15 Games That You Play With Your Phone

The technology in gaming continues to advance year in, year out. As a result, developers keep coming up with inventive new games and ways to play them. In recent times, some companies have started to create titles that you can play with your phone. They should not be confused with mobile games.

These titles are played on PC or console using phones as the controller. The advantage of this is that it allows developers to combine the power of the gaming systems with the unique functions of a phone. Here is a collection of games that make great use of the combination.

Updated March 16, 2025, By Alfredo Robelo: While games that offer smartphones as a controller option aren’t the norm, there are still quite a few gems out there that allow users more freedom when playing them. We’ve updated this article with ever more offerings that use phones, either to enhance the experience or to allow numerous players to join in.

15

Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes

In Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes, players can take two roles: the one with the bomb in front of them or the one with the manual about how to defuse the bomb. The idea is that each player can’t see what the other can, making it a game where communication is key and screaming is inevitable.

Phones are implemented via the companion app, so players taking the role of the manual holder can, as expected, read the manual. This is the best way to play the game locally, so you don’t need two computers in the same household to fill all the necessary roles.

14

Fibbage XL

As a standalone version of one of the most notorious minigames in the Jackbox Party Pack series, Fibbage XL is all about lying your way to the top. Instead of trying to be the funniest in the room, you are trying to have people believe your lies by completing factoids while attempting to detect everyone else’s lies.

Smartphones are crucial for this game since they are the ideal way for you to input your entries in local play. It is also the only local way of getting up to eight players to play simultaneously, which is ideal for a lying game since the more options, the better.

13

Drawful

Another great hit from the Jackbox Pack, Drawful is arguably even more popular than the entire Pack itself. It is all about drawing prompts and having other people guess what you tried to draw, with the game’s prompts starting off simple but quickly getting quite strange the deeper you get into it.

The phone integration is, as expected, a great way to play locally, but it isn’t its only strength. After all, even in online play, certain players might prefer playing the game through their phones since not everyone is used to drawing with a mouse, while the smartphone’s touchscreen can be far more intuitive.

12

As Dusk Falls

If you’re looking for a very story-heavy game, As Dusk Falls might be the best narrative experience you can play using your phone. It tells the tale of two distinct families who meet in the Arizona desert. The first half of the game focuses on their compelling first meeting. Then the game jumps into the future, and you see how the surviving members of the families are still dealing with the fallout.

The gameplay is entirely about making decisions that alter how the narrative plays out. You can make these choices using your phone, but you don’t have to be alone, as other people can join you and help make those decisions.

11

It’s Quiz Time

As the title suggests, this one is a quiz game. It’s a bit reminiscent of Trivial Pursuit, as you pick categories and then use your phone to answer questions that relate to the said category. There are all sorts of different types of questions, so there’s plenty of variety in the game.

However, the stand-out feature is the AI host. She runs the game and continually comments on individual player performances. This adds a bit of personality to the experience.

10

Paper Pirates

Being a pirate and guiding a ship over a choppy sea can be a difficult task. It’s even harder when at least one of your crew is actively working against you, as is the case in Paper Pirates.

This is a social deduction game where a pirate crew is attempting to have a successful voyage, but there is a ghost among them trying to ruin the experience. The humans have to figure out who the non-human is and vote them out.

9

Pico Park

Pico Park is a cooperative puzzle platforming game where the goal of each level is to find keys and get to the end. However, there is a bunch of trials and challenges in your way that attempt to stop you. So, you need to use teamwork and problem-solving skills to succeed.

There is plenty of variety when it comes to the puzzles. Sometimes you’ll need to get on each other heads to get over a gap, while other times, you may need to use an item to proceed. You can play through the entire game using your phone.

8

Erica

This FMV game, named after its main character, is an interactive thriller. It focuses on Erica, who’s having nightmares about the murder of her father. This leads to her diving into her family’s past to find out some interesting truths.

As it’s an FMV title, you don’t need to control Erica’s movements or anything. Instead, you’re regularly asked to make decisions that will impact Erica’s adventure and the overall story. You can use a companion app to make these choices using your phone.

7

That’s You!

That’s You! is a quiz game that stands out because it puts plenty of emphasis on your phone’s camera. Not only is your in-game avatar a picture you take, but some questions require another photo, too. For instance, you sometimes have to take a picture, and then other people will add drawings to it.

The questions are mostly about the people playing. So, the game may ask you who’s most likely to stick their tongue out at a security camera, and those in the majority are considered correct. Therefore, it’s a game to play with people you know well.

6

Hidden Agenda

Hidden Agenda is one of the more overlooked titles in the Supermassive Games’ library, even though it’s one of their better games. It’s very much in the same vein as Until Dawn and The Casting of Frank Stone. You play through a dark story where your choices and QTE skills impact who lives and dies.

Using PS4’s Play Link, others can join you to help make decisions. However, that’s not the only way they can be involved. There is also a competitive mode where one player has a secret objective, and the others have to stop them from completing it.

5

Knowledge Is Power

Trivia games don’t get much cuter than Knowledge Is Power. From the character models to the animations, everything looks adorable. But Knowledge Is Power doesn’t just have style – there’s substance to it also. Each game contains multiple rounds, which contain different types of questions.

Most are multiple-choice, but some questions require you to link things together or sort things into categories. To make rounds more interesting, you can hit your opponents with power plays to make things extra difficult for them. The overall goal is to acquire the most points by answering questions quickly and accurately. Then in the finale, you must reach the top of the pyramid before anyone else – your starting place is determined by your points total.

4

Eon Altar

There are some fantastic co-operative turn-based RPGs out there. Yet, not many of them are played on phones. In Eon Altar, you use your device to completely control your character, from managing your skills to participating in combat. And all the action plays out on the TV or computer screen.

It works surprisingly well, and the game makes good use of the fact that your teammates don’t see everything you do. Therefore, occasionally some players know things the others don’t, and it’s up to them if they want to share with the group. It’s an inventive twist on a classic genre.

3

Uno

Uno is the video game version of the physical card game. If you’ve played the original, you know the gist of this one. When it’s your turn, you must play a card of the same number or color as the one in the middle – unless you have a special card that you can play at any time.

The goal is to get rid of all of your cards to win the round. There are a bunch of special ones that add some variety to proceedings, plus some additional rules you can add. It works really well as a video game and is lots of fun.

2

Use Your Words

Use Your Words is all about being the funniest or smartest person in the room. You go through a series of rounds that contain different types of questions. For example, in the Extra! Extra! round, the game shows you a bizarre image, and each player has to create a newspaper headline based on it.

Once everyone’s answers have been revealed, players must vote for what they thought was the best answer. And if you get the most votes, you also receive the most points. However, you also lose points if you choose an answer the game created. It can be a lot of fun, particularly if you’ve got some comical people in your group.

1

Jackbox Party Pack Series

When it comes to games you play with a phone – the Jackbox titles are the most famous. They deserve their fame, too, as they’re excellent.

Each Jackbox pack comes with its own set of party games, and there is a great variety in each one. Some of them are about drawing things, others are about writing funny answers, several involve trivia, and a few revolve around tricking your opponents. Of course, everyone has their own favorite packs and games, but there is something for everyone.