GamePigeon is an iPhone extension that allows you to play a variety of games with your friends over text. They vary in terms of fun, so read below to see my ranking of them!

S tier

Anagrams: Anagrams is one of the most classic GamePigeon games, and it’s easily the most fun. You get six random letters and have 60 seconds to make as many words as possible with them. Anagrams is a quick adrenaline rush as you race against your friend to use the longest words and get the most points, and that’s why it’s number one. The game is all about thinking (and typing) as fast as possible and trying the most combinations in hopes that it’ll work. Anagrams is never a boring game, and it’s quick enough that you could play dozens of rounds in a short amount of time.

Four in a Row: Four in a Row is GamePigeon’s take on the classic game Connect Four, albeit a little easier. The goal of the game is to get four of your chips in a row vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, while also blocking your opponent from winning. While in Connect Four you have to pay attention to see who wins, GamePigeon ensures that when you put in the final piece, the game ends, which makes it easier. Four in a Row is a quick and easy game, but it also involves enough strategy that it’s still interesting. 

Darts: Just like the original game, in the GamePigeon version you throw darts at a board to try and get the most points possible. Each player has three darts to throw before the next player’s turn, and the board has multiple sections, with each one either giving or taking away points. Darts is interesting because there’s very little strategy and it’s very skill-based, but also because it’s very specific in the way you have to win. You have to get the exact amount of points and if your opponent gets zero points, the game ends in a draw. While it’s a little convoluted and confusing, after you understand the rules, Darts is a fun and competitive game to play with your friends.

Archery: In Archery, there’s a target whose distance increases every round, as well as a wind direction and intensity. The point of the game is to hit the bullseye of the target while factoring in wind and distance. The always changing wind and distance adds an interesting twist to what could have been a simple game and increases its likeability significantly. Archery is a pretty easy game, but including the wind means it has a degree of strategy that wouldn’t be expected normally, which adds to its fun.

Cup Pong: Cup Pong is another reimagined classic by GamePigeon. Both you and your opponent start with nine plastic cups and have two opportunities to throw ping-pong balls into them. If a ball goes into a cup the cup disappears, and if you get both balls in cups you get “balls back” and gain another try. While simple, this game is quick and easy, which makes it perfect for some friendly competition. 

A Tier

8 Ball: When people think of GamePigeon, they think of 8 Ball. In this classic adaptation, players have to get their balls (either stripes or solids) into the pockets before their opponent, all without hitting the 8 ball in. Players decide the direction and power of their shot, and the game shows them the angle of the ball and where it will go. 8 Ball isn’t a fast game, but it’s very strategy-based and good if you have an extended period of time. 

Mancala: Mancala is a childhood classic. The rules vary but in this version, you start with a 2×12 board of divots with a certain number of pebbles in each divot, and one divot on each end of the board acts as a “goal.” The point of the game is to get the most amount of pebbles in your goal while preventing your opponent from scoring. Mancala is a very easy game to learn, and there are enough variations that you can play with anyone. 

Word Hunt: Word Hunt starts with a 4×4 square of letters and a timer set for one minute and thirty seconds. The goal is to find as many combinations of letters that are next to each other. Longer words get more points but are also harder to find. Word Hunt isn’t the best of all the word games, but it’s still fun, especially if you have experience.

Basketball: Basketball is one of those games that requires no thinking. There are three rounds, each with a set amount of time to get as many points as possible. All the game involves is swiping up in order to put the ball in the hoop, and it’s pretty hard to lose. Basketball is fun and quick, and neither player will have a distinct advantage. 

Chess: Gamepigeon chess follows all the rules of classic chess, and there’s no need to play it if you’re already in a room together with your friend. This game really becomes useful when you don’t have the time or ability to sit down together and play. Even though it isn’t original, it’s still fun to bond with your friends.

Knockout: In Knockout, you have to throw your penguins at your opponent’s penguins, all without being knocked off the board. When all of your penguins fall into the water, the game is over and you lose. Knockout is fun and requires a level of anticipation that many other games don’t. Because all of the pieces move at the same time, it adds an extra layer of both chaos and cuteness. Plus, the penguin’s cuteness is just an added bonus!

