A new video chat app is currently stirring up the messenger market of Google and Apple app stores. It is called Houseparty and is currently one of the top places in the download ranking on Google Play and the Apple App Store. The special thing about houseparty: the app belongs to Epic Games.
But why is Houseparty so successful at the moment that the app even puts popular messengers like Whatsapp or Zoom in its place? We get to the bottom of it.
Houseparty – video chat à la Epic Games
What is a house party? Houseparty is an app for iOS, Android, MacOS and Google Chrome, which enables up to eight users to participate in a joint video conference at the same time. Houseparty offers various functions:
- Live video chat
- Share screen with other users
- Link to Snapchat and Facebook to search for additional contacts outside of your smartphone phone book
- open party chats
- special chat mini-games
What makes Houseparty different from other video chat apps? Houseparty differs from the competition in three main ways:
- Because Houseparty has been part of Epic Games since 2019, the developers have integrated Houseparty's video chat functions into Fortnite. For example, Fornite players can chat with friends via the app during a break without having to log out.
- Houseparty has open chats, which means: If you notice that a contact has just started a video chat, you can click in directly. This should enable users to get to know new people quickly and easily. In addition, there are also private chat rooms.
- Users can also play various mini-games in the house party.
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What is the Houseparty Games all about? Houseparty offers a number of games that users can access using the cube icon in the upper right corner of the app. There are currently four different games:
- Heads Up: a mobile game where users have to guess a word that only the others can see
- Trivia: a kind of quiz game
- Chips and Guac: a variant of Cards Against Humanity
- Quick, Draw: Players receive a word that they must then draw within a time limit
The games are free, but users can buy additional content for real money.
What should users pay attention to when downloading Houseparty? Anyone who takes a look at Houseparty's terms of use will discover a rather vague passage like TrendingTopics reports:
"You agree that Life on Air [the company behind the houseparty, editor's note] is responsible for the content of all communication that you conduct via the services, including any ideas, inventions, concepts, techniques or know-how [. ..], for any purpose including development, manufacturing and / or marketing purposes. "
The fact that Life on Air does not specify what this reservation is supposed to mean, at least makes one listen. So users should exercise caution about what they reveal about themselves via the app.
Why is houseparty so successful? Houseparty therefore makes it easier for younger users in particular to make new contacts and exchange ideas with like-minded people during the Corona crisis. The integration in Fortnite should also benefit the app, after all, the Battle Royale shooter has a huge user base, which should also overlap significantly with the target group of video chat apps.
