For once, it's not just the pandemic that's keeping many people home but the inclement weather that naturally comes with the winter season. For many in the Northeast and across the Midwest, intense winter storms have kept everyone home on top of a pandemic that - with the news of vaccines - has finally shown us the light at the end of the tunnel. With a date of August, tentatively, before the hope is (hopefully) realized that a majority of people will be vaccinated, some of us are going a bit more stir-crazy with the end in sight but no way to safely visit our family or friends just yet.
Games have taken the place of normal interactions and get-togethers and while you might feel exhausted by the idea of yet another Zoom call, hear us out on this one: with the creation of many new online games, it's worth giving these a shot. The next time you have a free Friday night or a weekend morning that could us some (occasionally inappropriate) laughs, try these out... We promise they'll be a good waste of time.
Jackbox Games
Jackbox Games aren't necessarily new but new versions are coming out all the time. With a total of seven (plus mixed sets) to choose from, these are a great option for those who have PCs for gaming or gaming consoles.
On Consoles, the use of Twitch helps to share the host's screen and if you enable the microphone via a headset, it's easy for everyone to hear you. Otherwise, simply dial in on your laptop or tablet to see everyone and hear their inevitable laughter as you play multiple rounds of Murder Trivia or Quiplash.
Cards Against Humanity
For those who love this slightly off-key and always hilarious game, playing the online game All Bad Cards will provide an equally exciting time. It's as easy as creating a game room and inviting your family and/or friends, and the best part?
You don't have to flip through cards or figure out a way to set them down in a way that all your friends can see them through Zoom.
Scattegories
Similarly, Scattegories is now online and makes it easy to invite all of your friends to play a riveting round of this clever board game. Since the whole thing is online, all you need to do is send a link, and then, when you're ready, dial in and phone everyone on Zoom to feel as though you're playing face-to-face. In contrast to Jackbox Games, Scattegories is easily done through each person's screen, so there's no need to find a way to screen-share with this one.
Quiz Up
For those who appreciate the simpler games and those that can provide quite the head-scratcher of a question, Quiz Up is a great way to test your knowledge as well as that of all your friends.
Since many trivia nights have been canceled due to the pandemic, grab your favorite takeout and start up a Zoom call so that everyone can hear each other. When you're all ready, start trivia night and arrange some type of virtual prizes for the team that gets the most questions right.
Tabletop Simulator
Another way to try some classic games is through the Tabletop Simulator. This site offers all the card games you could ever want and makes it easy to play without any items needed whatsoever. More people can be added to the game via a link and it's so simple that you can play it on your phone; just make sure that you leave your laptop open for a Zoom call if you want to be able to interact with everyone.
Among Us
Among Us is a relatively new game that can be played through a game console or Steam on PC. There are some hard and fast rules when it comes to playing this one but it's worth it for a great time.
Each person logs in and is given an anonymous identity and as you progress through the game, it's up to each person to decide - as a team - which character is the imposter. If you all land on the same conclusion, then feel free to guess... But you'd better make sure that you guess right, or the imposter is free to continue their menacing ways.
TableTopics
Questions make a game fun and TableTopics is a great way to get to know each other, so this is fun for large game groups or bringing together multiple people. With popular topics such as pop culture and TV shows, these are questions that everyone can answer and they're totally random. You might learn some fun facts about your friends while also having a blast sharing common interests and getting to know others.