B tier

Filler: Filler is honestly just a boring game. The point is to end the game with the most squares, and you get squares by selecting a color and then adopting all the adjacent squares of that color. It’s a fun game in concept, but in practice, it’s predictable and easy.

Sea Battle: Sea Battle is just GamePigeon’s version of Battleship. You pick where you want your ships to be and then take random guesses to try and sink your opponent’s ships. If there were some strategy involved, it would be more interesting, but it’s entirely luck-based, which means there’s no skill or brain power required.

Mini Golf: Mini Golf is interesting enough, and the fact that the levels change every time means it does require some thinking. But the concept of the game itself doesn’t inspire enough fun to make it enjoyable for more than one round. This means it’s just alright, and doesn’t deserve to be ranked any higher.

Gomoku: Gomoku is a fun enough game, but it’s unpopular enough that no one ever knows how to play. The point is to get five tiles in a row of one color, but the rules are forgettable and it’s easy to mix it up with other games. Because no one knows about it, it hasn’t been played enough to be fun.

Crazy Eights: Because Crazy Eights is GamePigeon’s only group game, it automatically gets bumped up in the ranking. It’s essentially Uno, but instead of wild cards, the eights are wild (hence the name “crazy eights”). It’s a pretty basic game and not that fun by itself – the fun only starts when talking with your friends. If you don’t have a deck of cards or aren’t right next to each other it’s a good way to pass the time, but how much fun you have playing the game really depends on the energy of the group. 

Paintball: Paintball is a game that’s 100% luck. The goal is to put your player in one of three spots, and then fire your paint gun at one of three spots. If your opponent hits you, you’re out, and if you hit them, they’re out. The game is entirely statistics-based, and you always have a one in three chance of winning. This results in a quick game in which nothing interesting happens at all.

Checkers: While checkers does have interesting dynamics, it’s too slow to be interesting. Only one piece can move at a time, and there are too many pieces that are all the same for it to make sense in the long run. 

Tanks: Tanks is interesting, but it’s just not fun. The goal is to fire over a tower and hit your opponent’s tank as soon as possible. It’s very repetitive, and there’s very little variation in every game. Both you and your opponent have the same objective, and there are so few obstacles that it’s too easy to win.

F Tier

Reversi: In Reversi, you start with an 8×8 board, and the goal is to get four tiles of your color in a row. The only catch is that every time you place a tile, all the tiles directly in line with that one flip over and change color. While this twist has a lot of potential, it just makes for a confusing game. What’s the point of a game where the board is always changing? 

Shuffleboard: Shuffleboard starts with three rectangles in descending order according to size, with the furthest one being worth the most points. The goal is to slide your pieces across the board to get the most amount of points. Honestly, this game is just so boring. It would probably be more interesting to watch paint dry than to play multiple rounds of Shuffleboard.

Dots and Boxes: Dots and Boxes is one of the most pointless games on GamePigeon. You start with a 6×6 square of dots, and you have to connect the dots using lines to make squares. The person who adds the final line to the square, or “closes” it, gets a point for that square. This game is so tedious and boring, and the action never picks up. Once one person finishes a square, the game is basically over as they continue racking up points.

Word Bites: In Word Bites you start with combinations of random letters in random orientations, and you have to organize them to make words. This game has a lot of potential, but it’s too chaotic. There are too many letters in too many combinations for it to be anything but insanely stressful.

9 Ball: There’s no point in 9 Ball being in GamePigeon. If they already have a very popular game of 8 Ball, why would they add 9 Ball? It’s essentially the same game, but less played. 

20 Questions: 20 Questions is the most useless game in GamePigeon. 20 Questions itself isn’t a bad game, but it’s very easily playable without an app. There’s no need for a moderator for the game, and you’ll probably talk to your friends more without one. 

Do you agree with this ranking? Let us know in the comments!