Game night with long-distance friends and family
You can screen-share a game on a video call. It technically works. The person sharing gets a laggy mess, everyone else squints at a postage stamp, and Grandpa keeps asking whose turn it is. It's much better when everyone has the whole game on their own phone and the call is just for faces and trash talk.
The setup that works
- Start the call on whatever your family already uses: FaceTime, WhatsApp, Zoom, Google Meet. Put it on a laptop or tablet if you can, so your phone is free.
- One person starts a game on their phone at hangtime.games/play, under “Can't all be in one room?”. A room code appears.
- Share the code in the call or the group chat. Everyone joins on their phone.
- Play on phones, talk on the call. The whole game shows on every phone.
Some of you are in one room? Put the game on that room's TV with the same code, and they can watch the board together while the others play from home.
What to play remotely
- Doodler (free): draw on your phone, the drawing shows on everyone's screen as you go.
- Wordy Birdy (free): everyone races the same five-letter word. Great for different time zones because there's no clock.
- Who's Lying?: seeing faces on camera makes the bluffing better.
- Bowl Game: Fishbowl in teams. The act-it-out round on camera is a highlight.
- Rummy: 13-card or American, for points, with your hand private on your phone.
Tips
- Pick a time that works across time zones and make it a regular thing, like the first Sunday of the month.
- Have one person be the host and explain the game; the others just join.
- Headphones help if several people are in one room on the call.
One phone starts the game, everyone joins with the code. Play over any video call.
Start a remote gameNo group handy? Try Wordy Birdy solo, free, in 10 seconds →Questions
What games can you play over FaceTime?
Any game that runs on everyone's own phone works with FaceTime. Hangtime's remote mode runs Doodler, Wordy Birdy, Who's Lying?, Best Answer Wins, Rummy and Bowl Game on phones.
Do we need to share a screen on Zoom?
No. In remote mode the game shows on every phone, so the call is just for seeing each other.
Is there a free game to play with family over video?
Doodler and Wordy Birdy are free in remote mode with no account.
Can grandparents join easily?
Yes. They just open hangtime.games/play on their phone and type the four-letter code. No app or account.