Half of a family call goes to sound checks and the other half to the weather. A short plan fixes that. This one is for Thanksgiving games with relatives in different houses, and it runs for 45 minutes. It uses the chat window you already have, plus one browser tab per household, and it works as a short virtual game night for the whole family.

What day is Thanksgiving for everyone on the call?

Check before you set a time. In the United States it falls on the fourth Thursday of November, which is 26 November in 2026. Canada keeps it on the second Monday in October, a date Parliament fixed in 1957. A cousin in Toronto may have had her turkey six weeks earlier, and she will be happy to host the call without cooking.

Relatives in other countries may not mark the day at all. Say so in the invitation: "Thursday evening, game call, no dinner needed."

The 45-minute timetable

I add up the listed game times and leave gaps. Here is the whole call.

  • 0 to 5 minutes: everyone arrives, mics on, tabs open.

  • 5 to 20 minutes: a trivia round, listed at 14 minutes.

  • 20 to 25 minutes: a stretch break and refills.

  • 25 to 40 minutes: a drawing game with one drawing per person.

  • 40 to 45 minutes: a thank-you round, spoken, with no screens.

That is 45 minutes, and it fits before anyone's dinner gets cold or anyone's evening ends. If the call goes well, keep going. If not, nobody has to endure a second hour.

Which games suit every age on a video call?

Pick games with short turns and no reading aloud. Pick turns that take seconds, and skip anything with tiny shared pieces.

I make Boardit, six free games that run in a browser tab, and two of them fit this plan.

Trivia Tavern holds from two to eight people, each with a separate device, so a household can answer as one team on one phone. It starts as a race, where everyone answers together and speed earns extra points. For an older relative who dislikes the clock, the host can set a calmer pace. The last question of each round asks for a number, and whoever lands nearest wins it, so a grandchild can beat a grandfather with luck.

Draw and Guess suits a bigger crowd, up to twelve. It starts at 100 seconds a drawing, with three rounds and eight seats filled. A relative can also join a game that has already started, which helps when someone shows up late from the kitchen.

Boardit's terms rule out anyone under 13. For the youngest I would leave the screen games to the teenagers and run a paper game on the call, such as everyone drawing their favourite dish while the others guess.

Can a call and a game share one screen?

Boardit has no call built in, so online board games and quiz games sit beside the call, not inside it. Keep your normal video call open and play in a browser next to it. That works well on a laptop with two windows. On a phone it is tighter, so ask phone users to join the call from a tablet or let a second device carry the game.

A few small rules help:

  • 1. One person is the host and starts every game. That person pastes the invitation into the chat.

  • 2. Mute unless you are talking. Crosstalk on a call is worse than in a room.

  • 3. Cheer in the chat instead of speaking, if the line is slow.

A guest needs no download and only a name, which matters when a great-aunt joins at the last minute. Having a guest only need a name takes a real worry away from a family game night.

Can teams share a screen?

Yes, and for a mixed family it is often better. Put each household on one device and have the youngest read each question out. The grandparents answer, the child taps. A game made for eight players handles four households of three people with room to spare.

Count the seats before the call: eight in Trivia Tavern, twelve in Draw and Guess. If you have nine houses, split into two rooms and add up the two scoreboards after the last game.

What if the call runs long?

Stop at the break. The timetable has a built-in exit at 25 minutes, and a second game after that is a bonus, not a duty. A call that ends with people wanting more tends to be repeated.

Close with something that is not a score

End the call with each person saying one thing they are thankful for. That needs no screen and little time, and it is the part people remember afterwards.

Ahmed Moaz builds Boardit, a free browser game site.