Quick answer: The best games to play over text with your boyfriend or girlfriend are ones that work in short bursts: would you rather, this or that, 20 questions, two truths and a lie, emoji movie guessing and story one line at a time. They don't need an app, they fit between meetings, and each one comes with a ready-to-send opening text below.
Texting all day with the person you love gets repetitive fast. "How's your day?" "Good, yours?" Repeat until one of you falls asleep.
A texting game breaks the loop. Here are 21 games to play over text with your boyfriend or girlfriend, each with a first message you can copy and send. They're good between calls, and if you want ideas for the calls themselves, see our list of things to do on FaceTime together.
How to pick a texting game
A good texting game survives delays. Your partner might reply in ten seconds or in two hours, so look for games that:
- Work one message at a time, with no fast back-and-forth needed.
- Can be paused mid-game and picked up after a meeting.
- Give you something to talk about, not just a winner.
- Don't need either of you to download anything.
Start a game when they have a bit of time, like a lunch break or the evening. Firing off a game during their big presentation won't win you points.
Quick games for a slow afternoon
1. Would you rather
Ask a two-option question and make them pick. No "both" allowed. First text: "Would you rather always be 10 minutes late or always be 20 minutes early?" Our 100 would you rather questions for couples will keep this going for weeks.
2. This or that
Like would you rather, but faster. Send a list of five pairs and ask for answers in one reply. First text: "Quick, no thinking: coffee or tea, beach or mountains, call or text, sweet or salty, morning or night?"
3. Rate it
Send a photo of anything (your lunch, a dog, a weird building) and ask for a score out of ten with a reason.
4. Finish the lyric
Send the first line of a song and see if they can finish it without Googling. Bonus points for songs from the year you met.
5. Emoji movie
Describe a movie in emoji only and make them guess. First text: "🦁👑🌅 Go." Then they send one back.
6. Fill in the blank
Send a half-finished sentence and let them complete it. "The most attractive thing you do without realizing is ____."
Guessing games
7. 20 questions
Think of a person, place or thing. They get 20 yes-or-no questions to guess it. Works beautifully over a whole afternoon of slow replies.
8. Two truths and a lie
Send three statements about yourself; they guess which one is false. Even couples who've been together for years find out something new.
9. Guess the zoomed-in photo
Take a photo of something in your room, crop it way in and make them guess what it is.
10. Where am I?
Send a photo from your day without context and let them guess the place. Easier if they know your city, harder if they don't.
11. Guess the song from emoji
Like emoji movie, but for songs. "☔️☔️☔️ 💃"
Games that get you talking
12. 21 questions
Take turns asking each other one question at a time, until you've each asked 21. Mix silly with serious: one round about favorite cereals, the next about the moment you knew you liked each other.
13. Never have I ever
Send a statement that starts "never have I ever..." and they reply with "have" or "haven't." Keep a score. Our list of never have I ever statements for couples stays playful.
14. Hot takes
Send one opinion you'll defend to the end, like "pineapple belongs on pizza." They have to agree or argue.
15. Superlatives
Ask "what's your best ___ ever?" Best meal, worst date, most embarrassing moment. Then answer it yourself.
16. Who's more likely to
Ask who's more likely to do something, and see if you agree. "Who's more likely to cry at a dog movie?"
Creative games
17. Story, one line at a time
Write the first line of a story; they write the next. It gets weird fast, which is the point. First text: "Once upon a time, a raccoon walked into our apartment with a tiny suitcase..."
18. Plan an imaginary date
Unlimited budget, any city, one rule: you take turns adding one thing each. Then pick one detail to do for real on your next visit.
19. Write a poem in four texts
Each of you sends one line, back and forth, until you've made a four-line poem. It doesn't need to rhyme. It does need to be about the other person.
20. Categories
Pick a category and a letter, then race to name five. "Foods starting with P. Go."
21. Trivia about us
Quiz each other on your own relationship. What was the first movie we watched together? What did I order on our first date? Loser plans the next call.
What about texting game apps?
If you both use iPhones, apps like GamePigeon add mini-games like 8 Ball and Word Hunt right inside iMessage. They're fun, but they only work if you're both on the same platform. Everything above works over any texting app, whether that's iMessage, WhatsApp or Messenger.
If you'd rather have a proper board game, the long-distance couple games that play by link run in a phone browser on both iPhone and Android, with nothing to install.
A few rules for texting games
- Don't punish slow replies. A two-hour gap usually means a busy day, not a lost interest.
- Mix silly and serious. Three funny rounds, then one real question, keeps it from feeling like an interview.
- Let them start one sometimes. If it's always you, ask them to pick tonight's game.
- Know when to stop. If they're tired or stressed, a game can wait. Just say goodnight.
And if you're just getting to know someone, our guide on how to ask someone out over text has messages for the very first step.
Pick one game, copy the first text and send it now. The worst case is that they're busy. The best case is your best conversation all week.
People Also Asked
Explore common questions related to this blog.
