Communication is almost always best (except if you're dealing with a domestic violence or intimate partner violence situation, or otherwise toxic relationship - which you're not).

The phrase "playing games" comes to mind when people "test" their relationships through passive-aggressive means, such as not calling or texting or showing affection or whatever else to see what reactions ensue after that. It's not fair to any party in the relationship because (a) we're not mind-readers, (b) we're social beings who need communication and direct approaches to learn and grow, and (c) it doesn't give the other person an opportunity to change because indirect actions or inactions isn't communicating that to your significant other. We can't make assumptions based on distal actions or inactions; we can use our voices to ask questions and communicate how we feel.

For what it's worth, there may be a number of reasons why your significant other isn't initiating text or phone conversations. It could be that the person is busiest in the mornings, but the person also doesn't want to bother you in the evenings, if that's when you unwind or tend to sleep early. It could be that the person is aloof to these customs of give-and-take in healthy relationships, and that the person needs a friendly reminder that it would be nice if the person spent some equal amount of effort in calling or texting or emailing you. It could be that the person has a medical problem that you are unaware of. Or it could be the sad reality that people in long-distance relationships tend to grow apart because of their lack of time together, etc. The only way you'll know is if you ask.

You could practice asking these questions with a therapist or with us online here. You could do role-play, just to prepare, in case you are anxious about the outcome and want to be prepared with the person's responses.

But you could also write down a private list of your own - some "talking points" you want to address in your next conversation with your significant other. You could text your significant other to see what time they are available to talk or Zoom, so that the conversation isn't cut short. You want to have enough time to speak about this. If your significant other is avoiding speaking with you at length, then that's a separate scenario altogether. The first step, however, is preparing for that conversation and then having that conversation.