re we looking for an app to play games during group video calls? You can use Facebook Messenger or the Houseparty app
The most popular apps in this period are undoubtedly those that allow you to make group video calls , with an eye to simple apps, without too many steps to take to create a simple account.
Compared to the various most used video calling apps, such as Duo, Whatsapp, Messenger, one that has risen to the fore in these days of forced quarantine due to the Coronavirus epidemic is certainly Houseparty . It’s not a new Houseparty app, it has been around since 2016, but with the increase in the number of people staying at home for long periods of time, it’s fast becoming one of the most popular options in app stores.
Compared to other video chat applications, Houseparty, which allows you to manage up to 8 users at the same time, adds quizzes and games in the video call and offers unique entertainment for friends and families who want to do a little more than sit in front of a camera to talk.
In this guide we will show you how to use Houseparty and Facebook Messenger to play in group video calls from Android devices and from iPhone / iPad and also from PC through the extension available for Chrome.
Guide to play with Houseparty
Even if the sector of video calling apps is definitely very crowded (Skype but also Zoom and Facebook Messenger ), Houseparty has managed to carve out an important space thanks to the diffusion among young and very young people, always very attentive to news and ready, with the word of mouth, to immediately decree the success of a semi-unknown app. Let’s see together what Houseparty is, what its strengths are and how to install it on compatible devices.
What is Houseparty
Houseparty is an app designed for group video chats , with support for video calls up to eight people at the same time, which divide the screen into many panes (up to 8). A peculiarity of Houseparty is that, once the group of friends has been created, at any time it is possible to connect to that group to see who is online , without having to make a call again.
Once friends have been added to the same “room”, it remains active all the time and all envoys can connect at any time of the day and meet
The video call works well without noticeable drops in quality: we can use a simple LTE connection to manage the entire call without problems, we only have to pay attention to data consumption . In addition to the videochat, the app allows you to use a group text chat, in a very similar way to WhatsApp or other similar services, and to benefit from some interesting extras such as integrated games with screen sharing : choosing from the list of games available (among which Heads Up !, Trivia, Chips and Guac stand out) we can start a game session and play with other friends present in live video chat, so that we can immediately comment on the results and achievements and have fun all together.
It is probably precisely the functionality of games in real time that has led the way for this app : having combined a video chat with a good number of users with games available in real time for everyone on the same screen is the secret why it is so famous among young and very young people (especially if they have to stay at home for a long time).
To access the games in a video call with Houseparty just tap the dice icon. Then tap on a game and add friends to play.
How to install Houseparty on smartphones and tablets
To be able to download Houseparty on smartphones and tablets, all we have to do is download the right app for Android or for iPhone / iPad .
Once installed on the mobile device, we open the app, create a new account by entering an e-mail address, choosing username / password and then entering our phone number. The latter is essential to be able to immediately find friends who use the same app, exactly as seen on other similar chat apps (whoever has registered their phone number will be reachable on the service and can be added to a room or create one) .
How to install Houseparty on PC
Do we want to use Houseparty on a computer? The simplest method involves installing the dedicated extension for Google Chrome , which is the most used browser in the world and compatible with any platform (Windows, Mac and Linux).
Once the extension is installed on the browser, simply log in with the same credentials created by your smartphone and add your friends to the room, so you can immediately start the group video call and interact with the webcam and microphone from your PC . The app does not distinguish between users connected by PC and users connected via mobile app: all will occupy their own box within the app interface, regardless of the source.
If we have a Mac or a MacBook, we can download the dedicated app for Mac OS , so that we can make video calls outside the browser (we can always use Chrome with the extension here too).
The app works in a similar way to that already seen on smartphones and tablets: we will only have to enter the login credentials of our Houseparty account, choose friends and start the group video call, using the webcam and microphone integrated in all Macs .
Video call games on Facebook Messenger
If you want to play with friends during a video call (in addition to Houseparty), you can use the video calls of Facebook Messenger is the perfect app to use. During a video chat, including a group video, you can touch the laughing face button to open a whole series of tools that are grouped into three categories: Effects, Activities and Filters.
Effects are those that allow you to dress up virtually, with a hat, with a wig, with a funny make-up and so on while the filters are simply modifications to the brightness of the image.
Activities are small games to be played in a video call . For example, there is the game where you have to move your head to eat the burgers that fall from above or the one to let the ball into the basket and several others. The Activity button, and therefore the games, is not present if you use the Facebook Messenger video call on PC.
Note that there are many other Facebook Messenger games to play in chat ).
Messenger games are also available inside the Messenger Rooms .
Conclusions
Although there are numerous apps for making video calls, Houseparty has been able to carve out its space in these days of isolation and quarantine, thanks to the ease of use and interactive games, which allow young people (and not) to spend a little time together and have fun without being physically close. Surely Facebook Messenger is a more advanced app, with more functions, which can be a lot of fun with games.
If we look for other apps similar to Houseparty, we can read our guide How to make free group video calls without limits .
