21 Online Games for Long Distance Relationships That Actually Bring You Closer

You are 800 miles apart, the group chat is quiet, and Netflix watch parties lost their charm two months ago. You need something that actually makes you laugh together.

Online games for long distance relationships are one of the simplest ways to create shared moments when you cannot share a couch. Research from Brigham Young University found that couples who play games together at least once a week report nearly double the relationship satisfaction of couples who rarely play. That holds even when you are playing through a screen.

Below are 21 games sorted by how you will actually play them: live on a video call, cooperatively in the same virtual world, on your own time across time zones, or through couples-focused question apps. Every pick is either free or under $30.

What are the best video call games for long distance couples?

Video call games work best when you want real-time laughter and eye contact. They need no special hardware, just a phone or laptop with a camera.

1. Skribbl.io

Free browser drawing game. One person draws a word, the other guesses. Rounds are fast, and the bad drawings are half the fun. Create a private room and share the link.

2. Codenames Online

Free at codenames.game. Play the two-player duet mode where you cooperate to find all the agents on the board. Forces you to think like your partner, which is harder (and more revealing) than it sounds.

3. 20 Questions

No app required. Take turns thinking of something and asking yes-or-no questions. Costs nothing. Works on any call. Surprisingly competitive after the first few rounds.

4. Trivia Night

Use a free site like TriviaPlaza or Random Trivia Generator. Screen-share the questions and keep score in a shared note. Bet on something small, like who picks the next movie.

5. Would You Rather

Simple, no materials needed. Ask each other escalating "would you rather" questions. Start silly, let them get real. There are free prompt generators online, or make up your own.

6. Pictionary via Drawasaurus

Free browser game similar to Skribbl.io but with a cuter interface and private lobbies. Good alternative if you want variety from Skribbl.

What co-op games can long distance couples play together?

Co-op (cooperative) games put you on the same team, working toward a shared goal. They are some of the best games to play in long distance relationships because they build teamwork and create stories you will reference for months.

7. Stardew Valley

$15 on Steam or mobile. Build a farm together, decorate your house, fish, mine, and develop your little world over weeks. Asynchronous-friendly: one of you can tend the farm while the other sleeps. Over 40 million copies sold for a reason.

8. It Takes Two

$40, requires two copies or uses the Friend's Pass (one copy, two players). Built entirely around two-player cooperation. Won Game of the Year in 2022. Every level has a different mechanic that forces you to coordinate. Genuinely impossible to play alone.

9. Overcooked 2

$25 on most platforms. Cook meals together under time pressure. Expect to yell at each other in the best possible way. Online multiplayer works smoothly.

10. Minecraft

$30. Build anything, anywhere, together. The open-ended nature means you can play for fifteen minutes or five hours. Leave each other notes, build surprises, create your own world.

11. Terraria

$10 on Steam. Side-scrolling adventure where you explore, build, and fight bosses together. Hundreds of hours of content for the price of a sandwich.

12. Animal Crossing: New Horizons

$60, Nintendo Switch only. Visit each other's islands, trade items, leave gifts. The wholesome energy is unmatched. Works best if you both already have a Switch.

What are good async games for couples in different time zones?

When your schedules do not overlap, async (asynchronous) games let you take turns on your own time. You play your move, they play theirs whenever they wake up. LDR couples send an average of 343 texts per week. An async game gives those texts something to orbit around.

13. Words With Friends

Free on iOS and Android. The classic. Scrabble-style, play a word whenever you have a minute. Some couples keep a single game running for months.

14. Chess.com

Free. Start a daily game with long time controls (24 or 72 hours per move). Strategic, quiet, and surprisingly intimate when you realize your partner is trying to bait you into the same trap every game.

15. Ludo King

Free. Simple board game that works turn-by-turn or in real time. Low commitment, easy to pick up between meetings.

16. 8 Ball Pool

Free on mobile. Quick pool matches you can squeeze into a lunch break. Lightweight, satisfying, and mildly addictive.

17. Monopoly Go

Free on mobile. A faster, mobile-optimized take on Monopoly with cooperative events and shared boards.

What are couples therapy games and question apps?

Couples therapy games are structured prompts and exercises designed to deepen emotional understanding, not just pass the time. They sit between entertainment and intentional relationship work. If regular games are the fun, these are the fuel.

18. Lovify

Free with in-app purchases, iOS and Android. Multiplayer couple question games where you answer prompts about yourself, then guess your partner's answers. Categories span intimacy, family, and future plans. Works perfectly over distance.

19. Coupled

Free with premium tier, iOS and Android. Daily questions, quizzes, and relationship exercises grounded in attachment theory. The app adapts based on your answers over time.

20. Long Distance Love (Card Deck)

$15-20 physical deck, also available digitally. 150 prompts designed specifically for long distance partners. Easy to play over FaceTime or text. Questions range from light ("What is your favorite thing I have cooked for you?") to real ("What is one thing you wish I understood better about you?").

21. Adoree

Adoree is an AI relationship assistant built for couples. Each partner talks to Adoree privately, and the AI synthesizes both perspectives to surface patterns and give honest, actionable feedback. It is not a game in the traditional sense, but it fills the gap that games cannot: the conversations you keep avoiding. You can see how it works or try it free for seven days.

How to make game nights actually strengthen your relationship

Playing games together is a start. But research shows the real benefit comes from what happens around the game, not just during it. Couples who combine gaming with intentional conversation see the strongest connection gains.

Five ways to get more from your game nights:

1. Set a standing night. Weekly consistency matters more than marathon sessions. Pick a night and protect it.
2. Mix fun with real talk. Play Skribbl.io for twenty minutes, then pull out a couples question app for ten. The game warms you up for the conversation.
3. Keep score loosely. The point is laughing together, not winning. If competition stresses either of you out, switch to co-op games.
4. Try something new monthly. Rotate between categories: video call games one week, co-op the next, a question deck after that.
5. Talk about the game later. "Remember when you drew that terrible horse in Skribbl?" becomes an inside joke. Inside jokes are relationship glue.

LDR couples who video call at least three times a week report 23% higher relationship satisfaction than those who mostly text. Adding a game to one of those calls gives the call a purpose beyond "how was your day."