Playing a game together is one of the easiest ways to spend time with a long-distance partner without the pressure of a long conversation. A game gives you something to react to, laugh about and talk over, and it fills the comfortable silences that feel awkward on an ordinary video call. The catch is finding games that work on both of your devices, do not cost much and suit the time you have. This list sorts 22 online games for long-distance couples by type, with notes on what you need and how long each one takes.
How to choose a game for the two of you
Check three things before you pick a game. First, devices: if one of you is on an iPhone and the other on Android or a laptop, look for browser games or cross-platform apps. Second, time: a quiz takes five minutes, a cooperative adventure can take an evening. Third, competition: some couples love a rivalry, others have more fun working on the same team.
Talk on a call while you play, even for games with built-in chat. Hearing each other laugh is half the point. And keep a running scoreboard across weeks; a long rivalry gives you something to tease each other about between dates.
| You have | Try |
|---|---|
| 5–10 minutes | A quiz, would you rather, a word game turn |
| 30 minutes | A drawing game, a photo puzzle, a card game |
| An evening | A cooperative video game or a long board game |
| No overlap | Turn-based word games, chess by move, a shared bingo card |
Free games in your browser, no download needed
These work on any phone or laptop. Share the link and start.
1. Couples quiz
10 minutes · Free · Browser
Answer questions about each other and see how well you really know your partner. Our free couples quiz keeps score for you.
2. Would you rather
5–15 minutes · Free · Browser
Quick, silly and good for conversation. Explain only the surprising answers.
3. This or that
5–10 minutes · Free · Browser
Rapid-fire choices, from beaches or mountains to cats or dogs. Great for new couples.
4. Never have I ever
15 minutes · Free · Browser
A classic party game that works just as well for two. Keep it playful or make it spicy; you choose the deck.
5. Truth or dare
20 minutes · Free · Browser
Remote dares work best when they are small and visual: show the weirdest thing in your fridge, sing a chorus.
6. Couples word game
10 minutes · Free · Browser
A short word puzzle to solve together or race each other on.
7. Couples bingo
A week · Free · Browser
A bingo card of small things to do for each other. Perfect when you cannot play live at the same time.
8. Online chess
10 minutes to days · Free · Browser and apps
Free chess sites let you play a quick game live or one move a day by correspondence, which suits big time differences.
Creative and drawing games
Drawing and puzzle games are relaxed, funny and need no gaming skill at all.
9. Draw and guess
20–30 minutes · Free
One person draws, the other guesses. Free draw-and-guess sites let you set up a private room for two.
10. Shared drawing challenge
15 minutes
Draw the same prompt at the same time and compare. MileHeart’s Live Drawing gives connected partners one shared canvas for this.
11. Photo puzzle race
20 minutes
Turn a photo of the two of you into a jigsaw and solve it together. MileHeart’s Puzzle Together does this inside the app.
12. Story chain
15 minutes · Free
Write a story one sentence each in your chat. Add a twist rule: every third sentence must include an animal.
Phone games to play together
Many popular mobile games have friend modes. Check that both app stores carry the same game before you start.
13. Turn-based word games
Ongoing · Free with ads
Scrabble-style games are ideal across time zones: play a word when you wake up, your partner replies when they do.
14. Online card games
15–30 minutes · Free
Uno-style and classic card games have private rooms for friends. Short rounds fit a lunch break.
15. Trivia apps
10 minutes · Free with ads
Challenge each other to trivia rounds and keep a season-long score.
16. Cosy farming or life games
Ongoing
Some farming and island games let you visit each other’s worlds and leave gifts, which feels like a small shared home.
Bigger games for a full evening
If you both have a PC or console, cooperative games make great date nights. Check cross-play support before buying, because not every game connects PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC players.
17. Cooperative puzzle games
1–3 hours
Two-player puzzle adventures where each person sees different clues force you to talk, which is exactly the point.
18. Sandbox building games
Open-ended
Build a house, a town or a ridiculous rollercoaster together in a shared world.
19. Party game packs
1 hour
Many party packs need only one copy: the host streams, the partner plays on a phone browser.
20. Online board games
30–90 minutes
Digital versions of classic board games let you play your favourites with the rules handled for you.
Games for when your time zones barely overlap
Asynchronous games keep a playful thread running between calls.
21. Question of the day
2 minutes a day · Free
Each morning, one person sends a question; the other answers when they wake up. Our question generator has hundreds.
22. Photo scavenger hunt
A week · Free
Make a list of ten things to photograph, such as something blue or a stranger’s dog, and see who completes it first.
Make game night feel like a date
Set a time, put your phones on do-not-disturb and have snacks ready on both sides. Add a small stake: the loser plans the next date or sends a voice note singing a song of the winner’s choice. When the game ends, stay on the call for ten minutes just to talk. For more ideas, our long-distance relationship games guide has offline and conversation games too.
Q & A
A few questions you might have
What games can long-distance couples play online?
Browser games such as a couples quiz, would you rather or draw and guess need no download. Phone users can try turn-based word games and card games, and couples with consoles or PCs can play cooperative games with cross-play.
Are there free online games for couples?
Yes. Most quiz, question, drawing and word games are free in a browser, and many mobile games are free with ads. Chess sites are free for correspondence games across time zones.
What games work if we have different phones?
Browser-based games work on any device. For apps, check that the game is in both the App Store and Google Play and supports playing with friends.
What can we play when our time zones do not match?
Turn-based games, such as word games or chess played one move at a time, a question of the day, or a week-long photo scavenger hunt.
Found an idea for the two of you?
Send it to your person and choose something to try together.
