This “Smart Speaker” Game Is a Great Way to Spend Time with Friends During the Lockdown

In a time when computer games were just a myth, people relied on the pleasure of playing traditional card/board games like Monopoly. However, modern board games have evolved with the changing times and started taking advantage of the available technologies. “Hey Robot” is a similar board game that tests just how smart our smart speakers are, and now, it is available for free on the web.

Created by designer Frank Lantz, the “Hey Robot” is essentially a card game that makes use of a smart speaker. The primary objective of the players is to make the smart speaker say a specific word that is written on the given cards without actually uttering the word themselves. Now, it sounds pretty simple. However, when you start playing the game you realise actually how dumb your “smart” speaker is.

Last year, the physical edition of the game was up for grabs on Kickstarter. Now, with the Coronavirus lockdown in place, Lantz and his partners, which include the man’s wife, son and daughter-in-law, have released an online version of the game that is available for free on the web.

The “Hey Robot: Quarantine Edition” is basically the same game, just in a digital form. In this edition, players are provided with virtual cards with different words written on them. You just have to make your smart speaker say the word to gain the points. You can play this game with your family at home or with your friends using any video-conferencing clients.

So if you have a dumb smart speaker lying in your room, you can invite your family to play this fun game at home. Or you can just drop an invite in your friends’ chat group and play the game virtually with them. If you’re playing with your friends via video conferencing, use just one smart speaker and crank up the volume to maintain consistency.

It is a pretty fun way to pass the time and enjoy with your family and friends amidst the mandatory curfew due to the Coronavirus. You can check out the game from here.