Just when we thought the end was near, news of the extended self-isolation period took our little red dot by storm. Hands up if you were one of those who have been diligently counting down to 4 May like yours truly. It’s beyond our ability to amend the law but here are a few apps to keep you and your friends entertained from home.
全民Party
If belting out songs at KTVs is your favorite pastime, you HAVE to give this app a shot. Though you won’t be able to sing together concurrently, private rooms can be created for each of you to receive the spotlight consecutively. There’s even an option to join public rooms as a moderator or for your few minutes of fame. Similar to BIGO Live, in-app beans can be exchanged for gifts and you can connect with users globally.
Image: Google Play
Up for a challenge? Battle it out for the highest score in the PK mode where random songs will be played, and users have to “steal” the mic to sing. On top of Mandarin songs, users may sing English, Korean, and even Japanese songs! The downside is that one requires basic Mandarin skills to navigate 全民Party easily. Did I mention that you can adjust your mic settings like a regular KTV sound system too?
Houseparty
You’ve most likely seen screenshots of bad drawings on IG stories. If so, chances are they originated from this app. Houseparty is essentially FaceTime that accommodates up to 8 participants in a room, with additional features such as an in-app chat function and games - charades, trivia quizzes, cards against humanity and guess the drawing.
Image: Google Play
Available on mobile and desktop, Houseparty enables users to lock the chat rooms for added privacy, and to prevent other participants from joining. Interestingly, friends of friends can see who you’re in an unlocked room with, and have the ability to join the same room. If you have serious FOMO, rest your worries because Houseparty notifies you whenever your friends go online. Heads up: some have found the app to be unsafe, though the company said that their concerns are unfounded. Personally, Houseparty has been working well for me so it’s your call!
Bunch
Love the idea of Houseparty but wish there was a more secure app? Call me genie because I’m here to grant your wish with Bunch! Similar to Houseparty, this safer alternative contains an in-app chat function and a variety of games. Bunch has a handful of in-app games (Trivia quizzes, Charades, Draw Party, Flappybird, Pool and Mars Dash) although most of the games will redirect you to an external app which you then have to download.
Image: Google Play
Bunch also allows you to automatically notify your friends when you open the app. The difference with Houseparty though, is that users can play third-party games like UNO, PUBG and Clash Royale with the video chat function aka Bunch overlay. Even if you’re not playing games together and using Facebook for example, you can still see your friend so long as Bunch is running in the background.
POKO
Unlike the aforementioned apps, POKO doesn’t offer video chat features. Instead, it’s equipped with an in-app chat and voice chat function. POKO connects users across the globe through their extensive collection of classic and simple mini games. Some classics you can look forward to include puzzles like hangman, UNO, LUDO and sports-related games.
Image: Google Play
According to the reviews, these games are generally fun and great for passing time with new and old friends. Having said that, it looks like some users have been encountering glitches which the developers have been working on. Best of all, this app is said to contain a grand total of zero advertisements - this means more play time and less distractions!
If you only have space to download one app, I strongly recommend 全民Party or Houseparty (for non-Chinese speaking readers). The virtual experience is worlds apart from hanging out with your favorite people but hey, beggars can’t be choosers. Give these apps a try and make game nights a thing.
Stay in, stay sane. You got this!
