Games to play with friends when you're in different countries

A quick note before you start

Keep the video call open no matter what game you're playing. The game audio and chat won't replace seeing people's faces — most of the fun is in the reactions, not the game itself. Don't let the game be the only thing connecting you.

Also: people's patience for complicated setup is lower over video call than in person. If the game takes more than 2 minutes to explain, you will lose people. Pick something that goes fast or that the group has played before.

CrowdSurf

CrowdSurf runs in everyone's browser with no shared screen required. One person creates a game at playcrowdsurf.com, reads the room code over the call, and everyone joins from wherever they are in the world. London, Sydney, New York — it doesn't matter. Everyone's on an equal footing.

Each round, everyone answers the same question and tries to predict what the group will say. Match the majority to score. Get the most unique answer and you're stuck with the Outcast flag. First to 8 points wins.

The game has its own in-game chat, but keep the video call running alongside it. Seeing someone's face when they get the Outcast flag is most of the fun. Works best for groups of 5 to 15. Free, no download.

Gartic Phone

Gartic Phone works well on video calls. Players alternate between writing prompts and drawing them in rounds. At the end, you see how a phrase became a drawing became a completely different phrase. The reveal is where it gets funny.

Have someone share their screen for the reveal even if everyone can technically see it on their own device. Watching it together and hearing people react in real time is better than everyone scrolling through it alone.

Skribbl.io

Online Pictionary. One person draws, everyone else types their guess. Simple enough to explain in one sentence, which is why it holds up on video calls.

Works best for smaller groups. Above 8 or so the guessing chat moves too fast to follow. Free, browser-based.

Jackbox

Jackbox needs one person to host on a PC or console and share their screen on the call. Once that's set up, everyone uses their phone as a controller. The games themselves — Quiplash, Fibbage, Drawful — are well-made and hold up across many sessions.

It costs $25 to $30 per game pack, but if your group plays regularly it's worth it. The setup is more involved than the browser-based options, so someone needs to be comfortable as the host.

Among Us

Among Us is for groups that want something more game-y. There's strategy, deduction, and a learning curve. It's not a 5-minute thing. But for the right group it's one of the better online options — the social deduction layer plays out differently every session.

Free on mobile, cheap on PC. Everyone needs to download it, which adds friction. If your group already knows it, though, it comes together fast.