Games On Facebook Messenger Are Officially Here!

If you use your phone largely to talk with friends and play games, I have good news for you: Facebook just combined the two into one sweet new feature. Games on Facebook Messenger are officially here, allowing you to play games in your messaging conversations without have to download anything or open another app. Two birds, one stone! Old school arcade classics like Pac-Man and Galaga are available, as well as more modern favorites like Words With Friends: Frenzy. To start, Games on Messenger will offer 17 games to 30 different countries, on newer iOS and Android operating systems.

You might recall the handful of hidden games that have appeared on Messenger in the past: Basketball, soccer, and chess have all been offered at various points in the relatively recent past. The new feature, though, is far from secret; it's loud, it's proud, and it's here to have fun.

Accessing Games on Messenger is pretty easy, and I'm already sensing this is something we could easily get hooked to. First, make sure you have the most current version of Facebook Messenger. (To be sure, you can always visit your app store to see if there's an update available. If not, you should be good to go.) Next, open Messenger, and create a conversation with a friend (or open an old one you already had going). Directly below where you type a message, you'll see a little icon that looks like a game controller. Click that to experience the magic and be amazed.

Clicking the controller icon will bring up a list of the games you can choose from. My heart is so happy right now, because, well... look at this:

When you're playing a game and finish a round, the person (or people) in your conversation will see your score and be able to take their own turn. My boyfriend and I already got sucked into the awesomeness that is Words With Friends, so I don't need any more convincing. New games will be added regularly (as well as new ways to play), and you can use the Messenger search field to see if one of your favorites is available. Games on Messenger is the first feature to be rolled out as part of Facebook's new Instant Games experience. Stay tuned for more!

Images: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images, Courtesy of Facebook; Megan Grant/Bustle (2)