How to play Facebook Messenger's Instant Games on your Android or iPhone

When the World Wide Web Consortium unveiled the latest HTML5 standard, it extolled its virtues when it comes to building native web applications that can be employed as a cross-platform endeavor without needing Android, iOS, or other app packages. Fast forward two years, and Facebook is taking a good advantage of exactly that HTML5 feature to release Instant Games for its Messenger app - timewasters you can play directly in the chat thread without launching separate apps or browsers. This is undoubtedly done to increase stickiness in these times of fierce competition among chat programs that are competing for users with an ever-increasing array of features, meant to keep you in their cold, hard embrace forever. 

Well, nothing increases stickiness than new or legacy game titles from renowned devs that are immediately available to challenge your chat buddies with, if you live in one of the 30 countries that can boast with the initial rollout. If you want to give Instant Games a whirl, here's what you need to do:

1. Download the latest version of Facebook Messenger from Google Play/App Store, or update your current app to the freshest edition;

2. Select new chat and a buddy from the list, or simply tap on a recent contact;

3.

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Look for the little game controller icon

If you are situated in one of the 30 countries where Instant Games are available, you will see a small gamepad controller in the feature strip, right next to the GIF icon, that's what you have to tap;

4. Choose from the list of Instant Games that appear, and press Play - your chat buddy will be challenged to beat your score, and most of the games are pretty self-explanatory in terms of control and gameplay, as there are plenty of classics in the initial launch roster.