Snapchat Just Made It So Easy To Play New Snap Games With All Your Friends

Snapchat started as the place to go to take photos which you kind of want to see disappear after a while. But it's definitely moved past its beginnings. Since then, the app has grown to include new things like awesome filters (the doggy one's my personal fave) and event chat options. Recently, Snapchat has become even more social with its new addition of games, announced on April 4. So here's how to play Snap games on Snapchat for some friendly competition, or to just occupy your downtime.

Have you ever been taking a million selfies on Snapchat and got the sudden urge to play some multiplayer games with your pals? Well before, that would have been a hassle because you'd have to stop taking selfies, download some mobile games, and then find some friends. But that's a thing of the past now, because on Thursday, April 4, Snapchat announced the launch of in-app multiplayer games, or Snap Games. No more downloading, no more installing new things that will crowd your phone, just open Snapchat and play — you will still have to find friends to play with, though.

I know you're probably thinking, "Cool, now how does it all work?" You're so lucky I'm here. According to Snapchat, all you need to do is head to a chat with friends you want to play with, click the little spaceship icon, and start playing in seconds. During the game you'll be able to see your friends, send them messages, and even voice chat with them. For instance, you can launch Bitmoji Party, which allows you to play a bunch of quick mini games as your Bitmoji along with your friends.

Snapchat has provided a handy dandy video so you can see its new feature in action and get to really know how it works. Take a look:

Snapchat has also partnered with development companies like Zynga and PikPok to bring you games like Tiny Royale for some Battle Royale action (think along the lines of Fortnite) and Zombie Rescue Squad where you can get some mobile undead thrills. If you're wondering how many members of your squad you can play with at once, well that will vary from game to game. According to The Hollywood Reporter, it's up to the developers to decide, individually, how many players it will support. But the best news of all is that you don't have to wait another year or even another month to start playing. The rollout begins April 4 so get those thumbs ready, folks.

During the summit on Thursday when Snapchat announced its new gaming feature, Will Wu, director of product and head of Snap Games, said in his Keynote that the move to include multiplayer gaming is because "friendship is more than just the things you chat about. Friendship is also about experiences you have together," according to The Hollywood Reporter. So they wanted to "build an entirely new experience where friends can play together, games."

Snapchat just got a whole lot more social, and if I'm being honest I really like it. Thanks to Snap Games, I now have a whole new list of things I can do while waiting in line at Starbucks or trying to avoid small talk with my hairdresser.