Welcome to Video Chat Game Night! If you already know your way around, click the Play Now button below to join or start a new game. Otherwise read on to learn a bit more about VC Game Night.
Intro

Before this whole Covid thing reared its ugly head and changed the way we all live our lives for a while, I loved hosting friends for game nights. This web app is my attempt at duplicating that experience virtually over a video chat. So far these games are supported (see below for more details):

How to Play

Important Note: These games are meant to be played while you have some sort of video chat going with all the participants (i.e. Zoom, Facetime, Google Hangout, etc.). Each person playing needs to have a phone or tablet (or a computer works too but the games are more optimized for a mobile layout).

One person acts as the Host of a game. They should hit Play Now above, enter their name, and then click the Start New Game button. They choose the game to play and configuration options such as how many points you need to win the game. This configuration page has a 6 digit game code; share that code with friends so they can join the game.

Other players hit Play Now, enter their name, hit the Join Game button, and then type in the game code shared by the Host. Once everyone is in and the game is configured, the Host hits Start Game and away you go.

Game Details
Poker (No-Limit Texas Hold'em)

Number of players: 2-10

Do a Google search if you need to learn the rules for No-Limit Texas Hold'em. Here are a few notes that are specific to this implementation:

  • The system doesn't let you fold unnecessarily. If you need to step away from the table, tap Menu and then Step Away - this will put you in Sitting Out mode and you'll automatically fold if there's any action to you.
  • If a hand comes to a showdown, players show cards in the order specified by the standard rules. If you are first to show or if your hand is equal to or better than any hand shown, you show automatically. If not (i.e. you've lost), you have the option to Show or Muck your hand.
  • If no more betting is possible in a hand (e.g. a hand is down to one all-in player and one other player) and there are more community cards to be dealt, then hole cards are automatically shown and the dealer is given a button to press to deal each of the remaining rounds of cards.
  • There's a 30 second timeout for all user actions. You get a warning with 5 seconds left, and you can tap to reset the timer if you need more time.

Cards Against Humanity

NOTE: Not Safe for Work - many of the question and answer cards involve adult content.

Suggested number of players: 4-10

To start, each player is dealt 7 white answer cards. Then play begins, and the role of "Judge" rotates among the players. The player who is Judge automatically draws a single black question card from the deck, and should read that card to all other players. Each player then selects a card from their hand which best fits that question (as judged by the current Judge).

Once all players have chosen cards, those cards are shuffled and sent to the Judge, who chooses the best answer. The person who played that card is awarded a point, all played cards are discarded, and each player draws card(s) to replace played card(s). Play then continues with the next Judge.

Play continues until someone reaches the number of points specified by the Host at the start of the game.

Taboo

Suggested number of players: 4-20

Players divide themselves into two teams. Then players take turns, where each turn consists of the following:

  • The clue-giver for the turn taps the timer to start the timer and show the first answer card.
  • Give verbal clues to get your teammates to guess the word(s) on the top of the card. You can't say the answer words, or any of the "forbidden words" listed on the rest of the card, or any form of any of these words. You also can't use rhymes or gestures.
  • The answer card is shown to the current clue-giver as well as all players on the other team, so that they can "buzz" the giver if they say any restricted words.
    NOTE: You can decide as a group whether to let everyone on the other team buzz, or to designate just one person to buzz for each turn. If you choose the latter, others can put their phones down for that turn.
  • If your teammates guess the word, double-tap the "Answer Guessed" button; your team gets one point.
  • If you say any of the restricted words, your opponents double-tap the "Buzz or Pass" button, and you lose one point.
  • You can pass on any card by double-tapping the "Buzz or Pass" button, but you also lose one point for this.
  • Repeat the above process until the time runs out.
Game is over once everyone has been the clue-giver at least once. (Some people may have to give more than once if one team is bigger than the other.)

Apples to Apples

This is essentially the same game as Cards Against Humanity, but with questions and answers that are a bit more PG-13.

Celebrity

Suggested number of players: 6-20

Players should be divided into two teams in whatever way you choose. Each player should choose their team from the dropdown on the screen after entering the game code.

As a first step, each person chooses 4 "answers" and enters them into the web app. These will be mixed together and are the answers that players will try to get their teammates to guess. In some variants of the game the answers must be celebrities (as per the name of the game), but in others the answers can be anything you want your friends to give clues about and try to guess. Discuss as a group what kind of answers are appropriate for your game.

Once everyone has submitted their answers, play continues as follows:

  • Players take turns being the clue-giver, where they have 1 minute to get their team to guess as many answers as possible. They tap on the timer to start, and then they are shown a randomly-chosen answer. They give clues to their team (the type of clues varies by round, as described below), and when someone guesses the correct answer, they double-tap the "Answer Guessed" button. When they do, the answer is briefly shown to everyone.
  • Round 1: Clues are given verbally, and anything can be said except the answer itself or forms of those words (i.e. like Taboo but without the additional list of restricted words.)
  • Once you've gone through all the answers, Round 1 is over and all answers are re-shuffled for the next round.
  • Round 2: Charades, i.e. silently acting out each answer.
  • Round 3: Verbal clues again, but this time you can say only one word to get people to guess each answer. After you've said your word you have to quietly wait for your teammates to guess correctly. If you realize you chose a poor clue, that's rough - you get to sit awkwardly until the time expires.
  • Note that rounds 2 and 3 are progressively harder in terms of how you give clues, but everyone has heard the answers before so a part of the game is remembering the answers from previous rounds.
  • Team with the most points after the 3 rounds wins.

Contact Us
If you have feedback, issues, or suggestions, I'd love to hear from you. Please email me at