Do we need to share a screen?

No. Every player sees the whole game on their own phone, including the other players’ boards in miniature. Share the TV page on the call only if the group wants one big view to look at together.

Does everyone need the same app or device?

No. It is a website. iPhone, Android, a laptop, a tablet, all in the same room. Nobody installs anything.

What if someone has a bad connection?

The phones talk to each other directly and the games are built to ride out a dropped connection and pick up again. Worm Wars runs in lockstep and is the one that feels a slow link most; the puzzle and word games are forgiving.

Can some of us be together and some remote?

Yes. A room does not care where its players are. The people in the living room can put the TV page on the television; the people on the call see the same boards on their phones.

Is it good for a remote team?

It is quick, nobody signs up, and the games are played with thumbs rather than typed jokes, which suits a mixed group. Codewords is the one to start with: two sides, table talk, and nobody has to perform.

Play with friends remotely: over Discord, Zoom, FaceTime, or nothing at all

Everyone joins the same room from wherever they are. The call is yours to choose; the game does not need one.

Three ways to set it up

1. Everyone on their own phone, no shared screen

The host opens Join Me Games, presses Play, and sends the invite link into the group chat or the call. Everyone taps it and is in. Each phone shows its owner’s board large and every other player’s board in miniature, with scores, so nobody needs a shared view to know what is going on. This is the setup for a group that is already on a voice call and wants to keep it simple.

2. The host shares the TV page on the call

Open the TV page in a browser tab on a laptop, enter the room code, and share that tab on Zoom, Meet, Teams or Discord. It shows every board live and follows the group from game to game, so the call has one big picture to react to while everyone still plays on their own phone. This is the setup for a game night that wants the living-room feeling.

3. Some together, some away

A room does not care where its players are. The people on the sofa put the TV page on the television; the people dialling in join by the same link and see the same boards on their phones. Nobody is a second-class player.

Which games suit a call

Codewords first. Turn-based, so a slow link costs nothing, and the whole game is people talking, which a call is for. Two sides, one word and a number, talk it over, tap. Four or more.
Sudoku for a quieter room: one puzzle, everyone racing, and the miniatures show who is ahead.
Block Battle Arena and Pill Panic both work well on a call: each board runs on its own phone and only the attacks travel.
Worm Wars is the one that wants everyone on a decent connection: every worm shares one arena in lockstep, so a laggy player feels it. Great on home Wi-Fi, less so from a train.

Every game plays with bots too, so a call of three can still run a game that wants four.

On Discord

Paste the invite link into the channel; Discord makes it a tap. For a shared view, the host uses Share Your Screen and picks the browser tab with the TV page, not the whole screen, so the room code and notifications stay private. Voice channel for the talk, game on the phones.

On Zoom, Google Meet and Teams

Same idea: drop the link in the chat, and if you want one big view, share the TV page’s tab. On Zoom, Share Screen then the tab; on Meet, Present now then A tab; on Teams, Share then the window. Sharing a tab rather than the screen keeps the frame rate up and keeps your other windows out of it.

On FaceTime, or just a phone call

There is nothing to share and nothing to set up. Send the link, keep talking. This is where the miniature boards earn their keep: a FaceTime group can play a full game with no screen but the phones they are already holding.

Questions

Do we need to share a screen?: No. Every player sees the whole game on their own phone, including the other players’ boards in miniature. Share the TV page on the call only if the group wants one big view to look at together.
Does everyone need the same app or device?: No. It is a website. iPhone, Android, a laptop, a tablet, all in the same room. Nobody installs anything.
What if someone has a bad connection?: The phones talk to each other directly and the games are built to ride out a dropped connection and pick up again. Worm Wars runs in lockstep and is the one that feels a slow link most; the puzzle and word games are forgiving.
Can some of us be together and some remote?: Yes. A room does not care where its players are. The people in the living room can put the TV page on the television; the people on the call see the same boards on their phones.
Is it good for a remote team?: It is quick, nobody signs up, and the games are played with thumbs rather than typed jokes, which suits a mixed group. Codewords is the one to start with: two sides, table talk, and nobody has to perform.

The games

Open the games, press Play, and send the link. Comparing options for a remote group? Every free alternative, compared.

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