7 Games to Play on TV with Friends Tonight

Some nights, everyone lands on your couch with no plan and zero patience for a long setup. I've found the 7 best games to play on TV with friends that'll help save your evening.

7 games to play on TV with friends: At a glance

1. Jeopardy! on Weekend

What it does: Brings the full Jeopardy! game-show experience to the TV, so I can shout answers out loud and feel like I’m actually competing on the show.

Best for: Friend groups who hoard random facts, love a little friendly trash-talk, and want games to play on TV with friends that actually feel like an event.

I open the Weekend app, pick Jeopardy!, and the competitive energy kicks in before the first clue drops.

Everyone immediately debates which Jeopardy! category to attack first. Categories span pop culture, history, and science, so someone always has a home-field advantage.

Someone else always has something to prove. Using the TV remote or paired smartphone as the mic, we shout answers out loud and the TV judges who got there first.

It turns every clue into a mini argument worth having. I also run solo rounds on weak categories between game nights, so I can practice my Jeopardy! skills for next time.

Key features

• Runs on Roku, Fire TV, Samsung, and LG smart TVs via the Weekend app
• Voice-powered play uses the remote or a paired smartphone as a mic
• Recognizable Jeopardy! categories and clue formats

Pros

• Works for any group size from 2 to a full couch
• Jump into a short round or settle in for the full experience
• Compete like you're in the actual game show by answering clues out loud

Cons

• Not ideal if someone in the group hates being on the spot with trivia

Pricing

7-day free trial, then $12.99/month for Weekend’s full library on Roku, Samsung, LG, and Fire TV.

Bottom line

When I want games to play on TV with friends that feel immediately familiar and competitive, Jeopardy! on Weekend is always my first call.

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2. Song Quiz

What it does: Plays short clips of songs and challenges everyone to name the title and artist before time runs out.

Best for: The group with a running playlist war in every group chat and always says, "Wait, what’s this song called?"

Song Quiz hits different the moment the first clip plays. Someone across my couch is already mid-answer before the rest of us even process the beat.

I pick our decades, and the room splits instantly. My friend who swore they knew every 90s hit suddenly goes quiet, and the friend who "doesn't really listen to music" is somehow beating me.

Nobody in my group stays calm. Someone always starts singing the wrong lyrics with full confidence, and that moment alone is worth loading the app for.

Key features

• Covers music from multiple decades and genres, from older hits to recent pop
• Short audio clips keep rounds quick and the energy high
• Runs on Roku, Fire TV, and more through the Weekend app

Pros

• Naturally turns into a sing-along once the competitive edge softens
• Easy to adjust decades to match the group's taste
• Rounds are relatively short, so you can fit sessions in almost anywhere

Cons

• Wildly different music tastes across the group can make the guessing feel uneven

Pricing

7-day free trial, then $12.99/month for Weekend’s full library on Roku, Samsung, LG, and Fire TV.

Bottom line

Song Quiz never needs an explanation as a game to play on TV with friends. The first clip drops, and everyone is already in.

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3. Wheel of Fortune on Weekend

What it does: Puts everyone in front of a giant letter board, spinning the wheel, and solving word puzzles like the iconic TV show.

Best for: Friends who grew up shouting answers at the TV and have been waiting for a version they can actually play together.

Wheel of Fortune on Weekend captures exactly what makes the real show addictive. The spin, the suspense, and watching my friend solve the puzzle with only 1 letter revealed.

People who "don't really play games" lean forward and start calling letters with full confidence within a round or 2. I never once had to explain the rules to anyone.

It also pulls in people I would never expect to compete. Something about that wheel gets even the most checked-out person in my group suddenly very invested.

Key features

• Classic spin-and-solve format with letter-calling and phrase-guessing
• Runs through the Weekend app on Roku
• Works via TV remote or paired smartphone as the mic, like the rest of the Weekend library

Pros

• Instantly familiar with zero explanation needed for anyone who has seen the show
• Appeals to a wider age range than most party games

Cons

• The Bankrupt space is always looming

Pricing

7-day free trial, then $12.99/month for Weekend’s full library on Roku.

Bottom line

Put Wheel of Fortune on, and the room takes over. No pitch needed.

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4. Wit's End on Weekend

What it does: Drops the whole group inside an unpredictable fantasy RPG where a live game master builds the story, characters, and world around exactly what you say out loud.

