Happily specializes in reinventing digital experiences.

Here are a selection of cost-free party games designed specifically for virtual events or Zoom parties. These enjoyable activities have been cherished during our own Happily Hours, offering delightful moments and fostering a sense of connection among participants.

Please feel free to personalize and adapt these games as needed, ensuring they align perfectly with your event.

1. Where Are You From?

This is an ideal icebreaker for attendees to get to know each other a little better.

In this game, the host crafts a number of questions to ask attendees along the loose idea of ‘where they are from?’. For example 'Are you from a musically talented family?'

If the answer applies to them, they’ll keep their camera on and if it doesn’t, they’ll turn their camera off. The questions can be topical and used as starting points for conversation (eg. 'Are you coming from attending a protest this week?'), or they can be light and fun (eg. 'Are you from a multilingual family?').

Ideal for work meetings for existing and new team members to get to know each other a little. Or a casual gathering with cocktails in hand.

GIF from our 'Happily Hour with Jensen McRae'

2. Group Lip Sync Battle

This performance game is stepping things up a level.

Teams break out into groups with an even number of people, whatever works for your event. They’ll have time to select a song and practice their performance to present to the whole group.

Ideal for themed parties, or high-energy gatherings.

GIF from HUMAN's (formerly White Ops) I Wanna Dance with Zoom-body.

3. Emoji Pictionary

This is a modern spin on a timeless game.

It is played in the style of Pictionary where the host privately sends an emoji to a contestant, and then they have to ‘act out’ that emoji for all the others to guess. People then send the emoji that they think it is in the chat. The person who guesses correctly, is the next contestant.

Ideal for a quick icebreaker at a work meeting, in breakout rooms or a workshop.

4. Whose Drink Is This?

A party game based on the idea that what we drink can say something about our personality.

How it works is that guests privately message the host to tell them what they're drinking that evening. Guests can be as specific as they like. The host reads out the drink and asks the audience ‘whose drink is that?’

Ideal for social gatherings in a setting where alcoholic drinking is acceptable.

5. Who Said That?

This is a trivia game that is based on quotes from famous philosophers, activists, world leaders, or whatever makes sense for your event.

It is played in the style of ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’ where if they get the question right, they can choose to carry on, or to take the prize and tap out. Contestants can win cash or gift cards or whatever prize you’d like to offer, with increasing value for consecutive correct answers.

Ideal for themed parties, or a lighthearted social get together.

GIF from Happily Hour with Brynn Elliott and LeoRising.

6. Mad Libs

This is a virtual spin on a classic linguistic game.

The original Mad Libs books are short stories with many keywords left blank. Beneath each blank is a specified category such as a noun, verb, place, celebrity, exclamation or a part of the body. You can either make up your own base Mad Libs short story or get your hands on an original book. Writing your own is an opportunity to personalize the game for your workplace, your audience or the theme of the virtual event. Also, an alternative is just Mad Libs sentences, instead of a full story.

Depending on how many attendees you have, they can either be broken up into rooms or kept all together. Then, without revealing the context for that word, the host asks the others to contribute a word as indicated with the category (eg. a noun, a place...) The host notes them down and finally, the completed story is read aloud. (Pro tip, make sure there are enough blank words with at least one for each attendee.) The result is usually a comical story or sentence that takes on a nonsensical tone.

Ideal for an icebreaker at smaller, social gatherings.