Spending time with family and friends can be super refreshing – regardless of if you’re eating, traveling, or just watching TV together. Playing online games with your family and friends can bring you closer. Video games not only help kill boredom, but they also exercise the brain and tap into your competitive spirit. At the end of the day, however, games help deepen your bond with those closest to you, and you’ll likely get a few good laughs out of it. Having a virtual game night is just as good as having a board game night. Here’s the problem, though – you can’t try every online game out there only to pick one to play. Getting into a game takes time and these gaming sessions are often impromptu. We’ve got you covered! Here’s a list of the 20 handpicked online games you can enjoy playing with your friends and family.
Skribbl.io
Skribbl.io is a free game that you can play with friends and family using Chrome or Firefox. All you have to do is go to the website and create a private room. You’ll then be able to share the room’s link with whoever you want to join. The game will prompt you to draw various objects, and the others have to guess what it is. You take turns drawing, and the quickest to guess correctly gets awarded the most points. You can also opt to input your own words to draw from if you’re playing with children!
Mario Kart Tour
Mario Kart Tour is the mobile version of the beloved Mario Kart game. You can freely invite up to seven other players to race with on adventurous tracks.
You can play as Mario, Peach, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, and other adored characters. Each character has a unique kart with different specs, and you can pick what suits your play style best. The game is available on both the Google Play Store and the iOS App Store. Keep in mind that it contains optional in-app purchases, and to play the game, you must have a Nintendo account.
Uno!
Uno! is one of the most popular card games worldwide – and now you can play with your friends regardless of where you are! Uno! is available to download for free on both Android and iOS. The mobile game introduces new cards like the “Discard All” card that removes every card of one color from your hand. Making a private room for family or friends is as easy as tapping on the “Room Mode” option and inviting them. The UI is bubbly and glitch-free – just like you’d expect it to be!
Stardew Valley
If you love role-playing games and are looking to enjoy one with your family or friends, you should get Stardew Valley. The players start as a young farmer taking care of crops, but they soon discover a town full of unique characters to interact with, dungeons to explore, and mysteries to uncover. You can team up with your loved ones and farm, build a house, catch fish, cook, mine, and do a lot more. The game never gets boring, and there are thousands of ways to have fun in the game!
Fortnite
This is one game you will love playing with your siblings! (and parents if they’re into it!) Fortnite is Epic Games’ ultra-popular battle shooter that continues to draw millions of players every day. You can team up with friends or siblings and drop into the Battle Royale Island. To win, you must eliminate other players and keep your team alive. 100 players drop in at once, and the last team standing wins! The game is free to play and is available on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and also on some Android devices.
Sea Of Thieves
The only way to win at Sea Of Thieves is working as a team – which is exactly what makes the game fun! You play as a pirate in the game, and the objective is to track down and loot treasure. But that’s not all – you must back down skeleton hoards and discover the tales that the world holds. You must also defend against other players’ attacks. You can also attack other players to get your hands on the treasures they looted!
Words With Friends Classic
Words With Friends is a little different from the other games on this list. You cannot play with all of your family together – it is a two-player game. You can have multiple games in progress at once with friends or family – one on one. It is a great way to stay connected to your dear ones while engaging in some healthy competition. The app is free to download from the Google Play Store and the App Store.
Call Of Duty: Warzone
If you and your friends love first-person shooters, you have to check out Activision’s take on battle royales in Call Of Duty: Warzone. The game is free to play and is available to download on PS4, Xbox, and PC. You drop into a world with 150 other players – all of which are in different sized squads. The idea is to survive as long as possible and eliminate other players – Call Of Duty style. The tight controls and great visuals make it a must-play with your buddies!
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing’s newest addition to the series, New Horizons, is an absorbing life simulator game available on the Nintendo Switch. The game’s casual tone makes it easy for you to enjoy it with your friends and parents. You play a fully customizable character who moves to a deserted island after purchasing it from Tom Nook – a key character in the Animal Crossing series. You can explore the island in a non-linear fashion – you can gather and craft items, catch fish and insects, and develop your island into a large community over time. You can visit other player’s islands online or enjoy the game in a local couch co-op setting with your family with a single system.
