In 2020, iMessage isn’t simply used to send messages quickly or exchange emoji’s – it’s also about playing exciting games with friends. Here are some of my favorite games you can play with GamePigeon, a free iMessage extension that allows you to play up to 22 games with anyone else who has iMessage. Be careful – you might get addicted!

Cup Pong

Players: two

Cup Pong is one of GamePigeon’s most famous games. The rules of the game are actually pretty simple, likely because it follows the standard beer pong rules in real life (without the drinking, of course). Each player starts with 10 cups in a triangle facing the opposing player. Then, each player takes turns throwing the balls into their opponent’s cups, with each player throwing two balls per turn. The cup then disappears if the ball lands in it. To throw a ball, simply swipe up on your device. If a player manages to get both balls in cups, the player receives “Balls Back” and gets another turn! When there are no cups left on the opponent’s side, you have won!

My advice, aim for the middle cups first. This is because you don’t need a lot of accuracy and angular manipulation, only enough power. This then ensures that you have an advantage over your opponent in the long run, especially because when you reach six and three cups, the cups will reorient themselves to the middle, regardless of where they were before!

Crazy 8s

Players: Up to four

GamePigeon rolled out their first ‘up to four-player game’ with Crazy 8s. Crazy 8s is a wild, fast-paced game. If you like games that guarantee suspense and upsets, this game is for you.  The rules and regulations of the game are similar to the real-life card games “Crazy Eights” or “Uno.” The goal of Crazy 8s is to lose all your cards. It seems simple enough, right? Wrong. Crazy 8s will present you with twists and turns at every corner, so my advice is to backstab your friends before they backstab you, no matter how good your friendship is!

Archery

Players: two

Ever wanted to hit a bullseye? Well, now is your chance with GamePigeon’s Archery. Archery has three rounds, and the player that wins two of these rounds wins the whole game. In each round, you get three arrows and your score for the round is calculated depending on which ring you shoot the arrow on (0-10, with 10 being a bullseye). However, Archery presents an interesting obstacle. Wind speed and direction must be taken into consideration when shooting the arrows – this information is just above the ring board. Overall, it is a fun game but requires patience and accuracy to calculate the optimal location to shoot your arrow, given that wind speed and direction are factored in. Luckily, every time you play Archery, you get a lot better at predicting how different wind speeds and directions affect your arrows. Now, go get that bullseye!

Anagrams

Players: two

Anagrams are one of the two-word games on GamePigeon, with the other one being Word Hunt. Anagrams is a 60-second game, where you are presented with six letters and you combine them to make words. You try to make as many words as you can and the more letters a word has, the more points you accumulate. The player with the most points ultimately wins the game. I have two things for you to keep in mind. One, the word must be longer than two letters. And two, each player gets the same letters, so don’t let your sneaky friend see the letters beforehand if you end up playing before them.

The trick for Anagrams is to just make any combination that makes sense. Personally, while I’m playing Anagrams, I don’t even think about if it’s a word or not – as long as it has a vowel, I test it out! Some Greenhill students are basically pros at this game. In fact, senior Varun Gande has accumulated more than 1000 wins on Anagrams. So, if you would like to learn from an expert, he’s the guy to talk to.

20 Questions

Players: two

20 Questions are unlike any other GamePigeon game I have seen before. It requires deep critical thinking skills and a lot of patience on both sides. First, the player who sends the game to a friend will think of an object and type it on the designated line. The other player will then ask a series of yes or no questions that the first player will answer either “yes,” “no,” “sometimes” or “You’ve Guessed It!” The goal of the game is to use these yes or no questions to get closer to the object in question and then successfully guess it in 20 questions or less. If the guesser does not get the object within 20 questions, the object is revealed. The game can go for about five minutes or even five months, depending on how well the guesser plans and uses the yes or no questions. In the end, 20 Questions serve as a classic game of deductive reasoning and creativity.

To start, simply download GamePigeon on the app store and send a game of your choice to a friend over text. Happy gaming!