Last update of 17/02/2021 - After Catan Universe, we add in our SongTrivia selection. Another musical blind test that you can do with your friends or even with other players online. Something to have fun after the curfew. We will continue to keep this article updated with news and new games we try. Do not hesitate to let us know in the comments which titles you prefer.
In this particular period, Spaniards are invited to travel as little as possible to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Fortunately, between the smartphone and the Internet, it is rather easy to keep in touch with loved ones. In addition to group video calls and aperitifs, you can also play board games online for free.
So here's our pick of the best free games we've been able to find and try, followed by our tips on how it all works:
1. The Werewolf, the best board game when there are a lot of people
It's a great classic of party games, Les Loups Garous de Thiercelieux, often abbreviated as "Loup Garou", is also available for free and in an official version via a website. Just register and you can immediately start playing with your friends or with strangers from your computer.
The rules are always the same, you find yourself in a village where werewolves are hiding, devouring one player per night. On the day you vote with your village to eliminate a person you suspect of being a werewolf. The special roles of the physical version of the game are always there to allow you to eliminate the right person.
If you know this game, you know that you have to be relatively numerous to play, minimum 8 (plus a game master) for the physical version, published by Asmodee, and maximum 18. The advantage of this digital version is that you can easily find additional players if you are few. In addition, games can reach, brace yourself, 50 players for a total of 29 special roles!
Discover the game>
2. JKLM, to play Bomb Party and Pop Sauce
JKLM is a platform hosting two games. The first is Bomb Party, a game where players must compose words with the letters proposed by the computer as quickly as possible. If the word is validated, the bomb changes hands until it explodes.
The second title available is called Pop Sauce and will remind some Buzz! Quizz TV, since it's a general knowledge game where you have to win as many points as possible.
Discover the game>
3. Massive Music Quiz, the best game for blind-test fans
As its name suggests, Massive Music Quiz is an online multiplayer music blind-test. Very easy to play, because with a simple interface, this free game offers many categories ranging from music from the 70s or 80s to metal, including US rap, electro, film music or even music. K-pop.
The rules are simple, a song is played through your computer's speakers and you have 30 seconds to guess the performer and/or the name of the song, which you must enter in the appropriate field. Each part has 15 titles. You have to be the fastest to find the answer and you will earn more or less points depending on the information found, your possible errors or even the successive correct answers.
You can play individually or as a team, up to a limit of 20 players per game. Very nice, this game will still require you to go to the cash register if you want to play private games only with your friends. Fortunately, the prices are really low, since the one week Gold pack is offered at € 2,99.
Discover the game>
3B. SongTrivia, the other blind test we recommend
Want to challenge your friends to a blind test, or even players from all over the world? It's quite possible with SongTrivia, an alternative to Massive Music Quizz that we found nice. In the Discover part, or discovery, you can quickly launch a game session on classical music, dance, pop, Spanish variety or rock. But if you put your hands in the Playlists section, you will have access to a whole bunch of other suggestions for tests to perform.
When you create a lounge for you and your friends, you will be able to customize the test by selecting unusual options, like inverting (yes) the answers to the questions or putting the songs in slow motion. What to add a layer of difficulty and especially of fun. The game is completely free and playable from your Internet browser.
Discover the game>
4. Skribbl.io, the best board game for Pictionary lovers
No need to go looking for pens or a huge pile of blank sheets to play Pictionary. No. Skribbl takes the concept of the famous board game, but using the PC as a game support. So you will only need a keyboard and a mouse / trackpad to play with your friends (it also works with a tablet , but it is more difficult to play well).
The concept remains the same, at each turn, a player is assigned to share a word with the rest of the group thanks to his drawing skills. Everything happens in real time and the most responsive players get the most points. The game ends according to the number of turns you determined in the settings at the start of the game.
It is also at this time, in the preparation of the lobby, that you can invite your friends to join you. All you have to do is share a link with them to click. Setting up a game is very simple, and the game easy to learn. Skribbl does not give information on the maximum number of players, but be aware that we were able to play up to 6 without any problem.
Discover the game>
5. Gartic Phones, the Arabic phone revisited
Gartic Phones revisits the concept of the Arabic telephone, and we strongly advise you to play it with a lot of people: at the start of the game, each player must imagine a sentence which will then be assigned to a player. The latter will have to make a drawing of it which will in turn be shared with another player who will then have to guess the original sentence, and so on.
