Houseparty — Virtual Parties & More

House Party is a messenger and video-conference app brought to you in one package. It allows inviting up to 8 friends of yours to a video-party. And once it’s done — the fun night begins! Houseparty also offers ways and means to liven up a group call with various social games.

Houseparty didn’t get much attention until recently. Millions of people in quarantine prefer it as an app of choice when it comes to hanging out with buddies and relatives. So, if you want to melt away the ice of social isolation, perhaps Houseparty could be that ‘blowtorch’.

What Is It About

Ain’t No Party Like The Houseparty

Houseparty provides free group-calls of pretty decent quality. You can invite 8 guests max. An invitation can be sent through a facemail — a short video clip. Or you can simply launch the app and instantly join a conversation. Automation and effortlessness are the biggest pros of Houseparty.

And All the Silly Games We Play

To energize your interactive blowout, even more,  Houseparty offers a roster of social games. On the menu we have:

• Quick Draw;
• Chips & Guac;
• Fortnite Trivia;
• Finish The Song Lyrics;
• Heads Up: Act it out and #Trending.

As you can see, it’s a solid selection of games that a good splurge could use. With them, you can have a fun trivia night. Or an improvised substitute for Pictionary with Quick Draw. And of course, you can solve a few charades — the cellphone camera is all you need for that.

Crystal Clear Quality?

Houseparty provides a decent picture and audio quality during a call. Plus, it doesn’t go too heavy on your mobile data. At the same time, the app isn’t entirely glitch-free. Sometimes, you’ll deal with unwanted reverberation and echo. 

Other times, the picture may get gritty and grainy when a new member joins the convo. And a weak Wi-Fi signal can spoil one of the games.

Is It Good

Overall, Houseparty deserves a solid B with a tiny minus. On the one hand, it’s great for hosting a small get-together. Be it your family or friends, you can have a quality time chatting, sharing news, fooling around and playing in-built games.  

On the other hand, Houseparty has a few downsides. First, anyone can join your shindig. There’s simply no block button to keep unwanted guests behind the fence. Second, Houseparty’s user interface needs to be worked on. And the games could use a bit of genre variety.