The COVID-19 pandemic has led the CDC to advise that we engage in social distancing to slow the spread of the disease and lessen the burden on our healthcare system. However, a lot of people rely on structure and social interactions to maintain their mental health. While not every activity can be done remotely, some board games do lend themselves to being played virtually, regardless of distance between players.
Consider these options for hosting your own virtual game night.
- Welcome To… by Deep Water Games
Welcome To… is a fun, easy-to-learn game where players can design and build their own town. It markets itself as being for 1-100+ players, and has made it possible for those players to be anywhere just as long as one player who owns the physical game streams it. Others can download the free app and play along. - Rosetta by Story Machine Games
Full disclosure: I have worked with Story Machine Games. Rosetta is my favorite of their games, and while the full version isn’t yet available, their print and play version works for those who are remote. Rosetta is a collaborative game in which players try to decipher a word in a mysterious lost language, while one player, the author, gives them hints by translating their other guesses into the same language. As long as whoever is playing the author has a pen and paper handy, a group can easily play along. - Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes by Steel Crate Games
This game is designed for one person to be in a separate room from the rest, so it’s perfect for social distancing. Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is a cooperative game where the team is attempting to defuse a bomb. The manual that team members use is available online, so whoever’s defusing the bomb needs to have access to the game, and everyone else can guide them through the defusion process. - Any game by Jackbox Games
Drawful and Tee K.O. are personal favorites. Jackbox Games are great because individuals play on their phones. Whoever owns the game will need to set up their video call to show other players what’s on their screen, and then everyone can jump on with their device to play along.
It’s not easy staying home for long periods of time, especially when you’re used to socialization in real life. Just because you’re social distancing doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. Playing games helps relieve anxiety, and it encourages laughter and connection.