Best for: Groups who have always been curious about Dungeons & Dragons but want something that handles all the rules so everyone can focus on the adventure.

I told the game I wanted to play a disgraced knight. My friend jumped in as a con artist with a stolen spellbook. The AI took both and built them into a living world before we even finished talking.

I speak my actions out loud, and the game master narrates what happens next in real time. I walked into a tavern, started a fight I had no business starting, and somehow talked my way out of it. The story bent around every decision I made.

Key features

• Create your character by describing your hero out loud, and the system builds out attributes and a full backstory
• The game builds scenes, locations, and characters fresh every single session, so no 2 playthroughs ever share the same world
• All you need is your TV remote as the mic, so you speak your actions, and the game master narrates the outcome

Pros

• Zero rules and super-easy setup mean you start talking, and the game handles the rest
• Every session brings something new, so the group never repeats the same adventure
• Works for total beginners and seasoned RPG players equally well, since the game adjusts to however your group plays

Cons

• Less narrative control for players compared to traditional RPGs

Pricing

7-day free trial, then $12.99/month for the full Weekend library on Fire TV, Samsung, and LG TV.

Bottom line

No other game on this list builds an entire adventure around exactly what your group imagines together. Wit's End is in a category of its own.

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5. Quiplash 3

What it does: Gives every player 2 prompts, asks them to write the funniest possible answer, and then pits those answers head-to-head for everyone else to vote on.

Best for: The quick-witted, comedy-forward crowd who want games to play on TV with friends that reward personality over trivia knowledge.

I pull it up through Jackbox Party Pack 7 on the console and everyone joins from their phones at jackbox.tv without downloading anything extra.

The prompts are simple but they expose everyone fast. One round in, I already know who in my group has the darkest sense of humor and who is trying way too hard to be funny.

Quiplash 3 has no wrong answers, just funnier and less-funny ones. My group usually ends the night quoting each other's worst submissions more than the winning ones.

Key features

• Available on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC
• Players join from any phone browser
• Audience mode lets extra players vote even if they are not actively competing

Pros

• Scales well from 3 to 8 players with an audience function for larger groups
• Completely accessible to people who have never played a party game before

Cons

• Humor-dependent, so groups with very different comedic sensibilities may not click as well
• Requires purchasing Jackbox Party Pack 7 to access Quiplash 3

Pricing

Available within Jackbox Party Pack 7, typically $24.99–$29.99

Bottom line

Quiplash 3 is good when I want pure comedy energy, though I always make sure my group actually shares a sense of humor before I load it up.

6. Netflix Party Games (Boggle Party)

What it does: Lets Netflix subscribers race against each other to find as many words as possible from the same shared letter grid on the TV.

Best for: Groups that already have Netflix and want low-friction, brain-tickling games to play on TV with friends right now.

I load Boggle Party straight from the Netflix app, and every phone in the room becomes a controller within 30 seconds. No downloads, no account creation needed for guests.

Everyone plays simultaneously from the same grid on the TV, so nobody sits around waiting for a turn. I find it surprisingly competitive for a word game.

Someone in my group always finds a 7-letter word nobody else spotted, and that 1 moment changes the whole energy in the room. The problem is that there is not much variety beyond that once the novelty wears off.

Key features

• Up to 8 players find words simultaneously from the shared TV grid
• Runs entirely through the Netflix app
• No extra apps or purchases needed for existing Netflix subscribers

Pros

• Low setup friction; if Netflix is already on, the game is 1 menu away
• Works for word game fans and casual players equally well

Cons

• Requires an active Netflix subscription
• Less variety than a dedicated party game platform

Pricing

Included with any active Netflix plan.

Bottom line

Boggle Party is the easiest entry point for games to play on TV with friends when everyone already subscribes, and nobody wants to spend anything extra tonight.

7. Overcooked 2

What it does: Puts up to 4 players in wildly impractical kitchens where they must chop, cook, plate, and serve dishes together before the timer runs out.

Best for: Groups who want a console couch co-op game that is easy to learn, genuinely funny when things fall apart, and chaotic enough to keep everyone yelling at the TV.

I loaded Overcooked 2 expecting a chill cooking game. Thirty minutes in, my friend was screaming at me to plate the soup while I stood on a moving platform holding a raw onion.

