We spend so much time waiting for things. Try these fun games to play over text to pass the time or to get to know one another a little better.

You don’t need to pay for an expensive app to find games to play over text, there are a ton of homemade games just as fun! When I sit and count all the hours I spend waiting for someone or something, it drives me crazy, but, I digress.

I am not sure what we all did before cell phones, but I am positive of one thing, we were bored to death. If there wasn’t a magazine in the waiting room, then there should have been a pistol.

If you are caught in the middle of nowhere, waiting for an appointment, or taking a road trip, there are a ton of ways to keep yourself entertained. If you have a phone and someone who is just as bored as you, these are games that you play via text. Some of them are nothing new, but you may have forgotten about them, while others are just family favorites around here.

15 fantastic games to play over text

The good news is that just like my mom always said, “Only boring people are bored.” So, when you head out on your summer vacay, stuck waiting on someone, or just have nothing to do, these are the best games to play over text, and have loads of fun while you’re at it.

#1 20 questions. I am not sure if there is a soul alive who hasn’t played 20 questions. Just in case you don’t know what it is, this is how you play via text message. Find someone on your contact list and tell them you are thinking of something and that they have 20 questions to find out what it is.

The key is they only ask yes or no questions. If they figure out what it is that you imagine in 20 questions or less, they win, and, if not, you do. [Read: Do you think alike? 20 questions to ask your best friend]

#2 Truth or dare. Truth or dare used to be something that you could only play at sleepover parties late at night, but now play it anytime. Bored in your cubicle at work? Start a chain text message saying, “Truth or Dare?”

If you want to keep everyone honest, make sure that if they pick a dare, they must take a video of it. Kill time anywhere and make the day a whole lot more fun, while learning a whole lot about people that you may or may not even want to know.

#3 Would you rather. If you want to get to know someone you just started dating, play the game “Would you rather.” You can tell a lot about a person by finding out which situation they would choose.

The game works by asking the other person something like, “Would you rather go on vacation or get a bonus at work?” Ask them about anything or even do an X-rated version for someone you want to sext. [Read: The 40 hardest would you rather questions you could ask]

#4 Emoji phrase out. In this texting game, use emojis and symbols to spell out a phrase. Easier said than done. Sometimes what we think emojis mean they might not. There are some pretty funny concoctions that come from using emojis and symbols to substitute for the English language. [Read: Funny emojis couples need to use more often]

#5 Scramble. Remember that cube game when you were a kid where you put all the lettered dice in a cup and shook it up? Then, from those letters, you made your own list of words. The same can be done with a texting game.

Simply give someone a word, and they have a certain amount of time to mix all the letters to see how many more words they can make out of them. A great time waster, use your “notes” app to make all the words and then share them. Whoever makes the most words, wins.

#6 Do or die. If you are texting with a friend, a fun game to play is do or die. Each of you takes turn naming someone either that you know, or that you don’t know *like a celebrity*, and say whether you would do them or rather die. You would be surprised at your differences in tastes. It really makes you think about what you would do if someone held a gun to your head. [Read: 13 clean and flirty texting games to play with friends]

#7 Read my lips. Mute your phone and take a video of a phrase you speak. Challenge people to figure out what you said. Either mouth something and send a video or mute it, but the object is to try to figure out what you are saying. If they get it right, they win, if not, you do.

#8 Have a staring contest. Okay, so you would think that you must be standing next to one another. The beauty of cell phones is you can video tape yourself staring. Plus, there is a little clock in the corner, and it doesn’t lie.

So, have a staring contest via text. It might not be face to face, but Skype or FaceTime still counts.

#9 How well do you know me? Whether you play with your BFF of 20 years or some guy you just started dating, play the game “How well do you know me?” Ask them questions and vice versa to figure out how much you really know about each other.

#10 Trivia. Who says you need cards to play trivia? The best part about playing trivia with a friend is that you ask them things that are either factual about life or factual about your personal life. Take turns asking each other and see who is wisest. [Read: 12 meaningful topics that ignite an intellectual conversation]

#11 Fill in the blank. If you want to pass the time, try fill in the blank game. All you have to do is send a text message with a phrase missing a critical word. Something like MadLibs, the person you play with fills in the sentence.

The best part about this game is that you can play it funny or sexual, depending on who you are passing the time with. [Read: Do you really know them? 20 fun questions to ask your friends]

#12 Dead or alive? This one requires you promise not to use Google. Think about a celebrity young or old. If you haven’t heard about them in a while, ask one another if they are dead or alive. You will be shocked at who you thought either living or dead, and you never even mourned. Celebrities die all the time. If you aren’t paying attention, you could totally lose this game and surprise yourself at how behind the times you are.

#13 Song lyric challenge. We all think we know what song lyrics say. I don’t want to call anyone out, but one of my friends used to think that Elton John said “electric boobs” instead of “electric moves” when he sang “Benny and the Jets.” Challenge one another to a lyric stand-off. Pick a song, and whoever gets the refrain right, wins! [Read: Want a really fun date night? Try these drinking games for two]

#14 Scattergories. Pick a topic like “people we don’t like.” Then you both have a minute to list and shoot the text back to each other. See how many alike answers you get. If you try to build a relationship with someone, then you find out quickly how closely your opinions match!

#15 True definitions. Again, promise not to use the internet. Send a word attached to three definitions and ask the other person to pick the correct one. Whether it is the urban dictionary, or Merriam-Webster, sometimes it is more fun to make shit up and laugh about it, than to know the right answer.

Whether driving in a car or in an office, if you are trying to get to know someone, reconnect with an old friend, or you just want to pass the time, just use these games to play over test and connect with each other.