Online Party Games: The Best Free Party Games to Play Online With Friends, Compared
By The Rondovo team · Published · Updated · 12 min read
The best online party games to play with friends are browser games where everyone joins with a link or room code on their own device. For free: skribbl.io and Gartic Phone for drawing, Codenames Online for a team word game, and sites with many party games in one room (Rondovo, GameBuddies) for a whole evening. If one person is happy to pay, a Jackbox Party Pack is still the best-known option: only the host buys it, and everyone else joins free in a browser. Which one fits depends on two things: whether you are on a video call or in the same room, and whether you want one game or a night of them.
We make Rondovo, a free site of party games, so we have an interest here. We have tried to compare everything fairly, including where other options beat ours. Prices and player counts below come from each product's own site as of October 2026.
In short
- Free, on a video call, drawing: skribbl.io (up to 20 in a private room) or Gartic Phone (telephone game, big lobbies).
- Free, on a video call, word game: Codenames Online, the official free version.
- Free, a whole night of different games: Rondovo (20 party games, up to 16 players) or GameBuddies (built-in video chat).
- Same room, action games with a TV: Gaming Couch (free, up to 8).
- Willing to pay once: a Jackbox Party Pack. One copy for the host; players join on any browser.
- No internet games at all: a call plus a pen and paper still runs Charades, Two Truths and a Lie or a quiz. See virtual game night ideas.
What are online party games?
Online party games are party games played over the internet, usually with each player on their own phone, tablet or laptop. They come in two shapes:
- Room-code games. One person starts a room; everyone else opens a website and types a short code or clicks a link. There is often a shared screen (a TV, or the host's screen on a video call) showing the main view, while each player's device shows their private part: their hand, their role, their answer box.
- Lobby games. Everyone opens the same website and plays in the same browser view, often with public rooms full of strangers as well as private ones.
Either way, the point is the same as any party game: short rules, everyone playing at once, and laughs that come from the people rather than the graphics.
Browser games vs apps vs paid party packs
| Browser games | Apps | Paid packs (Jackbox) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Usually free; some have optional extras | Often free with ads or paid extras | One purchase for the host |
| Setup for guests | Open a link or type a code | Every player installs the app | Players open a website; only the host installs |
| Accounts | Usually none for guests | Sometimes required | None for players |
| Works on a call | Yes, often without screen sharing | Varies | Yes, with the host sharing their screen |
| Works in the same room | Yes, better with a TV | Yes | Yes, built for a TV |
| Polish | Varies a lot | Varies | High: voice acting, music, writing |
Browser games win on getting started: a guest who joins late or has a different kind of phone just opens a link. Apps suit a game you will play often with the same people, but asking eight guests to install something on a Friday night loses half of them. Jackbox is the most polished, with professional writing and a big library, at the cost of buying a pack and screen sharing for remote play.
The best online party games, compared
We checked each official site in October 2026. Things change, so treat this as a snapshot.
| Game | Type | Players | Price (Oct 2026) | On a call | Same room | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackbox Party Packs | Packs of 5 party games | Quiplash 3: 3 to 8, plus an audience of up to 10,000 | The Jackbox Party Pack 7 is $29.99 on Steam; host only | Host shares screen on Discord, Zoom or similar | Built for a TV | The most polished writing and comedy games |
| skribbl.io | Draw and guess | 2 to 20 in a private room | Free | Yes, no screen share needed | Yes | Classic Pictionary-style rounds |
| Gartic Phone | Telephone drawing game | Lobby offers up to 50 | Free | Yes; its site says to start a voice call first | Yes | Big groups who want chaos, not points |
| Codenames Online | Team word game | 4 or more, in two teams | Free (official, by Czech Games Edition) | Yes, with your own voice or video chat | Yes | Clever clue giving for word lovers |
| GameBuddies | Many party games in one room | Varies by game (its werewolf game takes 6 to 16) | Free core games; optional paid membership for extras | Yes, with built-in video chat | Yes | A remote night with faces on screen |
| Gaming Couch | Action party games, phones as controllers | 1 to 8 | Free | Through screen sharing | Built for a shared screen | Fast arcade-style rounds in one room |
| Heads Up! | Guessing app | A group round one device | $1.99 on the App Store, extra decks paid | Awkward | Yes | A quick round at a table |
| Rondovo | 20 party games in one room (plus board and card games) | 2 to 16 depending on the game | Free; guests never need an account | Yes, no screen share needed | Yes, a TV is optional | A whole night of different party games |
A few honest notes:
- Jackbox has the best writing of anything here, and its games include favourites like Quiplash, Fibbage and Drawful. Player limits are per game; the ones we checked take up to 8, though the audience can be huge. For more free options in the same style, see our guide to games like Jackbox.
