Virtually
all can play
Nowadays, you can be alone together. Use technology to gather friends for dinner, games, karaoke and more
If you’ve got a webcam and an internet connection, you can still host dinner parties, happy hours, game nights, karaoke sessions and more. We’ve got some technical advice for ways to get set up and share your screen — you’ll find more ideas, shortcuts and links at
Most of us aren’t video-conferencing pros. It’s likely going to take a little trial and error to get set up the first time. Try to have a sense of humor about the whole thing.
Once you’re ready to go, here’s how to get started.
Getting set up
If you want to see or hear your friends, here are your options.
If you have friends or relatives who don’t feel confident setting up a webcam, hearing their voice is better than nothing.
If you both have Apple devices, you can FaceTime. You can set it up as a one-to-one video call or set up a Group FaceTime with up to 32 people. (Group FaceTime requires newer devices and an updated iOS.)
If anyone in your planned get-together doesn’t have an Apple device, Google Duo is basically an Android version of FaceTime. The app is free to download. Up to eight people can join a Duo call.
Up to 10 people can join a Skype group video call. Skype is free to download and works on phones, tablets and computers with webcams. If you’re hosting, it’ll be easier to set up the call if you’re on a laptop or desktop computer, but other participants don’t have to be.
If you have Gmail, that means you already have a Google account you can use to set up Hangouts for free. Go to
Zoom allows free one-on-one video meetings for as long as you want or for three or more people for up to 40 minutes with their free plan. (Probably a little short for game night.) The next tier at $14.99 a month lets you set up video calls for up to 100 participants and for up to 24 hours. (Probably long enough for game night.) Download the Zoom application at
What to do
This one is pretty straightforward. Everyone joins the videoconference and eats or drinks.
Your favorite karaoke haunts are closed, but that doesn’t mean the singing has to stop. Gather friends for some karaoke through Google Hangouts or Skype. Just search “karaoke version of [insert favorite song here]” and let it rip.
Social distancing doesn’t mean you have to Netflix and chill alone. A Chrome browser extension called Netflix Party lets friends in different places watch movies together and share their reactions through a chat room.
Pick a book to read with loved ones and video call to chat about it. Libraries in L.A. County are closed through the end of the month, but you can still get ebooks through the Libby app if you have a library card. This is also a great opportunity to support independent bookstores by buying your book-club picks online. Many offer free or reduced shipping and curbside pickup.
Just because going out is canceled doesn’t mean game night has to be:
If you and your friends have a copy of the same board game — say, Monopoly — you can all set it up and just move the pieces at the same time. Think of it as the modern version of chess by mail. (Incidentally, this would also work if you and a friend both have a chessboard.) This is easiest with games that require only dice rolls. Something where you’d all have to dig the same unique card out of a pile to keep things moving will be too slow.
Something like Cards Against Humanity or Apples to Apples could work too if you all have it. One player would hold up the prompt card, and everyone would pick an answer card from their hand. Then players would hold up their answers to the camera for the judge to decide. You lose the anonymity of the regular version of these games, but these are challenging times. And we all have to make adjustments.
With word games like Scattergories, only one person needs to own the game. Everyone else just needs a pen and paper. The host can share his, her or their screen with the categories listed somewhere like a Google Doc. The host rolls the dice to decide the letter, opens the categories screen so everyone can see, sets the timer and you’re off.
It’s 2012 all over again. Words With Friends, Draw Something and other app games are still around and just waiting for you to challenge someone. You can be on a video call from your computer and playing together on your phones at the same time.
The L.A. Times has free games too. You can challenge a friend to do the day’s crossword puzzle or Sudoku with you. Go to
Obviously, if you and your friends are already into “Overwatch” and “Fortnite,” you don’t need us to tell you what to do. Have fun.
If you haven’t played a video game with others in a while,
the Jackbox Party Pack is a crowd-pleaser. Six versions of the Jackbox Party Pack have been released, each with a different variety of trivia, drawing and word games. The packs are $12.49 to $29.99 and available on platforms including Steam, Playstation 4, Xbox One, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV. If you’re on a computer, Steam is probably the easiest way to go and free to download. (You still have to pay for Jackbox though.)
Everyone plays using a phone as a controller, so you can all be in the same room or on opposite sides of the planet. Some favorites include Fibbage, in which you try to fool others with fill-in-the-blank statements; Quiplash, a competition to come up with the funniest answers; and Trivia Murder Party, which is like if the classic “You Don’t Know Jack” trivia game was hosted by the guy from “Saw.” (It’s much funnier than it sounds.) The sophistication level and occasional adult humor of most of the Jackbox games make them suited to an older crowd — teenagers and up.
How to set it up: Launch Jackbox from whatever platform you’re using. Start a new game of whichever you want to play. Set up a video conference and share your screen. Other players can be on video or voice-only as long as they can see your screen and have a phone or tablet on which to play. No one else needs to download or buy anything to join in.
After you start the game, go to
There has never been a better time to get into Dungeons & Dragons. The game master needs a copy of the rules (the makers of D&D offer a short version online) and a rough understanding of the basics. Other players need only a pencil, paper and dice (or an app that simulates dice-rolling.)
If fantasy isn’t your thing, D&D is far from the only tabletop “role-playing game” there: Blades in the Dark, Lady Blackbird and Honey Heist are great for beginners.
