Why You Can Trust CNET 9 fun games for your Alexa device and how to play them
Alexa can be your special guest at the next family game night.
Get the family together for a fun night of Alexa games.
Your Amazon Echo stays busy throughout the day, from reminding you about important appointments to lulling you to sleep at night and becoming your TV's speaker in the living room. But even Alexa needs a break. Fortunately, there are tons of great games you can play with Amazon's voice assistant on your Amazon Echo.
Some of our favorites include games from TV shows such as Deal or No Deal, where you try to select the suitcase with the most (fake) money. Another favorite is Song Quiz, where you pick a music decade (like the '80s) and try to guess the tune based on a snippet.
Here's a list of nine of the best Alexa games for your Amazon Echo and how to play them.
Read more: Amazon announced the new Echo Show 15 smart display at its September 2021 fall product launch, along with several other new Echo and Ring products.
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
Just like the TV show, you answer questions to see if you're smarter than a fifth-grader. It'll start with a first-grade question, like "the cricket is an insect, true or false?" If you get it right, you'll move on to a second-grade section and so on until you reach grade five. A fifth-grade question might be something like "In which state did the Salem Witch Trials take place?"
If you get any question wrong, you automatically lose and have to start over. To get started, say "Alexa, play Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader."
Escape the Room
If you've ever wanted to try an escape room, then Escape the Room is a good start. You're given five locations to choose from -- jail cell, office, car, spaceship or garage -- and the goal is to escape.
You'll be given puzzles that you have to solve to get out of the room. For example, you may have to inspect a circuit breaker and connect the colored wires in a specific order. To get started, enable the skill in the Alexa app and then say "Alexa, play Escape the Room."
Song Quiz
Song Quiz is great whether you're alone or have a few friends over. If you're playing alone, Alexa will find another player for you to battle with. Start by selecting your favorite music decade, like the '70s or 2000s (pick a category you'll know well).
Alexa will then play a fragment of a song and you'll have to guess the artist and title. If you only know one of the two, then you'll only receive half the points. You'll hear six songs total and then go into a bonus round. The player with the most points wins.
Alexa games can even be fun when you're busy in the kitchen.
20 Questions
The goal of this game is to think of an animal and make it through the 20 questions without Alexa guessing what you chose. For example, if you're thinking of a giraffe, Alexa may ask you if it has a long neck or if it lives in grasslands.
You'll want to think of something that's hard to guess. I was thinking of a koala and Alexa never guessed it. Say "Alexa, play 20 Questions" to get started.
Read more: The 50 most useful Alexa skills
Deal or No Deal
When you start playing Deal or No Deal, you'll start by choosing one case out of 22. Then you'll go through three rounds where you'll select a number of suitcases to open (just like the TV show). The goal is to open the cases with the least amount of money. At the end of each round, the banker will offer you an amount that you can either accept or say "no deal" to continue.
You obviously want to end up with the $1 million suitcase, but $400 thousand is just as good, right? To play, say "Alexa, play Deal or No Deal."
Jeopardy!
You finally have a chance at Jeopardy! With the legendary game show now hosted in your room, you'll go through a series of clues followed by questions -- and some are tough. And just like the game show, you'll need to answer in the form of a question, such as "What is…" and "Who is…"
You'll get new clues each weekday, to give your brain a workday workout. When you're ready to begin, just say "Alexa, play Jeopardy."
Test your knowledge with games like Jeopardy! and Song Quiz.
The Magic Door
The Magic Door is an adventure game that lets you choose from three scenarios -- the mountains, sea or a dark forest -- to find a magic door. Once you make a selection, you'll start your journey. Alexa will walk you through the path, giving you details about what's ahead, and will ask if you would like to get out of there or keep going. Keep going to continue the story to the end.
Throughout the game, you can collect hidden items, solve riddles and help magical creatures. To start playing, say "Alexa, play The Magic Door."
Read more: Need a good laugh? 55 funniest things to ask Alexa to raise your spirits
Lemonade Stand
If you've always wanted to own a lemonade stand, then now is your chance. Lemonade Stand starts you off with $5 of game money. Alexa will let you know what the weather is going to be like -- for example, it may be warm and sunny or cold and rainy. Note that you won't sell many when it's cold and rainy.
You'll select how many cups of lemonade you'd like to sell for the day, how much you'd like to spend on advertising, and how much you want to charge for a cup of lemonade. If you get low on funds, Alexa will automatically bump you back up to $5.
To use this, you'll need to grant permission in the Alexa app and then tap Enable To Use.
Alexa games can keep you entertained for hours.
The Wayne Investigation
If you're a Batman fan, you'll enjoy playing The Wayne Investigation, where you'll investigate the murder of Bruce Wayne's parents. Start by listening to the storyline and making decisions based on what you hear. You'll pick up objects for clues and speak with characters to find out more information on who may have killed his parents.
If you make the wrong choice by following the wrong character or looking at the wrong object, Alexa will let you know so you can try again. To start investigating, say "Alexa, open The Wayne Investigation."
What's your favorite game to play on the Amazon Echo? Let us know in the comments and check out our other Alexa tips, like these five unexpected uses for your Amazon Echo and these six unusual Alexa skills to try on your Amazon Echo.
