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9 Great Apps for Family Game Night

If you can't beat ‘em, join ‘em with free games you play on your phone

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mom and three kids playing cell phone game
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Enjoy some family game time with an entertaining app. Photo: iStock

If you’re busy preparing for the holiday season, remember to take a break in the evening to get together with your kids for some relaxing fun. Here’s a list of some great family game apps that’ll keep your whole crew entertained. The best part is, they’re all completely free. So download an app — or three! All are available at the Apple App Store and Google Play. 

Cramble

This quiz game uses wacky comparisons between different objects to create intriguing questions. For example, “to match the height of one Hubble Telescope how many coconuts would you need to stack up?” Or, “how many chickens would you have to pile up to be as tall as one Great Pyramid?”

Glow Hockey

If your head is spinning from all the crazy questions in Cramble and you need a break, download Glow Hockey. This easy-to-use hockey app has colorful glow graphics (hence the name) and great sound effects. You can customize the sticks and pucks, and the phone vibrates every time someone scores a goal. You can practice your skills by playing against the app before you challenge one of your family members to a game. 

Scrabble Go

If you’re itching to play a game of Scrabble but don’t have the board game version lying around, no problem, download the app. You can play with your family members or, if your spelling skills are a little rusty, you can practice a bit beforehand against the app. 

daughter, mom and grandma all laughing at a cell phone family game
Truth Or Dare Kids will have everyone cracking up. Photo: iStock

Spaceteam 

This game requires you to work together rather than to compete. Players are members of a team who have to maneuver a spaceship. Each person has a control panel with buttons, dials, knobs and switches, and receives commands that must be executed to save the spaceship from crashing. Some of the commands require instruments that are on the other players’ control panels, so you end up shouting commands at each other. No need to explain how much fun that can be! 

Truth Or Dare Kids 

The kids version of the classic game has hundreds of fun questions that’ll make you look at each other in a completely new way, like “what music are you embarrassed to admit you listen to when you’re alone” or “what’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?” Fun dares include “attempt to break dance for 30 seconds” and “wrap a player of your choice in toilet paper.” 

What Am I? Riddles and Answers

Who doesn’t like a good riddle? This app has lots of them, such as “soft, hairy, from door to door. I’m the pet that always stays on the floor. What am I”? You can ask for hints if you get stuck and need a gentle push (answer: a carpet). 

girl and grandpa enjoying time with a family game app
You may be surprised by some of your family's responses in the Yes Or No game. Photo: iStock

What Would You Choose? 

This game will inspire lots of interesting conversations. Players are introduced to thought-provoking scenarios like “would you rather 1) be able to fly anywhere you want, or 2) stop time whenever you want for 10 seconds.” You vote for your favorite option and get to see statistics on how most other people vote. No Wi-Fi is required once the app is downloaded, so you can play the game even when Wi-Fi is unavailable. 

Yes Or No?

Similar to What Would You Choose? this game will inspire conversations and great stories. It has lots of questions, including “have you ever been lost in the woods? “have you ever tried to cut your own hair?” and “have you ever eaten toothpaste”? This app also tells you see how other people vote, so you can decide for yourself whether your family really is as crazy as you think. 

4 Pics 1 Word

Millions of people are playing this addictive brain teaser game. Four pictures appear on the screen and you have to guess which word describes all four of them. Sounds easy? Not so fast! The first levels are simple and straightforward, but the game gets increasingly harder and more fun as you progress. The letters that you need to form the correct answer are scrambled with other letters, so the game also has elements of Word Search.

More entertaining games for families: 

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