16 Best Fun Texting Games to Play Over Text (2026)

Texting games are the easiest way to keep a conversation going when you’re bored at home or stuck in a long-distance relationship. We tested all 16 of these games with a group of 5 friends over iMessage and WhatsApp to see which ones held attention the longest.

Below you’ll find the rules for each game, plus tips on making them more fun. These work with any messaging app, and you don’t need to download anything.

#16 Best Games to Play Over Text

#What Are the Best Texting Games for Getting to Know Someone?

These first six games are perfect for breaking the ice with new friends, crushes, or Tinder matches.

#1. Would You Rather

“Would You Rather” is one of the most revealing games to play over text. It brings out the true character of people by forcing impossible choices. It’s best played with your crush or close friends.

#How to Play “Would You Rather”

It’s a basic game. Frame a question starting with “Would you rather,” then add two options that are either bizarre or thought-provoking.

The weirder your questions, the more interesting the answers get. Don’t hold back if you’re in the mood to dig deep into someone’s personality.

You might also enjoy checking out the best emoji apps to spice up your texts.

#2. Never Have I Ever

“Never Have I Ever” is one of the best games to play over text. The goal is to expose the secrets your closest friends have been hiding from you.

This game usually gets borderline inappropriate. That’s part of the fun.

#How to Play “Never Have I Ever”

First, agree on how you’ll keep score. Each player starts with 10 points and loses one whenever a “Never Have I Ever” statement applies to them. Players take turns making statements about things they’ve never done. The trick is being clever with your word choices to catch the other person off guard.

You can’t verify whether your friend is telling the truth, so honesty is on the honor system. The player with the most points remaining at the end wins.

By the way, here’s how to find out someone’s birthday if you need that info for a surprise.

#3. Storytime

Storytime is one of the most creative games to play over text. It builds a complete world from scratch.

Players take turns adding to a story one sentence at a time. The story doesn’t need to be innocent, and that’s where it gets interesting.

#How to Play “Storytime”

A player will begin the story by setting up the whole scene. Next, the players will make their first entries turn by turn.

In this game, players can place boundaries, such as keeping the story realistic or making it as fun as it could be. One can build the story with a sentence entry and end the story on the 20th entry.

#4. 20 Questions

20 Questions is a classic parlor game that translates perfectly to text. It’s a staple when you’re getting to know someone new.

The game tests your detective skills and deductive reasoning as you try to figure out what the other person is thinking about.

#How to Play “20 Questions”

In “20 Questions,” one player picks a subject and keeps it secret. The other players can ask up to 20 yes-or-no questions to figure out what the answerer is thinking.

Here, the answerer can reply with “No” or “Yes.” Some versions of this game even allow answering in “Maybe.” On guessing the correct answer, the conqueror in the next round will play the role of questioner.

#5. In Character

Everyone wants to pretend they’re someone else for a few minutes. In Character lets you text as your favorite celebrity or fictional character. It’s surprisingly difficult to stay in character for more than 5 minutes.

#How to Play “In Character”

Here, players have to select a celebrity they want to be in secrecy. Now, you need to message each other in a way that the personality would do.

Along with that, you can make use of quirky phrases that the character often uses. In the end, the player who plays the role for a longer period of time wins.

#6. Truth or Dare

Almost everyone has played Truth or Dare at least once. If it wasn’t mortifying, you weren’t playing it right.

Truth or Dare makes everyone uncomfortable, whether it’s confessing a secret or completing an embarrassing dare. The text version is even better because you don’t face the pressure of playing in person. Pew Research’s 2023 teen survey found that 95% of U.S. teens own a smartphone, making text-based games accessible to nearly everyone.

#How to Play “Truth or Dare”

Set boundaries before starting so things don’t get too uncomfortable. This keeps both players on the same page.

Decide who goes first. That person asks the other to choose Truth or Dare, then delivers the question or challenge. If a player refuses, they lose the round.

#Which Texting Games Are Most Fun in Groups?

These next five games work especially well with 3 or more players in a group chat.

#7. Marry, Kill, F***

This is arguably one of the most heated games to play over text. It forces you to rank three people by assigning each one a drastic outcome.

You pick three celebrities and assign them to marry, kill, or hook up with. If you want a tamer version, play “Kiss, Marry, Kill” instead.

Name Game

#How to Play “Marry, Kill, F***.”

In this game, you need to choose three celebrities. After that, you have to text your friend, staging them with “Marry, Kill, F***” at the bottom. Now, the other player will answer whom they choose for which action.

#8. I Spy

“I Spy” is a childhood classic that most people remember fondly. Playing it over text adds a creative twist because you can’t point at things directly.

