GamePigeon for Android: a free way to play together
There is no GamePigeon for Android: it is an iMessage app, so it only runs in Messages on Apple devices. Letternerd is a free alternative that works in any browser, so Android and iPhone friends can play together. Send a link in WhatsApp, SMS or any chat, and each person plays on their own phone, as a guest, with nothing to install.
What is GamePigeon?
GamePigeon is a collection of short multiplayer games, such as 8-Ball, Mini Golf, Cup Pong, Word Hunt and Four in a Row, that you play inside the Messages app. You send a game in a conversation, your friend opens it from the same thread and plays back. Its App Store listing describes it as only for iMessage, so it needs Apple’s Messages on both ends.
Why people look for a GamePigeon alternative
- Someone in the chat has an Android phone, and GamePigeon will not open for them.
- Your group talks on WhatsApp, Telegram or Discord rather than iMessage.
- You want group party games and quizzes as well as quick one-on-one matches.
Letternerd vs GamePigeon
| Feature | GamePigeon | Letternerd |
|---|---|---|
| Works on | Apple devices, inside Messages | Any phone, tablet or computer with a browser |
| Android | Not available | Yes, in the browser |
| Where you send it | An iMessage conversation | A link in any chat: WhatsApp, SMS, Telegram, Discord or iMessage |
| Kinds of game | Pool, golf, table games and word games | Word games, Rock Paper Scissors, quizzes, party and couples games |
| Taking turns | Back and forth in the message thread | Live with countdowns, or over several days |
| Install | From the iMessage App Store | Nothing to install |
Which should you pick?
Pick GamePigeon if
- Everyone you play with has an iPhone and you like keeping games inside the conversation.
- You want 8-Ball, Mini Golf, Cup Pong, chess or checkers. Letternerd has no pool, golf or board games.
Pick Letternerd if
Pick Letternerd if- Your friends are on a mix of Android and iPhone.
- Your group chat lives on WhatsApp or another app that is not iMessage.
- You want word games, quizzes and party games the whole group can join.
How to play with Android and iPhone friends together
- Open letternerd.com on any phone. Pick a two-player game such as Word Race or Rock Paper Scissors, or browse all two-player games.
- Host a room and copy the link.
- Paste it into your chat on WhatsApp, SMS, Telegram, Instagram or iMessage. Your friend taps it and joins in their browser, whatever phone they have.
- Play live, or let the room run over a few days so each of you takes your turn when you are free.
For more chat-friendly ideas, see games to play over text and WhatsApp group games.
GamePigeon for Android: games you can play instead
Letternerd is not a copy of GamePigeon, and it has no pool, golf or board games, so it is not a like-for-like swap. What it does have are quick games for two that work on every phone.
- If you like Word Hunt: Letter Web in the Arcade has you drag through touching letters to spell words before the clock runs out, and in Word Hive you make as many words as you can from seven letters.
- A quick word duel: Word Race gives you both the same hidden word, six tries each, and fewest tries wins.
- A fast decider: Rock Paper Scissors, best of three, or Settle It when one throw should decide who picks the film.
- A puzzle together: Four Links, sixteen words in four hidden groups of four.
- Compare scores: Arcade games such as Sweep and Double Up are solo, with a daily board you can compare with friends.
- Letter WebArcade · 1 player · daily boardDrag through touching letters to spell words before the clock runs out.
- SweepArcade · 1 player · daily boardClear a minefield you can always solve without guessing.
- Double UpArcade · 1 player · daily boardSwipe the board so matching tiles merge into bigger ones.
Games to play instead of GamePigeon
Free in your browser on any phone or computer. Play alone, or share the room code and everyone joins as a guest.
- Word Race1–12 players · 8 minEveryone guesses the same hidden word. Six tries each, with letter-by-letter hints. Fewest tries wins.
- Rock Paper Scissors2–4 players · 2 minBest of three. Throw in secret, reveal together, first to two wins. Play a friend, a stranger or the AI. Up to four can throw at once.
- Settle It2–4 players · 1 minOne throw decides it: who picks the film, who pays, who goes first. A draw is thrown again.
- Word Hive1–12 players · 6 minSeven letters, one in the middle, two minutes. Make more words than anyone else, and find the one that uses them all.
- Four Links1–12 players · 8 minSixteen words, four hidden groups of four. Find them all before your four mistakes run out.
- This or That2–8 players · 6 minQuick either/or for two or more. Score when your answers match.
- Quad Race1–12 players · 10 minFour hidden words, one guess at a time, nine tries to find them all. Wordle, times four, together.
In the Arcade
- Letter WebArcade · 1 player · daily boardDrag through touching letters to spell words before the clock runs out.
- SweepArcade · 1 player · daily boardClear a minefield you can always solve without guessing.
- Double UpArcade · 1 player · daily boardSwipe the board so matching tiles merge into bigger ones.
Frequently asked questions
Can you get GamePigeon on Android?
No. GamePigeon is an iMessage app, so it only works in Messages on Apple devices. To play with Android friends, use a game that runs in the browser, such as Letternerd, and share the link in any chat.
What games can Android and iPhone users play together?
Any game that runs in the browser. On Letternerd, word games like [Word Race](/g/word-race), [Rock Paper Scissors](/g/rock-paper-scissors) and party games all open from one link on either phone.
Can I play games over WhatsApp like GamePigeon?
Yes, by sending a link. The game opens in the browser rather than inside WhatsApp, and you come back to the chat to talk about it.
Is Letternerd free?
Yes. Every built-in game and the Arcade are free to play, with no download and no account needed.
More games
Other comparisons
See all- Messaging app with multiplayer gamesPlato alternativeWant games like Plato without joining another chat app? Letternerd runs in the browser: share a link in the chat you use, and everyone plays on their phone.
- Online board game platformBoard Game Arena alternativeWant something lighter than Board Game Arena? Letternerd has free social, word and party games in the browser that friends join from a link as guests.
- Daily five-letter word puzzleGames like WordleFree games like Wordle you can play with friends: race the same hidden word in a room, try four words at once, or play daily letter games in the Arcade.
- Group video chat app (closed in 2021)Houseparty alternativeHouseparty closed in 2021. Letternerd brings the games back to any video call: open a link on your phone and play along on Zoom, FaceTime or WhatsApp.
GamePigeon is a trademark of its owner. Letternerd is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by them. The comparison describes each product as publicly presented and may change; check their site for the latest.