Telegram Adds Bot-Powered Games to the Messaging App

Popular messaging app Telegram now lets you play games with your friends. The encrypted messaging service has introduced chatbot-powered HTML5 games for its 100 million strong user base.

Telegram last year introduced Bots that allowed third party applications to run inside the app. The Bot Platform allowed users to access a wide range of services right through Telegram using the bot. There are 30 games available at present for you to play either by yourself or with a friend. The games come complete with graphics and sound.

To bring up the list of games, users will need to type "@gamebot" in a chat. Telegram expects to release hundreds of more games and users will be able to keep track of their high scores within a group and globally. "We save high scores for every game played in every chat, and you can instantly check out how you and your friends are doing against each other," according to Telegram's blog.

Telegram also highlights the ease in which games can be created, attempting to invite developers to build on the company's platform. The games are loaded in the app the same way as webpages, which allows Telegram to bring in a wide range of games including 3D shooters and real-time strategy games.

The company adds that users with iPhone 4 and newer and on Android 4.4 devices and newer will be able to load and play games in the app. The new gaming platform also does not take up any added space. Users can experience Telegram games by updating the app available for Android and iOS users.

Telegram has been introducing a number of features to attract customers. The company last week updated its app to allow users to create Gifs, draw on your photos, as well as add masks, stickers, and text to them. The update also added support to Android 7.0 Nougat.