Houseparty alternative: video calls with games, in your language
Houseparty, the drop-in video chat app, closed in October 2021. If you miss video calls where you could play a game while you talked, this page explains how Viaraa works and how it's different.
Viaraa is a video call app for one-to-one conversations in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi or English, with board games you can play during the call. You can also make a group with your friends and play together there.
Free to join
What happened to Houseparty
Houseparty was a video chat app owned by Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite. In September 2021 Epic announced that it would close Houseparty, removed it from the app stores, and shut it down in October 2021.
Source: Epic Games' announcement of 9 September 2021, as reported at the time (for example PC Gamer and TechCrunch). Checked October 2026.
Games on a video call, the Viaraa way
On Viaraa, the games are the ones many of us grew up with in India, under the names we know: Ludo (Thaayam, Ashta Chamma, Chowka Bara, Pachisi), Snakes & Ladders (Paramapadham, Vaikuntapali, Saanp Seedhi), Pallanguzhi and Tiger & Goats (Aadu Puli Aattam, Bagh Bakri).
During a call, open a game and you both see the board while you keep talking face to face. There's also Act & Guess, which only works on video: one of you acts out a film title without speaking and the other guesses.
Games inside calls are always free, and they're just for fun: trophies and bragging rights, nothing else.
Play with your friends in groups
Viaraa isn't only one-to-one calls. You can make a group with up to 12 friends, chat, and start a game whenever you like. Friends invite each other with a Game ID, so you don't share phone numbers.
Outside calls, playing with friends and in groups is free for now.
Ideas for a games evening
- Start with a quick round of Snakes & Ladders: it needs no thinking, so the conversation flows.
- Try Act & Guess with film titles in your language. Pick old classics if you want to be kind, new releases if you don't.
- Play Pallanguzhi or Tiger & Goats when you'd like a calmer, cleverer game for two.
- Finish with Ludo and see who gets all four pieces home first. Trophies only, of course.
Not sure of the rules? Every game on Viaraa shows them, and the board only lets you make moves the rules allow, so you can learn as you play.
One-to-one video calls with checked hosts
Viaraa's video calls are one-to-one, with hosts: women aged 18 or over who chose to host and were checked by our team. Each host lists the languages she speaks, so you can talk in yours. You see who's really online and choose who to call: there's no random matching.
- Hosts see only your display name. Contact details are hidden in chat automatically.
- Block or report anyone in one tap. A real person reviews every report.
- Everyone is 18 or over, and Viaraa is for friendly conversation and games only.
What calls cost
Joining is free. Video calls with hosts are paid per minute, with coins you buy by UPI. The smallest pack is ₹100 for 20,000 coins, and each host's rate is shown before you call, from 3,000 coins a minute.
- 20,000 coins₹100
- 40,000 coins₹200
- +25% extra1,00,000 coins₹400
- +25% extra2,50,000 coins₹1,000
Each host's rate is shown on her profile before you call, from 3,000 coins a minute.
There's no subscription, and you can end a call whenever you like.
No download
Viaraa works in the browser on Android phones, iPhones and computers, so your friends don't need to install anything either. Send them the link, and add Viaraa to your home screen if you want it to open like an app.
Want something more like a games app? Read our Plato alternative and Ludo King alternative pages.
Questions, answered
Is Houseparty still available?
No. Epic Games closed Houseparty in October 2021 and removed it from the app stores.
What is a good Houseparty alternative with games?
On Viaraa you can play traditional board games like Ludo and Snakes & Ladders during a video call, and in groups with up to 12 friends.
Can I video call friends on Viaraa?
Viaraa's video calls are one-to-one with hosts. With friends, you can chat and play games together in groups.
Are the games free?
Games inside video calls are always free. Outside calls, playing with friends and in groups is free for now.
Do my friends need to download an app?
No. Viaraa runs in the browser on Android, iPhone and computers.
Keep reading
- AlternativesHow Viaraa compares with other video call, language and game apps.
- Plato alternativeTraditional Indian board games on a video call or with friends in groups.
- Omegle alternativesOmegle closed in 2023. Here's how Viaraa works: checked hosts, 18+, your language.
- Ludo King alternativePlay Ludo while you talk face to face, on a video call, in your own language.
Houseparty is a trademark of its owner. Viaraa isn't affiliated with it.