How to host a game night with just a TV and everyone's phones (free)

You can host a good game night with one screen and the phones your guests already have: open a party game in the TV's browser, let everyone scan the QR code, and play. This guide covers what you need, how to set up, a two-hour plan and what to do when something goes wrong.

Last updated: October 22, 2026

The short version

1. Get a screen everyone can see with a web browser: a smart TV, or a laptop plugged into the TV with an HDMI cable (the usual TV video cable).
2. Open a party game from the party games page and leave the room code and QR code on screen.
3. Everyone scans the code with their phone camera and picks a name.
4. Start with something easy, then move to longer games once the room has warmed up.

That is the whole setup. There is nothing to buy, no app to install and no account for guests to make. The rest of this guide is about making the evening run smoothly.

What you need

• One shared screen. This is your host screen. Any TV, monitor or projector that can show a web page will do.
• A device to run the game. Often the TV itself, if it has a browser. Otherwise a laptop.
• A phone for each guest. Any current phone with a browser. Guests do not need to install anything.
• A decent connection. Wi-fi that reaches the couch is ideal. Share the password before guests arrive.
• Somewhere to sit where the screen is visible. The best party games put the interesting parts on the TV, so people look up and at each other, not down at their phones.

If your TV has no web browser, a laptop connected to it covers both the screen and the device.

Before guests arrive

Ten minutes of testing saves an awkward half hour. Do this the day of, or at least an hour before.

• Open a game on the screen you will actually use. Check that it loads, that the text is readable from the couch and that sound plays if you want it.
• Join with your own phone. Scan the QR code, enter a name and watch your name appear on the TV. If this works, everything else will.
• Bookmark the page on the TV or laptop so you do not have to type an address with a remote.
• Turn off sleep. If the host device goes to sleep mid-game, the screen goes blank for everyone. Plug it in and set the screen timeout to its longest.
• Close other tabs and apps on the host device. A game that feels sluggish is often a crowded browser.

Setting up the screen

You have three ways to get the game onto the TV, in order of reliability.

1. A laptop on an HDMI cable. The most reliable and the lowest delay. Open the game on the laptop, mirror the display to the TV and you are done.
2. The TV's own browser. Convenient, and quality varies. Newer TVs are fine, and older ones can be slow. See smart TV browsers for what to expect.
3. Casting a browser tab. Open the game on a laptop or phone and cast the tab to the TV. This works, with a small extra delay. More on screen casting.

If a fast game feels laggy, move to the cable. The delay between a tap and the screen has a name, latency, and a cable is the quickest way to lower it.

Getting everyone in

This is where game nights usually stall, so make it easy.

• Show the code large. Every Bossfeed party game puts a QR code and a room code on the host screen. Tap the room code on the TV to enlarge the QR code for the back of the room.
• Let people scan with their normal camera. No app needed. If a scan fails, they can type the room code on the join page instead.
• Ask for a name people will recognise. It helps when the TV reads out whose answer is whose.
• Leave the code up until everyone is in, then start. Latecomers can usually join between rounds.

If you plan to play several games in a row, use the party lobby. Everyone joins once, then the TV picks each game and the phones follow along, with no new code between games.

Choosing and ordering games

A good night has a shape. Start easy and welcoming, build to the main event, and finish with something that lets people drift away or keep going.

For a group that has just met, an icebreaker game comes first. Marble Rush works well here, because nobody takes a marble race seriously. For a group of old friends, go straight to Boss's Bluff, a bluffing game where people enjoy fooling each other.

A two-hour plan

1. 0:00 to 0:15. Arrive and join. Snacks, get everyone on wi-fi, scan the code.
2. 0:15 to 0:25. Warm-up. A few races of Marble Rush. Easy rules, instant laughs.
3. 0:25 to 0:45. Main event one. Boss's Bluff. Three rounds, and the last prompt counts triple.
4. 0:45 to 0:55. Break. Refill drinks. People can keep their phones on the table.
5. 0:55 to 1:20. Main event two. Boss Draw. Everyone draws once per round.
6. 1:20 to 1:50. Closer. A board of Final Boss Fiesta, or a match of Surviversus! for those who want it.
7. 1:50 onward. Wind down. Drift into Board Game Night for chess, poker or cards, or call it a night.

This is a pattern, not a rule. If the room loves one game, play it again. Keep every game under half an hour, and keep one in reserve that works for any number of people. For more on the format, see the glossary entry for game night.

Running the night

• Explain each game in one sentence. The games teach themselves in the first round, so skip the rule recital. "Write a believable lie about this prompt" is enough.
• Play one practice round if anyone is unsure. Nobody minds losing a practice round.
• Pace it. In Boss's Bluff the host can control when each reveal moves on, so you can pause for the laugh.
• Keep latecomers in. Join between rounds, or take over a bot in games that use them.
• Avoid early elimination. People who are out lose interest. The longer games on this list keep everyone playing to the end.
• Mind the age range. Typed answers pass a strict family-room filter, the host can hide any answer, and Boss's Bluff has a Kid Mode with ready-made cards. See family-friendly games.

When something goes wrong

• A phone will not join. Check that the QR scan opened the right page, then type the room code by hand. If it still fails, reload the page on the phone.
• The game lags. Move phones closer to the router, pause any downloads, close tabs on the host device, and switch to an HDMI cable if you are casting.
• The screen goes blank. The host device went to sleep. Wake it and the game picks up where it was. Turn off sleep next time.
• Someone's phone dropped out. Have them reopen the join page and rejoin with the same name and room code.
• One person is too loud or too competitive. Put them on a team, or switch to a game with no elimination.

If some friends are remote

The same evening works over a video call. One person shares the host screen and everyone joins from their phone with the room code. Bluffing and drawing games suit this best. The steps are in our guide to online party games for a group.

More ideas

Looking for something different? Our list of the best free Jackbox-style games compares the options, and the trivia night guide turns one game into a whole quiz evening. If your group prefers puzzles to party games, the best daily logic puzzles has quieter options for a shared coffee table.

Questions people ask

Keep reading

• Party games where your phone is the controller
• Free Jackbox alternative: party games in your browser
• The best free Jackbox-style party games in 2026
• All party games
• Party game glossary

Jackbox Games, Kahoot and other names mentioned here belong to their owners, and Bossfeed is not connected to them. Rules and prices of other products change, so check their sites.