Believe it or not, you don't have to venture out to a restaurant to enjoy happy hour with your people. After a day of sending emails, typing out reports, and attending meetings on Zoom, you can still pour a glass of wine and catch up with your BFFs. Thanks to apps on your phone, like FaceTime and Google Hangouts, you can even challenge everyone to a few virtual happy hour games.
These are the games you might have played in person — after ordering a pitcher for the table or perusing the menu for sliders, wings, and other tasty appetizers — or they may be entirely new to you and your happy hour crew. Either way, they'll likely brighten your day and give you a reason to smile. They may bring you closer to people who you may have considered acquaintances beforehand, too, and give you a chance to tell your greatest stories.
To get started, you simply have to make sure everyone has the same app on their phone and coordinate a time everyone is free to "happy hour" in a group chat. Once you've reached a time, log on accordingly and have a drink prepared. After everyone has caught up on the latest hot gossip, propose playing one of these 15 games. Grape times are ahead.
01"Never Have I Ever"
The first of these games is a classic: "Never Have I Ever." In this game, every friend puts up five fingers and takes a turn saying something they've never done. If you have done it, you put one finger down. The last friend with a finger up wins.
02"Would You Rather"
Most of us have pretty strong opinions. Your happy hour crew is no exception and will have heated (but fun) debates thanks to "Would You Rather." Start it off by asking your BFFs, "Would you rather only be able to whisper or only be able to shout?" Then, sit back and watch the game grow.
03"20 Questions"
If you've never played "20 Questions" before, then virtual happy hour with your friends will be a grape time to try it out. Start by having one friend think of a person, place, or thing. Then, have each friend ask a question and see if you can figure out what that person, place, or thing is. The only catch: You have to figure it out in 20 questions or less.
04"Two Truths And One Lie"
One of your favorite icebreaker activities in college might've been "Two Truths and One Lie." This game instantly makes you closer to the friends in your life, revealing their wildest stories and fun facts. Just come up with two truthful statements and one lie, and see if the group can guess which one is the lie. The more clever you can be, the better.
05"Guess My Sign"
Astrology-loving friends will adore playing "Guess My Sign." It's pretty simple: Based on what you know about someone, their personality, and their interests, you have to guess their zodiac sign. If you're right, treat yourself to a sip or snack.
06"A Famous People Picnic"
Are you and your crew deeply interested in everything related to popular culture? Do you frequently talk about celebs at the office or who's dating who? In that case, play "A Famous People Picnic," where you declare the five famous people you'd want to have a picnic with. See how your answers differ from those of your BFFs.
07"For One Million Dollars"
Spoiler alert: Not everyone would do anything for one million dollars. Some people wouldn't touch a spider, even if it meant receiving a giant check at the end. In "For One Million Dollars," you get to find out where your BFFs draw the line.
08"Name That Song"
You don't have to be a pop star in order to play "Name That Song." You just need to be able to hum and have a similar taste in music to your happy hour crew. In this game, one BFF starts humming a song and the rest have to guess what song it is. This game gets lively, and fast.
09"Tell Me Your Top Three"
What are your top three rom-coms of all time? What are your top three snacks in your kitchen? In this game, you reveal it all while drinking wine, eating snacks, and hanging out with your BFFs ~virtually~.
10"Dance Battle"
Do yourself a favor and set up your laptop or phone in a place where it won't fall for "Dance Battle." Then, when your camera has a good view, your BFF is ready, and you've chosen a song, challenge each other to a dance-off. Have everyone else judge and decide who the winner is.
11"Tour Guide"
Playing "Tour Guide" can be fun if you're having happy hour with co-workers or friends who don't see your space on the reg. It simply entails having each person give everyone else a tour of their apartment or home. Of course, only play this game if you feel comfortable to.
12"Cooking Show"
Create your very own version of Chopped or Top Chef during "happy hour" with your friends and play "Cooking Show." In this game, you teach your crew how to put together your favorite nachos or cook homemade meatballs. The recipe or delicious snack is up to you, but be sure to end the game with a chef's kiss.
13"Snack Attack"
The rules of "Snack Attack" are simple. When your crew starts to get hungry during "happy hour," you pull out the snack of your choosing and begin to rate it. After a few bites, you give your people a review of the notes, flavors, and crunch factor. At the end, you answer this vital question: "Would you snack on it again?"
14"The Alphabet Game"
You've probably heard of "The Alphabet Game." However, it can come with different rules. When you're doing a virtual happy hour with your friends, play the version where someone picks a category — like fruits, colors, or places you'd go on #vacay — and then everyone takes their turn naming something in that category, with the first letter being their designated letter in the alphabet. Play a few times to keep the party going.
15"Meet My Dog"
Pets are bound to make an appearance during your happy hour with your friends. When that happens, you should start to play "Meet My Dog." This game works for any animal, really, but is meant to bring your friends closer to your forever fluff. Tell them your pet's name, favorite food, and what they like to do all day.
This article was originally published on
