Check out these fun and free ideas for your next virtual party
We are nearing the peak of the holiday season. During any other year, our calendars would be filled with that annual high school barkada Christmas get together, the office Christmas party, and the family reunions. This year, due to the pandemic, safe get-togethers are so severely limited. And so we expect to see many virtual party links.
While nothing can really make up for physically meeting up with people, that doesn't mean that those virtual parties cannot be filled with fun activities.
Scroll through to get ideas for your next virtual party, without spending an extra Peso:
Among Us
This online multiplayer game became a sleeper hit this quarantine after gaining popularity with Twitch streamers. But you don't have to be an intense gamer to enjoy this clever mobile game. Free to download through App Store and Google Play, Among Us has a very gentle learning curve.
Three to 10 players, each with their own phone.
www.innersloth.com/gameAmongUs.php
Skribbl
Similar to the classic game Pictionary, this online drawing and guessing game is great fun for artists and non-artists alike. It is free to play through your computer or phone browser. There is a Tagalog-language version on the Skribbl website and an option to use custom words.
Two to 12 players, each with their own computer or phone.
Kahoot!
Originally a purely learning-based platform, this educational tool has been co-opted as a fun quiz game to play with friends. Their user-generated quizzes range from the educational (e.g. capitals of the world) to fun, pop-culture relates (e.g. Disney characters, the Marvel comic books). It is free to play through your computer or phone browser.
Two to 2,000 players, each with their own computer or phone.
Categories
A free, online, Scattergories-esque game is a fun game for a virtual family get together. The free game generator gives each player the same letter and five categories (e.g. "things in a park," "body part," "TV show," "Disney movie," and "sports equipment"). Each player has 60 seconds to come up with a word that starts with the given letter for each category. There is also an option to use custom categories.
Two to 45 players, each with their own computer or phone.
iScramble
From the same group that brought us Categories, iScramble is inspired by the word game Scrabble. Start a game with your friends while on a call and make valid words that connect to other words on the board using whatever letters you are dealt with. Don't forget those classic "Scrabble words" like the form of lava flow "aa" or the perfectly acceptable slang form of pizza "za."
Two to 20 players, each with their own computer or phone.
Codenames
The award-winning board game Codenames is free to play online through the developer's own, official beta-site. Like its physical counterpart, two teams compete with each team's "spymaster" giving one-word clues that relate to several words on the board that their teammates have to guess. There is a Tagalog-language version on the Codenames website.
Two to eight players, each with their own computer or phone.
Taboo
The online version of the classic word-guessing game Taboo requires a bit of coordination, but it is wholly worth it. Split into two teams, with each team choosing a clue-giver, a role that will rotate after each round. The clue-giver needs to go to the Taboo website and try to get their teammates to guess the word on the top of their virtual card without saying any of the five "taboo" words on the card.
Two to unlimited players, each with their own computer or phone.
Heads Up!
This popular Pinoy Henyo-type mobile game can easily be played through a Zoom call. Get everybody to download the app for free on their phones. Choose from the categories available, put your phone on your forehead, and have your teammates give out clues that will help you guess the word or phrase.
Two to unlimited players, each with their own phone.