with someone who clearly doesn't want to play. If you send "Would you rather..." and they reply with "K," just stop. Read the room. Texting games require two people who are equally bored or equally invested.
Also, avoid games that require too much "work." If I have to go to a website to generate a code or look up a complex rulebook, I’m probably just going to go back to scrolling TikTok. The best games are the ones you can explain in one sentence.
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The "In-Joke" Potential
The real value of these games isn't the game itself. It's the inside jokes that come out of them. Maybe you realize your friend thinks a "tomato" is a vegetable (it’s a fruit, guys, come on) during a game of 20 Questions. You’ll tease them about that for the next three years. That’s the point. The game is just the delivery mechanism for the connection.
How to actually get a game started without being awkward
You don't want to just send a text saying "Do you want to play a game?" like you're the villain from Saw. That’s weird.
Instead, just lead with the game itself.
"Hey, I'm bored at the airport. Would you rather always have to skip everywhere you go or always have to talk like a 1920s news anchor?"
Ninety percent of the time, the other person will answer because it's an easy question to engage with. Once they answer, they’ll usually ask one back. Boom. You're playing. No formal invitation needed.
Scavenger Hunts
This is a more active version. "Find me something blue and send a photo." "Find me a book with the letter 'Z' in the title." It gets people moving. It’s surprisingly fun if you’re both stuck in your respective houses on a rainy Sunday. It forces you to look at your surroundings differently.
Actionable Next Steps
If you’re looking to liven up your group chat or a dry conversation with a crush, start small. Don't overthink it.
- Pick a game that fits the mood. If it's late at night and things are getting deep, go with "The Question Game." If it's the middle of the day and you're both busy, try "Emoji Pictionary" since it can be played slowly.
- Set "House Rules" early. If you're doing 20 Questions, decide if "maybe" is an allowed answer. It saves arguments later.
- Don't force it. If the conversation naturally shifts away from the game back to real life, let it. The game served its purpose.
- Use real-world prompts. Instead of looking up "Would You Rather" lists online, use things you see around you. It makes the game feel more personal and less like you're reading from a script.
- Try a "Personal Trivia" round. Ask the other person something about yourself that they should know. "What was the name of my first pet?" It’s a fun way to see who’s actually been paying attention to your rambling stories over the years.
Texting doesn't have to be a series of "Hey" and "What's up" messages. By using these games, you're turning a static screen into a playground. It's about making the digital world feel a little more human. Now, go ahead and send that first "Would you rather." You might be surprised where the conversation goes.
Resources for further reading:
- Research on "Digital Play" and social bonding (Turkle, 2011).
- The role of gamification in interpersonal communication (Deterding et al., 2011).
- Psychology of "Flow" in casual gaming (Csikszentmihalyi).