How to play party games on your TV without a console
You don't need a PlayStation, a Switch or a drawer full of controllers. If you have a TV, something that can put a web page on it, and people with phones, you're set. The phones are the controllers, so it doesn't matter whether 3 people show up or 16.
Step 1: Get a browser onto the TV
Pick whichever of these you have. They're in order of how reliable they are.
A laptop and an HDMI cable
Plug the laptop into the TV, switch the TV to that input, and open the game in your browser. Sound comes out of the TV, and there's no lag. If your laptop only has USB-C, a USB-C to HDMI adapter does the job.
Chromecast or Google TV
On a laptop, open the game in Chrome, open the ⋮ menu, choose Cast, save and share, then Cast…, and pick your TV. This also works on TVs with Chromecast built in.
AirPlay to an Apple TV
On a Mac, open Control Center, choose Screen Mirroring and pick your Apple TV or AirPlay-compatible TV. Then open the game and make the window full screen.
The TV's own browser
Many smart TVs and Fire TV sticks have a web browser app. It works, but TV browsers can be slow, so a cable or casting is usually smoother.
Step 2: Everyone joins from their phone
On Hangtime, the TV shows a four-letter room code and a QR code. Players scan it, or go to hangtime.games/play and type the code. No app, no account. Then the host presses Start.
Step 3: Pick a game for the room
- Mixed ages: Doodler (draw and guess, with a kid mode) or Wordy Birdy (a Wordle-style race). Both free.
- Trivia fans: Trivia Board, a free Jeopardy-style game with buzzers on everyone's phone.
- Big group: Bowl Game, the Fishbowl party game in two teams, for up to 16.
- Grown-ups after dinner: Who's Lying? or Best Answer Wins.
No TV at all?
A laptop on the coffee table is fine for 3 or 4 people. Or skip the big screen entirely: most Hangtime games have a remote mode where the whole game shows on every phone, which also works for friends on a video call.
Put a game on the TV, everyone joins from their phone. Three games are free, no app or account.
Start a free gameNo group handy? Try Wordy Birdy solo, free, in 10 seconds →Questions
Can I use my phone as a game controller on a TV?
Yes. Browser party games like Hangtime turn each phone into a controller through the web browser. There's nothing to install.
Do I need a smart TV?
No. Any TV with an HDMI input works with a laptop, and a Chromecast or Apple TV works with casting or AirPlay.
Why is there no sound on the TV?
Browsers only allow sound after you click the page once. Click anywhere on the game page on the TV.
Can I cast from my phone instead of a laptop?
You can mirror a phone or iPad to the TV, but then that device is the game board. The host joins from a second phone to play.