Games to play with friends and family online during lockdown

Thanks to the power of technology, we are still able to do things together online while being physically apart due to lockdown and social distancing.

Here are some free apps you can play with friends and loved ones on a smartphone, to keep you entertained from afar:

– Psych!

Who can fake it best and fool the most people? That’s the aim of Psych!, in which you all must come up with the most convincing false answer to trivia – such as what do you call a group of zebras?

Each fake answer is submitted anonymously alongside the real answer, leaving you and everyone else to pick the correct one. Get it correct, you win a point, but also gain a point for every time someone else fell for your false answer.

There are different categories to choose from, and the ability to buy extension packs.

– Draw Something

Test your drawing skills – and that of friends and family on Facebook – with Draw Something.

The app will challenge you to draw something on your smartphone, which the other player must guess, and vice versa.

– Words With Friends

This Scrabble-inspired game is ideal for word lovers, allowing you to play in pairs online.

You can choose to download the app, or you can find it directly within Facebook, by going to the Menu and selecting Gaming, where there are a number of other titles to play.

– Clash Royale

Prepare to battle opponents and defend your side against a friend, in this real-time strategy video game.

Protect your towers while storming your opponent’s, as well as collecting cards and achievements along the way – but you will need to complete the training before you can set off.

– Uno

Family classic Uno is brought to your smartphone, with the same principle as before.

There’s also the ability to take part in tournaments and work together in teams of two.

– Houseparty

Houseparty, the video chat app which has exploded in popularity during lockdown, features four different games to play, all while keeping the video conversation going in the background.

These include Heads Up!, Trivia, Chips and Guac, and Quick Draw!.

– Remote Insensitivity

A game for the adults, Remote Insensitivity is essentially Cards Against Humanity, with the same aim – create the most bizarre and crude sentences from a pack of statements.

No need to download an app, just play online by visiting playingcards.io/game/remote-insensitivity and share the unique game code with others who wish to play.

It’s very manual, meaning you will need to deal cards and physically drag them, as well as keeping track of points yourself.