Facebook launches new shared experience in Messenger

Facebook is betting a lot on gaming, but for the time being it’s not even close to YouTube and Twitch when it comes to this kind of entertainment. To entice Messenger users to engage in gaming more, Facebook launched a new shared experience that allows them to play games during video calls.

The new feature doesn’t serve any other purpose than cultivating connections with friends and family by engaging in conversations and gameplay at the same time. Implementing this shared experience is not an easy feat though, so there are only 14 free-to-play games available in Messenger video calls for the moment.

On the bright side, you don’t have to install anything. Just tap on the game you want to play with your friend and the game should boot up in a jiffy. Games include a mix of new titles like Card Wars and Exploding Kittens, as well as older popular games like Mini Golf FRVR and Words With Friends.

The large majority of the games can be played with just two people, but some support a different number of players, so you’ll want to check that out before jumping into any of these. Playing games during Messenger video calls is possible on both Android and iOS, as well as web.

Messenger users can now access the games by starting a video call on the app and tapping the group mode button in the center. Then, simply tap on the “Play” icon and browse through the games library until you find something that fancies you.

Keep in mind that you might need to accept some permissions from the game you chose before you can actually play it. Accept everything if you want to play, or decline and don’t play it. Finally, if you plan to use the new feature on the web, Facebook says that you’ll get the best experience on a Chrome browser.