- skribbl.io and Gartic Phone are the default free drawing games for a reason. Our online drawing games compares them in detail, along with home Pictionary rules.
- Codenames Online is excellent and free, but it is one game. You will need something else for the rest of the night.
- GameBuddies is the only one here with video chat built into the game, which helps if your group does not already share a call.
- Gaming Couch is about reflexes rather than words or drawing. Good for a group that would rather race than write jokes.
- Rondovo tops out at 16 players in one game, has no public rooms with strangers, and is newer, with a smaller library of comedy prompts than Jackbox. What it does well is run many different party games (drawing, word, bluffing, hidden roles, bingo) in one room, with a four letter code and no account for anyone.
On a video call or in the same room?
This is the question that decides most of the choice.
Playing on a video call
The trick is to keep the call and the game on different things where you can. If everyone has a laptop for the call, they join the game on their phone or tablet, or the other way round.
What matters on a call:
- Does each player see the game on their own device? If yes (skribbl.io, Gartic Phone, Codenames Online, GameBuddies, Rondovo), nobody has to squint at a shared screen through video compression. If no (Jackbox, Gaming Couch), the host must share their screen and everyone watches the game through the call.
- Does sound work? Games with narration or music sound muddy through a call. Turn the game audio down on the host side.
- Is there a lot of talking? Talky games (Codenames, Mafia, Taboo) are better on a call than games where everyone stares at a drawing in silence.
On Rondovo, when no TV is connected, each player's screen can show the table (the shared view) as well as their own controls, and the narration comes to every player. So a group on a call can play without anyone sharing a screen.
Playing in the same room
Now the TV becomes the star. Put the shared view on the biggest screen you have and let everyone play from their own device on the sofa. It is the format Jackbox made famous, and it is the best way to play any room-code game.
If your TV does not have a console attached, most smart TVs have a web browser, or you can cast a laptop. Our TV games without a console guide walks through it.
A mix: some in the room, some on a call
The hardest setup. Put the shared view on the TV for the room, and make sure everyone has their own device for answers. With a TV-style game like Jackbox, the host also shares the TV view on the call; with Rondovo, remote players pick "Just this screen" and see the board themselves. Avoid games that rely on the room seeing someone act or draw on paper.
The best free online party games by type
Fill in the blank and comedy games
The biggest category, thanks to Quiplash. Everyone answers a prompt, answers are shown anonymously, and the group votes on the funniest.
- Quiplash (Jackbox): the original and still the sharpest writing. Paid.
- Fill-In (Rondovo): our take on the format. A sentence with a blank, 3 to 12 players, anonymous answers, one point per vote and a bonus point for every answer tied for the most votes. Free.
Drawing games
- skribbl.io: one draws, everyone guesses. Free.
- Gartic Phone: write, draw, describe, repeat. Free.
- Scrawl (Rondovo): draw and guess where the drawing appears live on every screen, 3 to 16 players. Free.
- Chain Sketch (Rondovo): our telephone drawing game, with a replay at the end where each owner picks a favourite drawing and guess. Free.
Word and clue games
- Codenames Online: two teams, one-word clues, a grid of 25 words. Free.
- Hush (Rondovo): describe a word without six forbidden ones while the other team watches for slips. Free.
- Five Letters (Rondovo): everyone races on the same five letter word at once. See also Wordle with friends.
Social deduction and bluffing
These are the games most improved by being online, because the game can hand out secret roles and run the night without a moderator.
- Nightfall (Rondovo): our Mafia game for 4 to 16. Roles appear on each player's screen, the game narrates, and every living player makes a move at night so nobody gives themselves away. Our how to play Mafia guide covers the classic rules.
- Odd One Out (Rondovo): everyone gets a secret word except the odd ones out. Trade hints, then vote. 4 to 12 players.