You can imagine that the results can be very funny from the start of the game. The game ends once the players have completed a full turn. The drawings and phrases are then displayed on the screen of all participants in an album.
Discover the game>
6. The Petit Bac online, the classic
Even if it goes back a long way for some of us, everyone has already played the Baccalaureate. Le Petit Bac online allows you to play it again with your friends all over the world with the help of a simple computer.
The best part is that you don't have to do much to start a game. Indeed, many categories are already present (Famous monuments, sports, slogans, etc.) and you only have to choose the ones that interest you to start a game. You will also have the possibility to add your own if you feel like it.
It is therefore a very simple game to learn for young and old alike. You will have the opportunity to face up to 20 players in real time during games that can last up to 10 turns. The validation of the correct answers is carried out by the players themselves at the end of each round.
As with Skribbl, just create a game and share a URL with your loved ones to join your game.
Discover the game>
7. Catan Universe, the best online strategy board game
Catan is one of the most popular board games, and for good reason: the rules are easy to understand, the game benefits from real tactical depth and it is more user-friendly. The objective is to develop as quickly as possible in order to obtain 10 victory points and win the game.
To play with your friends, you will need to create an account and invite them to join your game. The basic game is free, but you will have to pay a few bucks to take advantage of the extensions (which is far from necessary).
Discover Catan Universe>
Bonus: two platforms aggregating many games
Want to play traditional games or discover many others? There are a few platforms that are full of titles to try out with friends.
Board Game Arena, the best game aggregator
Imagine your library filled with board games becoming accessible anytime on the Internet. Well, it's a bit the case with Board Game Arena which allows you to play a multitude of licensed or unlicensed games from a simple web browser.
Among the games available, we find the traditional game of Checkers, Le Saboteur (Gigamic) as well as the 6 which takes (Amigo), there is also Les Loups-Garous de Thiercelieux, Perudo, Not Alone or even an unlicensed version. from Uno (Mattel).
Most of the catalog is free. However, if you want to access “premium” games (those under license), you will probably have to take out a monthly (2 euros/month) or annual (24 euros/year) subscription. Otherwise, it is also possible to wait for a premium member to play the game which will unlock access for you, but the waiting time can be long.
Note also that faced with the certain success of the site, it is not uncommon to find yourself blocked by the high influx of users every evening. If you want to have the possibility to play a game with your loved ones without fear, we invite you to create an account during the day and to meet in the early evening.
To discover>
Game box, a little archaic, but a great game library
Another big free platform for aggregating board games, Boite à jeux sports a less modern and intuitive interface than Board Game Arena, of course, but it has a pretty good catalog with some very good titles like the excellent Dixit, but also Alchemists or Yōkaï no Mori. In total, there are more than 60 games on this platform.
As with Board Game Arena, you must create an account to be able to start playing from your computer. Note that Game Boxes is completely free and unlimited unlike BGA.
To discover>
Our FAQ to understand everything
How to access the games?
To access it, you rarely need to download the games. You generally have two options: go to the game site when there is one and play via your PC browser and/or your smartphone when possible, or use specific platforms such as those mentioned above, which include many titles. Sometimes you also need to create an account on the platform before you can start playing. In order to facilitate your task, we have indicated after each title its direct access link.
How do I invite my friends to the game?
The operation is similar for each game: it is generally enough to share an Internet address (URL) with your close relations so that they join your game.
Can I also play alone online with strangers?
Yes, most games allow it or are even designed for it.
Can I leave the games whenever I want?
Of course, however, some platforms will give you a penalty that could prevent you from joining certain games later if you give up during the game. This ensures that the games will go to the end and that a bad loser will not jump ship. before the end.
Should I prefer certain times to play?
Obviously, no game imposes a time restriction, however there is often a large crowd at the start of the evening and you may have a little wait before accessing the games on certain platforms, such as Board Game Arena in particular. . Note on this subject that it is better to check that all the players are available before starting, a late player could have more difficulty joining the game.
Why do most of the games not have the official names?
On Steam, PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade or even the Nintendo eShop, you can easily find licensed board games. But the problem is that they are usually paid or almost unplayable in the free version and require players to play on the same platform/console. There are many online games that are actually licensed clones of classics. These are usually free and easy to access. Don't get me wrong, who says clone doesn't necessarily mean bad copy. Some are very good.
Our other thematic guides:
- The best board games to discover
- Board games: the best titles to print for free at home
- Our selection of escape games to do at home
