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Use the Apps icon in iMessages to start games in a conversation
ByRobert Earl Wells III
Updated on January 4, 2024
Reviewed by
Jessica Kormos
Reviewed byJessica Kormos
- Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Jessica Kormos is a writer and editor with 15 years' experience writing articles, copy, and UX content for Tecca.com, Rosenfeld Media, and many others.
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All iMessage games are turn-based, so you and your friends can play leisurely. Some games below are iMessage exclusives, while others can be played outside the app. If you are unfamiliar with iMessage gaming, we'll show you how it works. Information in this article applies to Message app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch devices with iOS 10 and higher. What We Like Frequent updates include new games and bug fixes. Some games support more than two players. Lots of cool optional in-app purchases. What We Don't Like Some games are confusing and don't have instructions. Most games are limited to two players. A lot of content is behind a paywall, and you must pay to remove ads. Game Pigeon packs over a dozen classic games into one app. Challenge your friends to a friendly bout of Checkers, Poker, Gomoku, or Battleship from iMessage. All games are free to play, but most games contain in-app purchases. What We Like Lots of cool characters and courts from which to choose. Every character looks unique due to the outstanding pixel art. What We Don't Like Not very competitive since there's no way to block an opponent's shots. Must pay to unlock additional characters and game modes. If you feel like shooting hoops with your friends,Cobi Hoops lets you play some serious b-ball without breaking a sweat. In this free game, players compete to see how many baskets they can make in 30-second rounds. Use trick shots to raise your score and unlock new challenge modes. What We Like An interesting concept with lots of possibilities. A great tool for settling disputes. What We Don't Like The turn-based gameplay doesn't match the excitement of real air hockey. Some of the built-in bets are a bit crude. Let’s Puck It! puts an interesting spin on an old American pastime by encouraging players to wager bets. You can choose from a list of options like “loser buys dinner,” or you can make up your own stakes. Be careful what you wager because the pace of the puck increases with every volley. What We Like Has multiple gameplay modes and live tournaments. It's fun to play alone or with others. What We Don't Like It requires iOS 11 or higher. Must pay to participate intournaments. If you've never played Boggle, it's a board game that gives players two minutes to spell as many words as possible from a collection of random letters. It's a fast-paced version of Scrabble. Download the Boggle With Friends app to practice independently, then challenge your friends in iMessage. What We Like The unique themes for each course keep things interesting. The challenging and addictive competitive gameplay. What We Don't Like Has a limited number of courses. The annoying background music. The iOS 12 version is buggy. Made by a student at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Mr. Putt has become the most popular mini-golf app on iMessage. Although the game is challenging, sleek graphics and fluid controls keep things from getting too frustrating. Mr. Putt is free to play and exclusively for iMessage. What We Like There'sa text-only mode if you don't feel like recording videos. Two Lies and a Truth mode. What We Don't Like You don't need an app to playTwo Truths and a Lie. It requires iOS 11 or higher. Two Truths and a Lieis a game people play in groups to get to know each other better. Each player makes three statements about themselves, and everyone else has to guess which statement is false. Truth Truth Lie brings this classic icebreaker to iMessage so that you can learn more about people worldwide. What We Like Sync your game across multiple devices. It tracks your move history. What We Don't Like The bare-bones graphical interface. It requires iOS 11 or higher. Although Game Pigeon features a version of Chess, Checkmate! offers a superior experience. For $0.99, you can chat as you play and play multiple games at once. There's no timer between turns, so you can take as long as you need to consider your next move. What We Like Make puzzles as simple or complex as you like. Create puzzles out of photos or text. What We Don't Like It requests access to iCloud. Has occasional bugs and glitches. WIT Puzzlesturns your photos intoslide puzzles for your friends to unscramble. The app tracks how many moves players take to put the pieces in the right place. In addition to iMessage,WIT Puzzlesis available for WhatsApp and Facebook. What We Like It's highly addictive. The intuitive controls and gameplay. What We Don't Like It's not very original. Must pay to remove ads. Bubble Bop may look like another knock-off of the arcade hit Bust-a-Move, and that's because it is. Nonetheless, anyone who has played Candy Crush or anything similar will immediately know what to do: Match up balloons of the same color to pop them before they fill up the screen. The interface for the new iOS is slightly different from its predecessors. However, the instructions are basically the same for iOS 10 and up. Older versions of iOS don't support iMessage games. To open the App Store within iMessage: After downloading your game of choice, it's added to the end of your apps list. To challenge your friends within iMessage: You can start playing right away. When your turn is finished, your friend receives a message letting them know it's their turn. FAQ How do I play Game Pigeon in iMessage? Because Game Pigeon is a suite containing several games, you have an extra step to start playing one. In a conversation, select the Apps button as usual, and then select the Game Pigeon icon. Then, you'll need to select the game you want to play before you can send an invite to your friend. How do I play the Reversi iMessage game? Several iMessage versions of Reversi (also known as Othello) are available for iMessage. Game Pigeon's is called Reversi. You can also download a standalone version like Black vs. White. Best Multi-Game Compilation for iMessage: Game Pigeon
Best Basketball Game for iMessage: Cobi Hoops
Air Hockey With a Twist: Let's Puck It!
Word Game Tournaments for iMessage: Boggle With Friends
Mind-Bending Mini-Golf on iMessage: Mr. Putt
Best Icebreaker Game for iMessage: Truth Truth Lie
Best iMessage Chess Game: Checkmate!
Make Your Own iMessage Slide Puzzles: WIT Puzzles
Candy Crush Clone for iMessage: Bubble Bop
How to Get iMessage Games
How to Play iMessage Games
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