While the current pandemic has made it impossible to meet up with our friends, social media remains a major catalyst to keep us connected. That said, there's only so much you can talk about via video call before you're awkwardly staring at your screen in silence, racking your brain for a new topic. Thankfully, when you and your friends have run out of things to chat about but you still want their company (because let's face it, self-isolation's a long and lonely road) you can always turn to video games to kick things up a notch.

Below we round up seven free online mutiplayer games and platforms to play with the whole gang!

1. Skribbl.io

While this game was originally on Facebook, you can now play it online with your friends—or, again, a bunch of strangers. Just note that there’s no link you can get to create a private game but you can just all agree to log into the same playing room and signing-up is required. 6 Online Games You Can Play Virtually With Your Friends Near and Far. But since we’re all in this together, there is a way to liven up your downtime by playing online games with friends.

Create a private room and invite your friends to play Skribbl. The mechanics are straightforward enough. When it's your turn, you have to visualize the auto-generated word given to you using the website's tools. Your friends then have to guess the word based solely on your illustration. The game can get especially entertaining when you and your friends have absolutely zero artistic talent. Just the paint tool and your barely decipherable stick drawings.

Friends can take part in virtual versions of Monopoly, Clue, and The Game of Life — and even multiplayer games with ancient roots, like mahjong and mancala, can be played online. You can still play games with your friends and family in an attempt to add some festivity to your holidays at home—it just means that rather than breaking out a game board and inviting people.

A post shared by skribbl.io (@skribbl.io_bots) on Jul 17, 2019 at 9:37am PDT

Play here

2. Werewolf

Yep, you can play the popular social deduction party game online! Werewolf is available on both iOS and Android. The app, which can accommodate up to 16 players in one round, lets you invite your friends, or play with others from all around the globe.

Not too famliar with Werewolf yet? Read up on the mechanics for the 'ultimate game of lies and deception' here.

Play here

3. All Bad Cards

If you ever feel like throwing your morals out the window for a harmless hour or two, say hello to All Bad Cards. Think of it as the online clone version to Cards Against Humanity. The newly designed site was created by a reddit user to combat the loneliness and boredom brought about by the global lockdown. It's completely free and even has a family friendly version for when your younger siblings insist on joining in.

Play here

4. Playing Cards

Playing Cards is a website for age old classic games made available online. Invite your friends to a round of Backgammon, Checkers, Crazy Eights, and more! The platform encourages players to use third party messenger apps so you can chat with your friends mid-game.

Play here

5. Houseparty

Houseparty is a seperate social networking video call app equipped with a number of games that you can play with your barkada face to face. One chat room can accommodate a maximum of eight people. You don't have to worry about draining your phone battery either because the the platform's also available for download on macOS and Google Chrome.

Games To Play Together Online

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6. Tabletopia

Tabeltopia is a digital platform with a wealth of board games playable online. We're talking over 900 of them right under your fingertips! You can either join a game arena as a guest or create your own account for free to connect and play with friends.

Games You Can Play Online With Friends On Computer

Play here

Online Games You Can Play With Friends Away

7. Jigsaw Puzzles

Games You Can Play Online With Friends On Pc

Miss assembling those old jigsaw puzzles your grandparents left behind? You can always play a relaxing game online, instead! Either team up with perfect strangers already working on one, or invite your friends for a new game.

Games You Can Play Online With Friends Free

Play here