If you’re bored and your conversations with your friends seem to have hit a lull, why not play a game? If two users are both using iMessage, there are a lot of different games available.

If you aren’t sure what to play, we’ve rounded up the best iMessage games and figured out how to play them, during those slow moments.

Table of Contents
    An extremely happy person playing a iMessage game

    GamePigeon

    GamePigeon is a great way to get a huge selection of iMessage games all in one place. You can play games like 8 Ball, Sea Battle (which is just a reskinned Battleship), Basketball, Archery, Darts, and much more. 

    GamePigeon is free to play, but there are several microtransactions within the game itself for things like new patterns in Paintball and 8 Ball.

    GamePigeon screen

    All you have to do is download Game Pigeon from the App Store and then select the game you want to play from the menu within iMessage. It will send an invite to the other person. Once they accept, the fun begins. 

    Mr. Putt

    Sure, GamePigeon has a form of Mini Golf, but it isn’t as expansive as Mr. Putt. The game has four different courses to play, each with a different theme. None of the shots are straightforward and require you to bank shots off the wall and pull other tricks to sink the shot with as few strokes as possible.

    Mr. Putt screen

    Like other iMessage games, all that is required to play Mr. Putt is to download the game first and then select it from the iMessage menu.

    Cobi Arrows

    Cobi Arrows is a bit of a unicorn in the world of iMessage games. While most iMessage-focused games are casual, Cobi Arrows has a steep learning curve that makes it worth replaying over and over again. While the game can be played just for fun, it holds appeal for more hardcore gamers, too.

    Kobi Arrows screen

    The goal is simple: fire as many arrows and score as many points as possible within the 30-second time limit. The reticle moves across the screen as you press and hold. To release the arrow, just remove your finger. It sounds easy, but scoring a bullseye takes a bit of practice.

    Cobi Arrows is free to play, but there are other game modes you can unlock by watching a video or by paying for the mode.

    Qiktionary

    Qiktionary is a simplified version of a word-guessing game. You are given a specific four-letter word to figure out. You guess different four-letter words and note which letters are marked. An indicator on the side tells you how many letters in your word are correct.

    Qikitionary screen

    You win through a process of elimination. By slowly narrowing down which letters are correct and those that aren’t, you can determine what the mystery word is. It helps to have a large vocabulary, but it isn’t strictly necessary.

    iMessage is a great tool for staying in touch and keeping yourself entertained. Give a few of these games a try and find out which one is your favorite. A lot of them rival larger games on the App Store for entertainment value.

    Which iMessage game is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below.