Facebook Messenger unveils two augmented reality games for video chat

Due to go live on Facebook Messenger today (August 8th, 2018) are two new video games using AR filter technology to allow users to challenge their friends at the same time as catching up with them on video chat. The multiplayer video chat AR games allow you to play with up to six people at a time, making the gaming experience much more interactive and social, claims Facebook Messenger. The two games which are due to be released today are:

• Don’t Smile: Practise your poker face whilst challenging friends to see who can keep a straight face the longest with Don’t Smile – whoever cracks first will see their face morph into a big goofy grin.
• Asteroids Attack: When playing the game, you’ll find a spaceship perched on your nose. Move back and forth to protect the spaceship from falling asteroids and unlock the asteroid blaster as they come down on the screen. 

To try these AR games out for yourself, make sure you have the latest version of Messenger. Open an existing conversation or find the person or group of people you’d like to chat with and tap the video icon on the upper right corner of the screen. Then simply tap the star button and select one of the AR games – the person or group you are video chatting with will get a notification indicating it’s time to get your game on! Over 17 billion video chats were sent on Facebook Messenger last year, twice as many as the year before, claims the social media platform.  Other games that Facebook Messenger is rolling out in the coming weeks and months involve passing a beach ball back and forth with “Beach Bump” and a matching cat game, “Kitten Kraze.”