Want to play a game?

Every now and then, it can be fun to blow off some steam and play a game.

Yeah, a game. You may have heard of them. A pleasant way to waste some time and have fun, preferably with friends. Games can be pretty social things, if done right.

No no... wait... I'm not talking about games you might find on other social networks, where part of the point is to send messages to all your friends asking for something. Sure, those games are in Google+ (even if you didn't know it), but theres more. Lots more.

"Social" Gaming

A small pile of games developed over the past few years, mostly centered around building your world and convincing others in your social network to help you do so. They're mindless, but can be fun and a good way to unwind. There are other games in this vein as well, mostly played on social networks, and generally with some social component (usually allowing you to post updates to your friends). Don't worry about those updates, however - only people who are looking at their game stream will see those updates.

To access the games, you can click on the "Games" navigation tab on the left side of Google+. (This may be available under the "More" tab, if you don't immediately see it.)

Hangout Games

Perhaps you like to see your friends when you play games. No problem! Hangouts to the rescue!

One of the first things that people did when Hangouts rolled out were to play popular games like Pictionary. There are now apps that let you do simple drawings right in the hangout, so you don't need to draw something on paper and hold it up to your camera. But there are plenty of other games, too. Want to play pool with your friends? 8 Ball Pool Multiplayer may fit the bill. Into some role playing? Tabletop Forge will help you out. A bit of a mind game? Perhaps some 3D Tic-tac-toc-toe.

Check out their pages on Google+ for information about how to get started, or take a look in the "Apps" tab when you're in a hangout.

More Social Social Gaming

Unlike the games where you try to beg your friends for help, a lot of people are choosing to play games directly in Google+ itself, and they're doing it with some games that are more like the parlor games you've probably played in the past. A recent popular game has been Breakfast Combo, a guessing game where the initiator has to cleverly give clues to an object they're thinking of.

These games are much more free-form - just start a post and invite people to play it in the comments!

Make it an Event

Finally, sometimes you may need to plan these games out ahead of time and schedule a time when everyone is available to play. Take a look at the "Events" navigation tab on the left side of Google+ and you can invite your friends.

You can even plan to get together in person and play some games. Wow... what a radical concept.

Whatever you do - have fun!