- GameBuddies' werewolf game (WereBuddies): 6 to 16 players, with optional voice and video chat built in. Free.
Getting to know you games
- Most Likely To (Rondovo): secret votes on who fits each prompt, scored for reading the room. 3 to 16 players.
- Two Truths (Rondovo): write two truths and a lie on your screen; everyone else votes. 3 to 12 players. Our two truths and a lie page has examples.
- Heads Up!: the app version of guess the word on your forehead, best in the same room.
What to play when
- Four friends on a call after work: Codenames Online or Five Letters, then a round of Scrawl.
- Eight friends on a call on a Saturday: start with Most Likely To, then Fill-In, then Nightfall.
- Twelve or more on a call: Gartic Phone, or skribbl.io in a private room.
- Same room, TV, one person owns Jackbox: play Jackbox. It is very good at exactly this.
- Same room, TV, nobody wants to buy anything: Rondovo for words, drawing and bluffing; Gaming Couch for action games.
- Family across time zones: a slow-paced game everyone can follow, like Bingo or Five Letters, plus a lot of chatting. More ideas in family game night ideas.
- A work social online: Codenames Online or a pub quiz; our team building games has more that suit colleagues.
For party games played in person, with paper, cards or nothing at all, see our full party games guide. If you want online games beyond party games (board, card and puzzle games too), our browser games to play with friends list covers them by genre.
How to set up an online party game night
- Pick two games and a backup. One easy warm-up, one main game, and something else if the main game flops.
- Send the call link and say "bring a second device if you can". One device for the call and another for the game is ideal, though one is enough for most browser games.
- Test the first game for five minutes before guests arrive. Open a room, join it from a second device, check sound.
- Explain by playing. Start a practice round instead of reading the rules out.
- Keep rounds short. Online attention spans are shorter than in a room. 15 to 20 minutes per game, then switch.
- Mute the game audio on everyone but the host, or you will hear it eight times with a delay.
Playing online party games on Rondovo
Rondovo is our free site of party, board and card games. One person hosts a room, friends join on their own screens with a four letter code, and a TV is optional (open rondovo.com/tv in the TV's browser and add it to the room). On a call, everyone picks "Just this screen". Guests do not need a download or an account. The party shelf includes Fill-In, Scrawl, Spindoodle, Chain Sketch, Doodle Recall, Hush, Act It Out, Face Up, Spy Grid, Nightfall, Odd One Out, Most Likely To, Two Truths, Mindline, Five Letters, Speed Wits, Bingo, Tambola, Frostmatch and Showdown!, from 2 up to 16 players depending on the game.
Questions people ask
What are the best free online party games?
skribbl.io and Gartic Phone for drawing, Codenames Online for a team word game, and sites with many party games in one room such as Rondovo and GameBuddies. All are free to play in a browser with no download for guests, as of October 2026.
How can I play party games online with friends?
Get everyone on a video call, then open a room-code or link-based game and share the code. If the game shows each player its view on their own device, nobody needs to share a screen. If it is a TV-style game like Jackbox, the host shares their screen on the call.
Is Jackbox free?
No. Jackbox Party Packs are paid, and only the host needs to buy one; The Jackbox Party Pack 7 costs $29.99 on Steam as of October 2026. Players join free at jackbox.tv on any browser.
Can you play online party games without downloading anything?
Yes. skribbl.io, Gartic Phone (which also has an app), Codenames Online, GameBuddies, Gaming Couch and Rondovo all run in a web browser. Jackbox needs only the host to install the game.
What online party games work for big groups?
Gartic Phone handles very large lobbies, and skribbl.io private rooms take up to 20. Jackbox games take around 8 players plus a large audience. Rondovo games take up to 16. For bigger groups, split into two rooms.
What are good online party games for a video call?
Games that put the game on each player's own device and are full of talking: Codenames Online, skribbl.io, Gartic Phone, and Rondovo's Nightfall, Hush and Fill-In.
Jackbox Games, Jackbox Party Pack, Quiplash, Fibbage, Drawful, Steam, skribbl.io, Gartic Phone, Codenames, Czech Games Edition, GameBuddies, Gaming Couch, Heads Up!, App Store, Discord, Zoom and Wordle are trademarks of their owners. Rondovo is not affiliated with them.