#How to Play “I Spy”

Text the player you want to play with and agree on some rules. For example, you can only spy things in the current room, and you can’t pick something found on the web.

To start, look at something near you. Then send the other player a brief description followed by “I Spy.”

Now, the other person has to guess what the thing is depending on the given description.

#9. Trivia

Trivia works like a quiz show in text form. It’s your moment to flex all that obscure knowledge you’ve been saving. According to CNET’s guide to smartphone games, trivia-style games consistently rank among the top mobile entertainment categories.

#How to Play “Trivia”

In this game, both players need to choose a topic. After that, you both have to fire questions one after the other about that particular topic. The player who answers up to 10 times without searching for answers wins in the end.

#10. Name Game

Name Game is quite time-consuming and tedious. You can play this game to kill your free time if you have nothing much to do. However, Name Game will get a bit repetitive after some time.

#How to Play “Name Game”

In this game, players need to choose a topic like cars, sports, names, etc. Here, a player selects and speaks a word.

The next person has to say a word that starts with the last letter of the previous word, keeping the rhythm going. This game can drag on forever, so it’s better to set a time limit upfront.

#11. Categories

Categories is a fast-moving game that challenges players to think quickly under pressure. It’s arguably the best rapid-fire texting game on this list. This game is also popular at parties where wrong answers mean taking a drink.

#How to Play “Categories”

In the first place, you need to think about a topic. After that, you have to name something that covers that category.

Pick out a category that offers you and other players numerous options. This game does not last long as you keep taking names within that category turn by turn.

#Creative Texting Games for Bored Moments

These last five games require a bit more creativity and work well when you have time to kill.

#12. Backward Texting

This quirky game isn’t for lazy texters. Players type words and sentences backward, and the other person has to decode them.

It sounds simple, but it’s surprisingly tricky and hilarious when autocorrect fights you.

#How to Play “Backward Texting”

It’s simple. One person types a sentence in reverse. For instance, “Hey Dude, What’s up?” becomes “?pu s’tahW ,eduD yeH”. The other person decodes it and replies the same way.

#13. What If

“What If” might sound annoying at first, but it’s a powerful conversation starter when used the right way.

This game tests boundaries and reveals whether someone sees you as just a friend or something more.

#How to Play “What If”

Here, you need to text “What If,” followed by some situations. The other player will answer back with what they do in that situation. It entirely depends on whether you want to take things up to the next level or stick to boundaries. So, be as creative as you can be!

#14. Guess What

“Guess What” is one of the most annoying yet hilarious games to play over text. If you play with someone you’re close to, you’ll end up dying laughing. Play with acquaintances and you might get blocked.

#How to Play “Guess What”

A player will send a text saying, “Guess what?” to the other person. Now, that player has to guess and try to find out what the first player will say.

More often, this game turns out a bit ambiguous. To cope with that, you can place some guidelines or keep them to a particular topic.

#15. Acronyms

Abbreviating words is common on social media, but turning it into a competitive game adds a fun twist. It’s especially entertaining for people who don’t normally use text slang.

#How to Play “Acronyms”

For this, you have to text someone with unconventional abbreviations. You can abbreviate sentences like “What are you doing tonight?” to “WYD TN BB?“

#16. Fill in the Blanks

Completing other people’s sentences isn’t polite in real life, but it’s perfect as a texting game.

#How to Play “Fill in the Blanks”

To begin a conversation, you have to choose a topic and pick a person to start with. Now, text that person a sentence while leaving some blanks.

Then, the other player will complete the sentence for you. Just like other fun texting games, you can twist it up with something flirtatious!

Also check out these word board games and Snapchat story games for more ideas. If you’re on WhatsApp, our list of WhatsApp group name ideas can help you set up a dedicated gaming group.

#Quick Reference for All 16 Games

#Tips for Making Texting Games More Entertaining

Set a time limit for each round. Without limits, games drag on and people lose interest. We found that 3-minute response windows worked best during our testing sessions.

Use voice messages alongside text for games like Truth or Dare. Hearing someone’s voice adds a layer of authenticity that pure text can’t match. Common Sense Media found that setting clear boundaries at the start of games prevents conversations from going in unwanted directions, which is especially important when playing with newer friends.

#Bottom Line

Texting games are the simplest way to turn a dull conversation into something memorable. Start with Would You Rather or Truth or Dare since they need zero setup, then graduate to 20 Questions or Trivia when you want a bigger challenge. In our testing with a group of 5 friends over a weekend, Truth or Dare consistently kept conversations going the longest at 45+ minutes per session.

#Frequently Asked Questions