Texting Games To Play: 35 Fun Chat Challenges For Friends
Add excitement to your daily conversations with these entertaining texting games
In today’s digital world, texting has become our primary mode of communication. But sometimes, those conversations can become a bit stale or repetitive. Why not spice things up by turning your text exchanges into entertaining game sessions? Whether you’re looking to pass time during a boring day, strengthen your bond with long-distance friends, or simply add some excitement to your group chat, these texting games are perfect for injecting fun into your digital conversations.
Word Association Games
Word games are classics for a reason – they’re simple to learn but can provide hours of entertainment while challenging your vocabulary and quick thinking skills.
1. Word Association
This simple yet engaging game starts when one person sends a word, and the next person must respond with a word that’s associated with it. The chain continues as each reply must relate to the previous word. For example, if someone texts “beach,” you might respond with “sand,” followed by “castle,” and so on. The game continues until someone can’t think of a related word quickly enough or accidentally repeats a word that’s already been used.
2. Alphabetical Categories
Choose a category like food, movies, or animals. The first player names something from that category starting with the letter A, the second player continues with B, and so on through the alphabet. For example, with the category “fruits,” responses might include “Apple, Banana, Cherry.” This game tests your knowledge and creativity, especially when you reach tricky letters like Q, X, or Z!
3. Make It Rhyme
One person starts with a word or phrase, and the other person must respond with something that rhymes with it. Continue back and forth until someone can’t come up with a rhyming response. For example: “cat” → “hat” → “bat” → “rat.” The challenge increases as the game progresses and obvious rhymes are used up!
4. Last Letter, First Letter
The first player texts a word, and the next player must respond with a word that begins with the last letter of the previous word. For instance, if someone sends “elephant,” the response should start with “t” like “tiger.” Continue the chain with each new word starting with the final letter of the previous one. This game keeps you on your toes as you search for valid words while avoiding repetition.
Creative Storytelling Games
These games unlock your imagination and creative writing skills while creating hilarious and unexpected narratives with friends.
5. One Word Story
Create a collaborative story where each person contributes just one word at a time. The first person starts with a single word, like “Once,” the next might add “upon,” then “a,” then “time,” gradually building a story one word at a time. This often leads to hilariously disjointed but entertaining narratives that take unexpected turns based on each contributor’s input.
6. Finish My Sentence
One person starts a sentence but deliberately leaves it unfinished, and the other person completes it. This game works best with close friends or romantic partners who understand each other’s sense of humor. For example, you might text “If I could travel anywhere right now…” and your friend would complete it with their own creative ending. The responses can range from thoughtful to completely absurd!
7. Memory of the Moment
Gather a text chain of people you have a shared history with – former coworkers, college friends, or family members. Pick a memorable event that everyone experienced (“Remember when Grandma got arrested?” or “What about that time our boss brought her newly paroled boyfriend to the Christmas party?”). Then everyone takes turns adding a detail they recall about the incident. As the memory builds with each person’s contribution, you’ll find yourself laughing at the collective recollection and possibly discovering new perspectives on shared experiences.
8. Exquisite Corpse
Based on the classic surrealist writing game, this version has each person contributing a line to a story without seeing what came before their part. The first person writes a line and sends it only to the second person, who adds a line and sends both lines only to the third person, and so on. When everyone has contributed, share the complete story with the whole group. The disconnected narrative often results in absurd and hilarious results that no single author could have planned.
Question-Based Games
These games help you learn more about your friends while creating engaging conversations through challenging and thought-provoking questions.
9. 20 Questions
One person thinks of an object, person, or place, while others ask up to 20 yes-or-no questions to figure out what it is. The challenge is to ask strategic questions that narrow down possibilities efficiently. Start with broad categories (“Is it living?” “Is it bigger than a microwave?”) before getting specific. The game builds suspense as questioners get closer to the answer with each exchange.
10. Would You Rather
Present two equally challenging or absurd scenarios and ask your friend which they would choose. These questions can range from silly (“Would you rather have fingers as long as your legs or legs as long as your fingers?”) to thought-provoking (“Would you rather live in a country with low cost of living but horrible weather or a country with high cost of living and amazing weather?”). The resulting discussions often reveal interesting aspects of your friends’ personalities and values.
11. Two Truths and a Lie
Test how well your friends know you by sending them three statements about yourself – two that are true and one that’s completely false. Challenge them to identify which statement is the lie. This game works best when you include unexpected truths that sound implausible alongside believable lies. For extra fun, keep score of who’s best at spotting lies or fooling others.
12. This or That
Send your friend two options and have them choose one. Keep the pairs thematically related: “Coffee or tea?” “Beach or mountains?” “Early bird or night owl?” This simple format leads to quick responses that can reveal preferences and spark conversations about why someone prefers one option over another. For added interest, follow up with deeper questions about their choices.
