15 games long-distance couples can play over video

Games are the secret weapon of long-distance dating. They give a call a shape, they make you laugh, and they fill the silences that can feel heavy when you're tired and a screen is all you've got. Most of the games below need nothing but a video call. A few work best with a shared screen or a pen and paper on each side.

We've grouped them by the kind of evening you're having, so you can pick one in ten seconds instead of spending half the call deciding.

1. Would you rather

The classic, and still one of the best. Take turns asking. The rule that makes it work: you have to explain your answer. "Would you rather live by the sea or in the mountains?" becomes a conversation about where you might live together one day.

2. Two truths and a lie

Each of you says three things about yourself, one of them false. It sounds like a game for strangers, but couples are often surprised by how much they still don't know: a childhood nickname, a weird job, a near miss with a famous person.

3. Word chain

One of you says a word, the other says a word that starts with its last letter. Add a theme (food, places, films) to make it harder. It's mindless in the best way, and perfect when you just want to hear each other's voices.

4. Twenty questions

Think of a person, place or object. Your partner gets twenty yes-or-no questions to guess it. Try limiting it to things from your relationship: places you've been, inside jokes, gifts you've given each other.

5. Draw it from memory

Set a two-minute timer and draw something from memory: your partner's face, the house you grew up in, a map of the world. Hold the drawings up to the camera at the same time. Nobody is good at this, which is the point.

6. Accent roulette

Read a paragraph from whatever is nearby (a cereal box, a manual, a news article) in an accent your partner picks. Swap. It's ridiculous and it works every single time.

7. Scavenger hunt

Give each other one minute to find something in your home: something blue, something older than you, something that reminds you of the other person. The last one is the one you'll remember.

8. Pictionary on a shared canvas

One of you draws, the other guesses. A shared drawing board makes this much better than holding paper up to a camera, because you both see every line as it appears.

9. How well do you know me?

Write ten questions about yourself, from easy ("What's my favourite fruit?") to hard ("What was I most scared of as a kid?"). Your partner answers, then you reveal the right answers. Swap and compare scores. It almost always starts a conversation about one of the answers.

10. Hot seat

One person answers any question for five minutes, no skipping allowed. Keep it kind: the aim is to learn something, not to catch each other out. Our list of 60 questions is a good place to borrow from.

11. Desert island picks

Each of you chooses five songs, three films and one book to take to a desert island. Explain each choice. You'll come away with a playlist and a watch list for the next few weeks.

12. This or that, rapid fire

Coffee or tea, beach or city, early or late, call or text. Fire them off as fast as you can for two minutes. Then go back to the one where you disagreed and argue about it properly.

13. Online board and card games

Chess, Uno, Scrabble-style word games and trivia all have free online versions you can play on the same board while you're on a call. Pick one that's quick to learn so the game doesn't swallow the conversation.

14. Co-op video games

If you both have a console or a PC, co-op games where you need to communicate (solving puzzles together, building something, escaping a room) are great for teamwork. You'll learn a lot about how you both handle pressure.

15. A themed quiz night

Take turns writing a five-question round each about one topic: your relationship, your home towns, a film you both love. Keep score over a month and give the winner a small prize on your next visit.

The best way to use this list is to make games a regular, low-pressure part of your week. A few things help:

• Keep it short. Twenty minutes of a game and then just chatting is often better than a two-hour marathon.
• Mix competitive and cooperative. If one of you is very competitive, balance a trivia night with a game where you win or lose together.
• Write down the funny moments. Inside jokes from game nights become part of your shared story.
• Let the loser pick next time. It keeps things fair and stops anyone dreading game night.

Games won't replace being in the same room. But laughing together at a terrible drawing of your own face is one of the closest feelings to it.