Games to play with family online, from kids to grandparents
A good family game has rules a seven-year-old and a grandparent both get in one minute. These all run online or on phones, so cousins in other cities can join. Each one says what you need, since setup is where family game night usually dies.
Everyone plays on their own phone
One shared screen for the board, a phone in every hand. This setup works best on a video call too.
- Kahoot! The host shares a screen with the question, everyone answers on their phone with a game PIN. Make a quiz about the family in ten minutes. Needs: one host account.
- Jackbox Party Packs. One person owns the pack and shares the screen. Everyone else joins at jackbox.tv from a phone browser, no purchase needed. Needs: one copy.
- Codenames Party on Netflix. The word-clue team game on a Netflix TV, with phones as controllers. Included with a Netflix membership. Needs: a TV with Netflix.
- Codenames Online. The free browser version. Two teams, two spymasters, one-word clues. Needs: a link.
- Skribbl.io. Draw-and-guess in a private room. You can add a custom word list, so fill it with family jokes and pet names. Needs: a link.
Easy for grandparents
Older players do best with turn-based games and big text. Words With Friends lets a grandparent play one move a day with a grandchild in another time zone. A shared daily Wordle in the family group chat is the lowest-effort ritual there is: same puzzle, everyone posts their grid. On a call, talk games need nothing installed. Try Two Truths and a Lie with family history, where the lie is usually the best story.
Tip: send links a day early and test them with the least techy person first. If grandma can join, everyone can.
For Thanksgiving and holiday calls
Thanksgiving 2026 is Thursday, November 26. If half the family is remote, set up one game before dinner, not during. A 15-minute Kahoot about the year works between the meal and dessert. Kids can split off for something faster.
On Roam, a free iPhone app, there are short games that work across ages. KNOW IT! is a game-show trivia quiz. Mind the Pane has two people carrying a pane of glass through traffic, good for a parent and a kid. Sound Like a Goat is a comedy sound-imitation party game, and Bonk It In is pull-back mini golf.
Play it on Roam
Put the whole family in one game with Roam
Take a family photo and describe one silly game. Roam turns everyone in the picture into characters you can play together.
Try: "my family from this photo races to the dinner table, grandpa guards the last slice of pie, everyone can join from their phone"Questions people ask
What games can a family play online together?
Kahoot!, Jackbox, Codenames Online and Skribbl.io all work across homes. One person hosts and the rest join with a code or link.
What online games can I play with my grandparents?
Words With Friends, a shared daily Wordle, and Kahoot quizzes on a call. Keep it turn-based and send links early.
Do Jackbox players all need to buy the game?
No. One person owns the pack and shares the screen. Everyone else joins at jackbox.tv from a phone.
Keep exploring
- Christmas games the whole family can play together
- Games to play on a call, from zero setup to full game
- Games to play with friends, sorted by situation
- 2 player games for every kind of pair
- Phone games that actually work with friends
- Games to play on Discord with your server
More on Roam: All Roam games Make your own game