So, you unboxed your first Echo device and so far you’ve only used it for the weather, asking silly questions and playing music. But did you know that there’s an entire ecosystem of fun games and apps just one command away?
As you may know, apps on Alexa are called ‘Skills’ - and you can browse the ‘Skill store’ here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/alexa-skills/
As Alexa skill developers ourselves, we’ve spent way too much of our time trying out skills on the platform, so we’ve put together a list of some of our favourites (including some of our own!) in no particular order below:
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Trivia Hero is a quiz game that challenges you to answer as many general knowledge questions as you can in under a minute. There’s a great range of difficulty and it can get very competitive with up to 20 players.
You can get the latest news bulletin from the BBC delivered straight to your device in the form of a flash briefing. It’s perfect to quickly catch up on the biggest events of the day.
Musical Games is a great kids (or adults!) game - with the classic musical chairs, musical statues and musical bumps all included in the package. This one will be perfect for post-pandemic life when we can all gather together again.
If you’re a movie buff then this is the skill for you. The game plays a short segment from a film and tells you the release year and you have to guess the title. You can choose a decade or opt for ‘expert’ mode which plays clips from all films.
Sherlock Holmes: The Great Game
Don your deerstalker and break out your magnifying glass as you go undercover with Holmes and Watson in this interactive Alexa skill.
Own an Xbox console and don’t fancy physically moving to turn it on or moving your finger to activate it via the controller? Then this is the skill for you!
The skill lets you control your console in all manner of ways using your voice: power it on/off, launch a game of your choosing, record a moment, turn the volume up/down, and even start a party. Requires an Xbox account.
Radio Stations
Listening to the radio has never been easier using Alexa, with most major UK radio stations having their own skill - perfect for dancing around the kitchen while cooking Christmas dinner. We recommend Magic and Kisstory.
BBC Match of the Day Magazine Football Quiz
Fancy putting your knowledge of English football to the test? The official Match of the Day magazine now has its own Alexa skill, in which you have to answer a series of questions on your favourite team.
The quiz is made up of five tricky questions, with a new round of brain teasers released every Tuesday.
Akinator
Think of a character, real or fictional and the genie will try and guess it - like a magical lamp-powered 20 questions.
Pointless
The hit BBC game show has landed on Alexa with both Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman lending their voices to the experience. You only get three questions to answer every day, but watching the classic ‘answerometer’ drop down for a pointless answer (if you have an echo device with a screen) is fantastic.
1-Minute Mindfulness
A bite-sized alternative to other meatier mindfulness apps’ for those who want to gain clarity of mind in under a minute.
True or False?
True or false, The Ancient Egyptian's made a cat their pharaoh?
True or False is one of the games we develop and a favourite of our players. It’s a simple concept, Alexa will read out a series of questions and you have to work out if it’s True or False.
You’ll be shocked at how many many common misconceptions you believe. It’s great for all ages and has enough questions to keep you entertained for a long time.
P.S It’s false, they worshipped cats, but no feline ever became pharaoh.
Red Riding Hood - Interactive story for kids
'Alexa open Red Riding Hood'
This skill lets you play as both Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf in an interactive story with entertaining voice acting. The writing is bitingly fun and it’s guaranteed to make you laugh a few times. There are multiple choices and alternate endings making it a great one to replay a few times with young children.
The Body Coach
‘The Body Coach’ is perfect for those wanting to have a quick workout at home without needing any equipment. TV personality Joe Wicks guides you through 7, 15-minute routines with varying skill levels. Those playing with on an Echo Spot/Show or Fire TV can also watch the workouts.
Would you rather have hair for teeth or teeth for hair?
‘Would you rather’ is the ultimate ice-breaker - the game gives you a series of quirky and bewildering questions and tells you how many people answered the same way.
Amazon Storytime
'Alexa, read me a story from Amazon Storytime'
This skill offers a professionally narrated short bedtime story from the Amazon library and Audible, which may prove invaluable for parents with young children.
Sleep / Ambient Sounds:
The Alexa store is flooded with great ambient sound skills, whether you’re wanting to relax after a busy day or add epic background music to your bedtime storytelling - there is an ambient sound skill for any occasion. Our favourites are ‘Space Deck’, ‘Forest Night’ and ‘Sleep Sounds.’
Star Commander is a choose your own adventure game that puts you in charge of the Starship Artemis as it begins its fateful mission to explore the outer edges of the galaxy. There’s 4 missions in the game currently with hopefully more on the horizon soon.
A fun multiplication game for kids. Times table battle offers two modes to play. Choose from simple or battle mode. In simple mode you have to answer the questions and score points. With time the questions get harder – up to up to 20x table. In battle mode, you have to beat Alexa with your answer.
The classic game has a fun Alexa version. Think of almost anything and Alexa will then ask you 20 questions to try and work out what it is.
Compete in the greatest ‘mathletics’ competition - The Number Games! You’ll have to use your math skills to win medals in 8 different sport events.
We’ve put a lot of effort into the visuals for the game - so we definitely recommend giving it a go if you’ve got an Alexa device with a screen and let us know what you think.
Beat the Intro plays a short section of a song and you have to guess the song title and artist as quickly as possible. The game is hosted by Moozzo, and has some excellent sound effects to guide you through the experience.
You don’t immediately think of choose-your-own-adventure games when you think of Pacman - but that is exactly what BANDAI NAMCO have made here. It’s quite a bizarre combination - but it’s really well produced and has great sound design and voice acting.
The Magic Door’ is an interactive adventure game with several stories and locations to explore. You can collect hidden items, solve riddles, and help magical creatures. The stories are about 10 minutes long making it perfect for playing before going to bed.
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Did we miss any of your favourites? Get in touch with us and let us know!