Monopoly
Monopoly is one of the most sold board games of all time – chances are you’ve enjoyed it with friends or family before! The Monopoly app brings the game to any mobile device. Once you download the game, you can play it with others who have it. The game isn’t free but comes at a low price. If your friends live in other parts of the world, Monopoly is a great game to enjoy with them over the weekend.
Rocket League
Rocket League is an insanely fun soccer game with a unique twist – you control a car instead of a human character! The objective is to score as many goals as you can with an oversized ball in a five- minute match. Defending your goal is just as challenging as attacking the other team’s goal. You can team up with friends or choose to compete against them. Matches are short, and hence the heat is one from the very first moment. Powerups and the field’s quirky nature can be both beneficial and disadvantageous – it all depends on how you play!
Golf Battle
Mini golf is one game anybody and everybody can enjoy with good company. Golf Battle is an excellent casual game you can enjoy with both family and friends. It is available to download for free on the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store. You can either challenge a player on a one-on-one match or play with up to six people at a time. The bubbly graphics and quirky mechanics make the game a must-try on any game night.
Portal 2
If you’re looking for a super engaging game to enjoy with your best friend, Portal 2 won’t disappoint. Portal 2 is a puzzle game with a twist – you must solve the puzzles using your portal gun. You must coordinate with your friend to hit switches and leap off edges at the right moments. Timing and coordination are key – make one mistake and may need to restart the level. It’s known as one of the most challenging and fun co-op games made and is worth a try over the weekend.
Exploding Kittens
If your family is down to try a cute new card game, Exploding Kittens is the perfect contender! It comes for a mere $1.99 and is available on both Apple and Android app stores. The game looks and plays really well – which is why it’s been on the #1 spot multiple times! The concept is simple – there are a bunch of cards facedown on a table. Players must take turns drawing cards, and if a player draws an exploding kitten, they must defuse it before the timer runs out. If they fail to defuse the kitten, the kitten explodes, and they’re out of the game. This continues until there’s only one player left standing. Powerup cards make the game a lot more interesting than it already is!
Bomber Friends
Bomber Friends is like the original Bomberman – but better. It has loads of unique powerups that make the otherwise simple concept a lot more interesting. You can play with your friends or your family online, and you can invite up to eight players to play one match. Character customization and the different in-game worlds give this free game an added twist. You can get it on both Android and iOS for free!
Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2
If you want to spend some time with your kids, you should get a copy of Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2. The Lego-themed action-adventure game will let you and your kids play together on the couch. You can choose to play as any character from the Marvel series, and can also switch characters to enjoy every power in the game. When playing co-op, the TV screen is divided into two vertically, making it easy to play together. You can purchase the game on PS4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, and Nintendo Switch.
Friday The 13th : The Game
Survival Horror co-op games are always entertaining. You must work as a team with your friends to gather items and beat Jason. You may need to bait yourself and lure Jason across the map for your friends to collect items that can help beat the game. You can also play as Jason and hunt down your friends! The game is available for purchase on PC, PS4, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.
Minecraft
There are no limits to what you can do in this game. You can team up with your buddies to build structures – small and big – or move about the world, exploring structures other players created. You can craft pretty much anything, and the ability to make a game inside a game is what makes Minecraft so appealing. It’s available to download on every major platform
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
The latest installment of the legendary Super Smash Bros. series boasts charming graphics and improved game mechanics that’ll make a boring weekend fun! The local couch co-op mode keeps you engaged as you try and knock the other player off the platform to win the game. You can also play with friends online! You can pick from Nintendo’s signature characters or play as crossover characters. Every character has unique abilities and power moves, which, when coupled with the alluring animation style, will keep your family locked in for hours.
A Way Out
A Way Out is one of those rare games that is only playable in co-op mode. The premise is that you play two criminals trying to find their way out of prison. Regardless of what you need to do – find an exit route, shimmy up a wall gap, or play a game of basketball – you will need another player to proceed.
locally on your PC, PS4, or Xbox One.
Regardless of if you plan your game night or decide to have one whenever you feel the time’s right – the important thing is to enjoy your time with those closest to you. This list gives you a quick overview of the best games you can play with friends and family – pick whatever sounds good and get right to it!