The kitchens get progressively more absurd with conveyor belts, moving platforms, and split-screen prep stations. My group fell apart laughing more than we actually cooked anything properly.

It runs on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and PC, so someone in my group almost always already owns it. Fair warning though: it will test friendships before it strengthens them.

Key features

• Local couch co-op for 2–4 players, with online multiplayer also supported
• Available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC
• Overcooked: All You Can Eat edition includes full cross-platform play across all systems

Pros

• Immediately fun regardless of gaming experience level
• Couch co-op puts everyone on the same screen and same couch, which keeps energy high

Cons

• Can become stressful fast, and some groups argue more than they cooperate under pressure
• Online play needs matching platforms for the base Overcooked 2 version

Pricing

~$24.99 for Overcooked 2; Overcooked: All You Can Eat is typically ~$39.99.

Bottom line

Overcooked 2 earns a permanent spot on my console shortlist, just know your group's stress tolerance before you fire up the first kitchen.

Which game fits your night?

Not every group shows up with the same energy. Here is how I break it down:

• Choose Jeopardy!, Song Quiz, or Wheel of Fortune on Weekend if the group wants something familiar, competitive, and on the TV right now
• Choose Wit's End on Weekend if nobody has a plan and everyone is down to build a story together from scratch
• Choose Quiplash 3 if the group runs on dark humor and someone already owns a Jackbox pack
• Choose Boggle Party on Netflix if everyone subscribes and nobody wants to spend anything extra
• Choose Overcooked 2 if the group wants couch co-op chaos and is ready to test a few friendships in the process

My personal #1 is Weekend. One app, a bundle of solid games, and something for every kind of group that lands on my couch.

Gather your friends and get your game on!

The Weekend app turns games to play on TV with friends into real hangout moments that actually pull everyone toward the screen. One app covers trivia, music, word puzzles, and a live, voice-driven adventure without switching platforms or extra purchases.

Games to expect from Weekend's library:

• A classic round of Jeopardy! lets you test your knowledge in clue-and-question style, just like the TV quiz show
• In Song Quiz, you race to name songs and artists, often turning the room into an impromptu sing-along
• With Wheel of Fortune (on Roku), you solve word puzzles by calling letters and piecing together the hidden phrase
• With Wit's End, you speak your adventure out loud and watch a full fantasy campaign come to life around your group in real time
• A session of Karaoke (on Roku) lets everyone step up to sing favorite tracks and try to outdo each other's performances
• Playing 20 Questions (on Roku) challenges your group to ask smart yes-or-no questions to uncover a secret person, place, or thing

Every game feels approachable and familiar, so they work for any group that lands on the couch. Try Weekend on your Roku, LG, Samsung, or Fire TV with a 7-day free trial.

FAQs

Do I need extra hardware to play these games on TV?

Most games to play on TV with friends do not need extra hardware. Weekend, Netflix Party Games, and Quiplash 3 all use phones as controllers and the TV as the main display. Overcooked 2 is the exception, since it requires a console or PC to run the game itself.

Can I play these games with a large group?

Yes, most of these games to play on TV with friends support large groups. Boggle Party on Netflix and Quiplash 3 both support up to 8 players. Overcooked 2 tops out at 4 players in local co-op, which keeps the kitchen manageable. Weekend's Jeopardy!, Song Quiz, and Wheel of Fortune work best for smaller, more competitive setups.

What is the cheapest way to start tonight?

The cheapest way to start playing games on TV with friends tonight is Netflix Party Games if everyone already subscribes, since it costs nothing extra. Weekend offers a 7-day free trial covering Jeopardy!, Song Quiz, Wheel of Fortune, and Wit's End, so you can run a full game night without spending anything.

Does Wit's End work if my group has never played D&D?

Wit's End works great for groups who have never played D&D. The team built it specifically for players who are curious about tabletop adventures but do not want to learn rules. Just describe your character out loud, and the AI game master builds the entire story around what your group says.

How can I get Weekend on my smart TV?

Getting Weekend on your smart TV takes less than a minute. Open your TV's app store, search for "Weekend," and install the app. Weekend is available on Roku, Fire TV, Samsung, and LG smart TVs. Start with the 7-day free trial to access Jeopardy!, Song Quiz, Wheel of Fortune, Wit's End, and the full library from your couch.