Social distancing is absolutely critical right now, but it can also be lonely. You shouldn’t go to friends’ houses, or visit family, or go out to restaurants. But you can spend time with friends and family online.
People are flocking ― and by that, we mean sitting at their computer or phone ― to Zoom, Google Hangouts, FaceTime, Houseparty and other teleconferencing services to spend virtual time with loved ones.
And what better way to hang out than playing games?
Here, we collected some of our favourite games that you can play remotely so you can stay inside, stay safe and stay sane.
Quiplash And The Jackbox Party Pack
This is a favourite among my friends and family, and a game you can easily play with people in multiple locations. Each person (up to 8) gets prompts, and then an unlimited number of people can vote on the funniest answers. So long as one person owns the game on a computer (I use Steam), they can screen share and everyone else can participate by visiting a website ― no apps required. I also recommend the company’s Pictionary-style game, Drawful, and its fibbing game, Fibbage. Find them all here.
― Elise Foley
Cards Against Humanity And Apples to Apples
As long as you and your friends all have a set of the cards, it’s super easy to play this game via Skype or Zoom. Plus, the responses are just so silly; you’re bound to enjoy some much-needed long-distance giggles.
― Jade Walker
Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes
In this game, one person dismantles a virtual bomb while the other is back at “headquarters” explaining how to do it. It involves various puzzles you have to talk each other through. It’s a perfect game to play with people from afar because part of the premise is you can’t see what the other person is doing anyway ― and it gets harder as you keep playing, so it’s always a challenge. Check it out here.
― Elise Foley
Virtual Beer Pong Bracket
Pair up with a teammate, set up your own rack, and report your hits to your teammate and opposing team. We have a tournament this weekend.
― Erika Larose
FIFA
Maybe nothing has helped keep me sane through all of this more than FIFA 20, the soccer game I’ve played online with friends for hours as we’ve been shut inside in various cities across the country. It’s given us a way to stay connected and distracted during Zoom happy hours and the suddenly empty days and nights, while also filling a void created by the total absence of real sports and feeding our need to talk a little smack to one another. And although I’m not really any good at the game, at least in this virtual world, I can still dream of turning Arsenal into the sort of powerhouse they’re not and may never be again in real life.
― Travis Waldron
Darts
A group of friends and I have been playing darts over Zoom. You can even play virtual doubles if four people have boards.
― George Zornick
Tabletop Simulator
It’s $20 on Steam, but you get a virtual tabletop to play all sorts of board games! Pair it with a chat on Discord and you’re golden.
― Erika Larose