5 Free Family Game Apps To Bond Over While Staying Safe Indoors
6 min readFamily game apps for a fun night including Words with Friends and Mario Kart Tour.
The other day, I complained to my kids that ever since COVID happened, all of us haven’t had the chance to go out and have fun as a family. But bo bian leh, WFH, HBL and whatever other acronyms have kept many people stuck indoors. Since the Tng family LOVES games, I thought why not download a bunch of family game apps, so that the family can bond more.
These games will improve your mental dexterity, and most importantly, are so fun that your family will be entertained throughout the night. I tell you, with community cases rising again ah, I confirm need these to de-stress lah.
App #1: Words With Friends
Image source: Google Play Store
To be honest hor, limpeh hasn’t read a book since silent reading in secondary school. That’s why I love playing Words With Friends with my kids, as I get to learn new words without having to browse through so many pages. The game is something like Scrabble, where players have to form words on a board, using their assigned alphabets. Points are then given depending on how hard the word is.
Only problem is when you’re a dumb dumb like me and can barely form words. If you’re paiseh to play in front of a crowd, you can also train yourself by using “Solo Challenge” and build up your vocabulary.
How to play:
- Create a game by searching for an opponent randomly or with their username.
- Create words on the board by placing your letter tiles vertically or horizontally. Each word needs to connect with a previously played word.
- Score points for each word based on the value of the tiles used in it.
App #2: Psych!
Image source: Google Play Store
Psych! is a fun game. But as a family man, it is also a scary game as it involves A LOT of lying. It’s a zhng-ed up version of your normal trivia games, but this time, players have to put in wrong answers to a question to “psych” the others. You score points by guessing the real answer to a question, or by making players choose the wrong answer you’ve inputted.
So let’s say the question is, “Who’s the actor who plays Phua Chu Kang?” The correct answer is obviously “Gurmit Singh”, but if you gave “Mark Lee” as an option to “psych” others AND they chose “Mark Lee”, you’ll also score points.
After playing a few rounds with my family, I realised that they are super good liars lah. Wah, next time Cathy says she’s staying out late to meet her “friends”, I’ll confirm need to double-check one.
How to play:
- Pick a category.
- See the question and key in your wrong answer to “psych” your opponents.
- Score points when you pick the right answer or get people to choose your wrong answer.
App #3: Mario Kart Tour
Image source: Google Play Store
Ever since my son bought a Nintendo Switch, I’ve been using it secretly. One game I really wanna buy is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but sian, the price is super high lah: $60 leh. Luckily, there’s a free official alternative for your mobile phones: Mario Kart Tour.
The more you play, the more characters and cars you can unlock. Keep levelling them up and you’ll confirm be super zai. To play with your family, just create a room at the “Multiplayer” tab and send the code to your family. You can now race in a group without having to pay for a Switch game.
How to play:
- Choose your characters and cars and start a race.
- Control the direction they move using your fingers to swipe.
- Use skills and traps to gain an advantage as you play.
App #4: Stumble Guys: Multiplayer Royale
Image source: Google Play Store
Stumble Guys is essentially a knockoff version of the popular game, Fall Guys, with one major difference – it’s free! This game lets you customise your avatars and participate in a series of challenging yet fun games. After each game, losers get eliminated until one winner remains. These games include giant soccer matches, unique obstacle courses and more!
How to play:
- Customise your characters and begin a tournament.
- Succeed in each game to avoid being eliminated.
App #5: Draw Something Classic
Image source: Google Play Store
Cathy introduced this game to us since she loves drawing. Even though I can’t draw for nuts, Draw Something is still exciting sia. How this turn-based game works is that you need to sketch a given word. The other players will then try to guess the word. If they guessed it correctly, they’ll score points. As such, the best way to sabo your family is to draw a super complicated word.
How to play:
- Create a room and invite players.
- Each player will take turns to sketch their given drawings.
- Points are awarded for each drawing players guess correctly.
Bond with your family in a safe way with these free family game apps
With COVID remaining part of our lives for the foreseeable future, going outdoors as a family might not be a viable option, especially for those with older relatives. As such, these free family game apps will provide you the fun you need, while you stay safe at home.
The Patriach of the Tng family, Uncle Tng is a Grab driver with the gift of the gab. He’s loud, always trying to help and still uses the terms “Internet” and “Chat room”. As he sees himself as an experienced man of the world, he’s often sharing his worldly views, whether you are interested or not.