10 best Chromecast apps to spice up game night

Google’s Chromecast isn’t a piece of home tech that has always been associated with gaming. You can use Chromecast to watch your favorite movie or show and it does have some fun tricks up its sleeve, but it was not built for game streaming. That is all going to change with Stadia – Google’s cloud gaming platform which will use extremely powerful servers to provide low-latency game streaming over your network. The Founder’s Edition is set to release in November and will bring game streaming to any TV with a Chromecast Ultra – but we aren’t quite there yet.

With Stadia on the way, we were curious about the current state of gaming with a Chromecast. We tested a lot of Chromecast-enabled games in Google Play and found that most action-based games were not great. These types of games use your phone to control movements on the screen, but you simply cannot guarantee the speed and performance of the streaming servers for these smaller titles, so the delay and latency are quite noticeable.

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Turn-based games, on the other hand, are perfect for Chromecast because they give you a center of attention much like an analog board game and they don’t require quick reactions like action games. These games are great for game night with family or friends because most are multiplayer and you don’t need the physical game board or pieces; everyone just needs the app on their phone to participate. To help you make the most of your next game night, here are 10 games that you can use right now with your Chromecast and actually have a good time doing so.

[1] CardCast

One of my personal favorite Chromecast games and is certain to make a fun game night. Open-format card-matching party game similar to Cards Again Humanity or Apples To Apples. You can play with the most-popular desks or create your own.

[2] Arcade Family Chromecast Games

Play a variety of arcade games with a simple and clean interface. Games included are Tic Tac Toe, Ping Pong, Car Race, Flappy Animals and more.

[3] CastNES

This app is not a game itself but is an emulator, allowing you to install any NES ROM you may happen to own. The virtual gamepad on your phone is decently fast and has haptic feedback. It goes without saying that you need to own the ROM you decide to use with this app and we do not condone in any way, shape or form the illegal use of game ROMs.

[4] WordCast

Use your phone as a controller to place tiles on the board and see who can get the highest score. WordCast is essentially Scrabble for Chromecast. Over 20 languages supported and the Pro version unlocks additional board layouts and more. Of all the games listed, this is Robby’s personal favorite.

[5] Chess

As the name implies, Chess a simple, open-source chess app that features a practice mate mode, online gameplay, puzzles, and Chess960 variation. The design is not intricate and the app just works.

[6] Math Games for Chromecast

Solve basic mathematics on your TV to sharpen your math skills and have a fun, educational game night. Includes various mathematical operations appropriate for all ages.

[7] Just Dance Now

This is simply a mobile version of the classic Just Dance for consoles that uses your phone to track motions. Dance along to more than 500 hit songs. Just make sure you have a good grip on your phone while dancing, though, or you’ll be sending your most-used mobile device through a window before you know it!

[8] Tricky Titans

Tricky Titans is a multiplayer, turn-based game that pits Titans standing on pillars against one another until a victor is decided. The game supports up to 4 players and requires you to leverage strategy to anticipate the other opponent’s moves.

[9] Dinoh

Dinoh is a family-centered app that includes Sketch Guessing, Tap Tap Car Race & Animal Quiz. The app is still in development and is available as early access now.

[10] DoodleCast

Doodle Cast is a simple drawing game where one player picks a secret word to draw on their phone or tablet while the other players in the room try to guess the word. Essentially Pictionary for Chromecast.