Fast-Paced Challenge Games
These games test your quick thinking and reflexes, adding an element of competition to your text exchanges.
13. Lightning Round
Send a word to your friend and ask them to respond with the very first word that comes to mind – no overthinking allowed! The spontaneous nature of the responses often leads to surprising and revealing associations. You can make this more challenging by setting a strict time limit for responses (like 5 seconds) and disqualifying answers that take too long.
14. Name Game
Choose a category like celebrities, movie characters, or athletes. The first player names someone in that category, and the next player must name someone whose first name begins with the first letter of the previous person’s last name. For example: “Tom Hanks” → “Harrison Ford” → “Frank Sinatra.” This game tests your knowledge of names and requires quick recall under pressure.
15. Rapid Fire
Set a specific time limit (like 30 seconds) and challenge your friend to list as many items in a category as possible within that time. Categories could include “types of fruit,” “countries in Europe,” or “movies starring Tom Cruise.” This game combines speed with knowledge and can get quite competitive as players try to outdo each other’s item counts.
16. Text Charades
One player thinks of a movie, book, TV show, or song and texts clues using only emoji or simple text descriptions without using the actual title or character names. The other players must guess the title based on these cryptic clues. This modern twist on the classic party game challenges both the describer’s creativity and the guessers’ pop culture knowledge.
Guessing and Mystery Games
These games involve deduction, clever clues, and the thrill of solving puzzles through text exchanges.
17. Hangman
The classic pen-and-paper game works surprisingly well over text. Choose a word and text a series of underscores representing each letter (like “_ _ _ _ _” for “apple”). When your friend guesses a letter, update the text with that letter in the correct position(s). If they guess a letter that’s not in the word, let them know they have one fewer chance (traditionally six chances total). The game continues until they either guess the word or run out of chances.
18. Guess Where I Am
Describe your surroundings without explicitly stating your location, and challenge your friend to guess where you are. Unlike “I Spy,” you provide general descriptions of the environment and ambiance rather than focusing on a single object. For example: “I’m surrounded by tall cups, fine aroma, and lots of cutlery. Guess where I am.” This game works particularly well when you’re traveling or visiting interesting locations.
19. Emoji Pictionary
Use only emojis to represent a movie title, song, book, or famous phrase, and have your friends guess what you’re describing. For example, 👻👻👻 might represent “Ghostbusters.” The challenge comes from the limited emoji vocabulary and the creative combinations needed to convey complex ideas. This game showcases your emoji fluency and tests your friends’ ability to decipher your pictorial clues.
20. Guess the Song
Text a few lines from a song lyric (avoiding the chorus or title) and have your friend guess the song and artist. For an added challenge, choose obscure verses from popular songs or lyrics from lesser-known tracks by famous artists. You can also use emojis to represent song titles for a different twist on the same concept.
Conversation Starters and Get-to-Know-You Games
These games facilitate deeper connections by prompting meaningful conversations and revealing new facets of your friends’ personalities.
21. Never Have I Ever
Send statements beginning with “Never have I ever…” describing things you haven’t done. Your friends respond with “I have” or “I haven’t” to indicate their experience. This classic party game adapts well to texting and often reveals surprising stories and experiences. For example: “Never have I ever broken a bone” or “Never have I ever been on a blind date.” The revelations often lead to follow-up questions and entertaining anecdotes.
22. Hypothetical Questions
Send thought-provoking hypothetical scenarios that prompt creative thinking and self-reflection. Questions like “If you could have dinner with any three historical figures, who would you choose and why?” or “If you had to live in a different century, which would you pick?” These open-ended questions often spark interesting discussions that reveal values and priorities while encouraging imaginative thinking.
23. Desert Island
Ask your friends what three items they would bring if stranded on a desert island. You can specify categories like books, movies, foods, or tools to keep the game fresh across multiple rounds. The justifications for each choice often reveal practical thinking, emotional attachments, and creative problem-solving approaches that you might not otherwise discover about your friends.
24. Truth or Dare
The classic party game works surprisingly well over text. Ask your friend to choose “truth” or “dare,” then either pose a personal question or assign a task they must complete and provide evidence of (usually a photo). While physical dares are limited in a texting format, you can get creative with digital dares like “Send a screenshot of the last photo you took” or “Text your crush with a compliment.”
Risk and Surprise Games
These games add an element of chance and unpredictability to your text exchanges, perfect for friends who enjoy a bit of mischief.
25. Texting Roulette
This daring game works best in person but with text as the medium. Everyone places their phones face down, then picks up someone else’s device, searches their contacts, and composes a text message to send. You can establish boundaries beforehand to prevent inappropriate messages, but the uncertainty of who will receive what message adds an exciting element of risk. The results can range from mildly embarrassing to hilariously confusing for the recipients.
