Opinions

Social distancing does not mean game nights have to come to an end


May 9, 2020

By Joseph Brubaker
Staff Writer

Sheltering in place has not only kept people inside and safe but has caused much boredom and a sense of disconnection between friends and family. And what better way to cure that boredom and strengthen those social bonds than by playing games with friends online!

If you want to video chat as you play games, check out Houseparty, in which groups can play Chips and Guac, Heads Up and Quick Draw as well as answer trivia questions. You can also check out Snapchat with its group chat games.

Another common way to connect with friends is through any console or PC. Console players and PC gamers all have access to many games to play with friends online, but there are plenty of games that require nothing but a smartphone. Some of these games include Call of Duty, Fortnite and Minecraft.

Drawful, which is a drawing game, is among my favorites to right now because it is simple, fun and available on all platforms.

Another set of online games that can be played on a mobile device are Drawful, Jackbox Games, Scribbl.io and Uno. All of these games work by connecting players’ screens, and they are all highly entertaining.

Drawful, which is a drawing game, is among my favorites to right now because it is simple, fun and available on all platforms. Jackbox Games are great as well because they consist of some of the best group-oriented games out on the market. Although not all of the games are free, they are engaging, competitive and wonderful quarantine time killers.

If you are a fan of word association games, check out KodeNames and Decrypto, both of which are popular board games. They can be played remotely when players project their screens using a video conferencing app like Google Hangouts or Zoom.

These are just a few options for friends looking to play games online, but they prove that game nights and social distancing really do pair well during this pandemic.

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