Google’s Chromecast has been out for over a year now, and is becoming a great accessory for mobile gaming. It is a cheap alternative to consoles and is a must-have for traveling to hotels or Grandma’s house!
Current gen consoles like the Playstation 4 and Xbox One seem to be shunning local multiplayer games in favor of online-only multiplayer. Nintendo’s WiiU is a good alternative, but is very expensive compared to the Chromecast. Admittedly, there aren’t a ton of multiplayer games for the Chromecast yet (and some of them are downright bad), and cross-platform between Android and iOS needs to be improved. That being said, there are a handful of free games that make the $35 Chromecast a no-brainer.
Local Multiplayer with Chromecast
Here is a list of my favorite multiplayer games that feature the Chromecast.
Chromecast App
Google Play Store
Apple App Store
The first app I want to mention is the Chromecast app itself. This app can be used to cast your screen to the TV and is useful for things like sharing vacation photos, watching movies, surfing the web, and maybe just showing off how good you are at Candy Crush. However, this could also turn some single-player games into “shout at the TV” fun with your family. Try a trivia game like QuizUp or Quizoid for example.
Cardcast
Google Play Store
Apple App Store
If you’re a fan of Cards Against Humanity, you should check out this game. It’s exactly a free CAH game that even has customizable and downloadable card packs. If you’ve ever played Cards Against Humanity, then I don’t need to remind you that this might not be a good one for Grandma’s house… or maybe that would be hilarious. I’d also recommend constantly changing your username so a fun surprise appears when someone picks your winning card! Cardcast can go up to 10 players, and supports bot players too.
Scrabble Blitz
Google Play Store
Apple App Store
This game is a combination of Scrabble and Boggle. Come up with as many variations of words as you can from the provided letters within the set time limit. I would also recommend not playing this game with my friends unless you want to constantly lose. Scrabble Blitz supports up to 4 players.
UnoCast
I’ll start by saying this game needs some work, but it is still fun. Connect to the Chromecast, tell it who you’re sitting next to, and play! It even uses the “street” rules of Uno by adding the draw-card amounts to each other. You might need to help point out whose turn it is occasionally, but once everyone has figured it out, the game is nice. It goes up to 4 players.
Doodlecast
Doodlecast is a good casual Pictionary. Currently, there is no score and no time limit, which I personally like. It randomly chooses a player and gives a few options of words to draw. The other players will then guess the word from an allotment of tiles. There are some issues where a player can easily guess the word without needing the drawing, and sometimes you will inadvertently choose a word to draw if you are vigorously guessing on the previous one. Also, I have no idea where it pulls players’ usernames from, but mine is always “My Info”… I’m not sure how many players Doodlecast supports, but it is more than 6.
Trivia Bash for Chromecast
This game is very simple: answer the question before time runs out. Try to answer first to get extra points! Currently, there are some minor bugs (like questions being repeated), but I think this app will be one of the most downloaded Chromecast apps in the future (maybe besides Cardcast). This game is great for family, but some of the questions might be difficult for children… or web designers who up until playing Trivia Bash felt decently smart… Trivia Bash for Chromecast supports up to 8 players.
There’s a good list to get you started! For $35, it’s worth it to have at least one Google Chromecast. I’d even consider buying two— one to stay at home, and one to take with you!