26. Tell the Truth
Set a punishment for declining to answer questions (like sending $5 via Venmo or posting an embarrassing picture on social media). Then take turns asking personal questions that must be answered truthfully or the punishment must be fulfilled. This game works particularly well with close friends who already share a high level of trust, as it pushes the boundaries of comfort zones in a controlled environment.
27. Random Photo Challenge
Challenge your friend to send a photo of the seventh image in their camera roll, or the most recent screenshot on their phone. The randomness of this challenge often leads to surprising revelations and funny explanations about why certain photos were taken. You can also specify parameters like “the last food picture you took” or “your most embarrassing selfie” to target specific types of images.
28. Contact Roulette
Scroll to a random position in your contacts list and text that person a specific message agreed upon with your game partner. The message could be something innocent like “Just thinking about you!” or more unusual like “Remember that thing with the giraffe? Crazy times!” Share screenshots of any responses for mutual entertainment.
Trivia and Knowledge Games
These games test your general knowledge and learning ability while providing educational entertainment.
29. Trivia
Send challenging trivia questions on topics ranging from history and science to pop culture and sports. You can theme the questions around a specific interest you share with your friend or keep them broadly appealing. For an ongoing game, keep score across multiple rounds and crown a champion after reaching a predetermined point total. Online trivia resources can provide endless question inspiration.
30. Riddles and Brain Teasers
Text a challenging riddle or brain teaser and see how long it takes your friend to solve it. The format works well for both classic riddles (“What has a head and a tail but no body?”) and longer logical puzzles. You can offer hints if they get stuck or set time limits for answers. This game exercises critical thinking and provides a satisfying challenge that’s different from typical conversation.
31. Guess the Celebrity
Describe a celebrity using only three clues about their appearance, career, or personal life, and have your friend guess who you’re thinking of. Start with vague clues and get increasingly specific if they’re struggling. This game tests your ability to distill a person’s most distinctive characteristics into concise descriptions while challenging your friend’s knowledge of public figures.
32. Word Scramble
Send a scrambled version of a word and challenge your friend to unscramble it within a time limit. You can choose themes like foods, animals, or countries to make the game more cohesive. For an added challenge, use longer words or phrases, or require the solver to use the unscrambled word in a creative sentence once they figure it out.
Creative Expression Games
These games showcase artistic abilities and creative thinking through the limited medium of text messages.
33. Emoji Translation
Challenge your friend to translate a sentence or phrase into emojis only, or vice versa. For example, 🏠👻 could represent “Haunted House.” This game tests your emoji vocabulary and ability to think symbolically. It’s particularly entertaining when trying to represent abstract concepts or complex phrases with the limited emoji palette available.
34. Acrostic Messages
Choose a word and create a message where each line starts with the successive letters of that word. For example, with the word “FRIEND”:
F – Finding you was a blessing
R – Really glad we met
I – Incredibly thankful for your support
E – Every day you make me smile
N – Never want to lose you
D – Definitely my favorite person
This game combines creativity with thoughtfulness and often results in meaningful messages.
35. Collaborative Playlist
Take turns suggesting songs that fit a specific theme or mood, gradually building a collaborative playlist. Themes could include “Road Trip Anthems,” “Songs That Make You Cry,” or “Guilty Pleasure Tracks.” Each suggestion should include the song title and artist, and optionally a brief explanation of why it fits the theme. This game celebrates shared musical tastes while introducing friends to new tracks they might enjoy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I suggest playing texting games without seeming awkward?
Simply start with a quick explanation like, “I found this fun texting game – want to try it?” Then briefly explain the rules and kick things off with an example. Most friends will appreciate the effort to make conversations more engaging.
Which texting games work best for group chats?
Games like Word Association, Memory of the Moment, and Collaborative Playlist work particularly well in group settings because they benefit from multiple participants. Two Truths and a Lie also becomes more challenging and fun with more players guessing.
Are there texting games appropriate for professional relationships?
Yes! Word games, trivia, and hypothetical questions can be appropriate for colleagues. Just avoid games that require personal revelations or could potentially cause embarrassment in a professional context.
How can I keep texting games interesting over time?
Rotate between different games rather than playing the same one repeatedly. Introduce variations to familiar games by changing themes or adding new rules. You can also set friendly competitions with small prizes to maintain engagement.
What texting games work best with someone I’m just getting to know?
Start with low-pressure games like Would You Rather, This or That, or Hypothetical Questions. These games reveal personalities and preferences without requiring too much personal disclosure or specialized knowledge.
References
- https://www.countryliving.com/life/entertainment/a62897712/fun-games-for-texting/
- https://www.countryliving.com/life/entertainment/a45510378/would-you-rather-questions-for-adults-friends/
- https://parade.com/1043064/marynliles/texting-games/
- https://www.tes.com/en-us/teaching-resource/city-versus-country-living-legal-size-text-board-game-12010069
- https://www.momjunction.com/articles/texting-games-couples_00612830/
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