Isolation does not have to mean boredom. At least, not when you’ve got a group of friends and an internet connection. Zoom calls, FaceTime, House Party – whatever it is you’re using to have group calls with your friends, you can use to play online games with each other.
Turn on the camera and open up your browser – here’s a bunch of free online versions of your fave games for a virtual game night.
#1 Cards Against Humanity
Cards Against Humanity is PEAK Zoomer/Millenial game night. Everyone’s played the devilishly fun game with their mates, and it’s a guaranteed good time. The game is all about being as inappropriate (and funny) as possible, answering questions with your deck of cards. Funniest/most inappropriate card wins, and then the next round goes on.
There’s a really expansive online dupe for Cards Against Humanity that has all the expansions, and you can create private games that only your friends can join. The site is kinda complicated looking which makes it a bit fdifficult to navigate, but it’ll only take you a few minutes to figure out. It’s got a chatlog, but it’s way more fun to play while being in a Zoom call with your friends.
#2 Secret Hitler
Secret Hitler will turn you against your friends faster than you can say ‘Monopoly.’ Nothing will make you suspicious and distrusting of each other quicker than this super fun game.
Basically, there’s two sides – Liberal and Fascist. You are randomly placed into one of those teams. The fascists are a minority and know each other’s membership, plus which player is Hitler – no one else does. The Fascists goal is to get ‘Hitler’ into power without being discovered, and the Liberal’s goal is to find and eliminate the Fascists.
It’s maybe a little more complicated than that, but that’s the general gist. It sounds like a lot but the game-play is really short, so you can figure it out in a couple rounds and then play for real. The online version is much easier to play than in real life since the game keeps track of things for you, so it’s a good place to start.
You can make a private game with your friends here – just make a free account first.
#3 UNO
Okay, but who doesn’t love UNO? This is a straight classic. You either played it iwth your fam growing up, or at school, or at whatever camps and extracurricular events you went to. Absolutely ICONIC.
The best part about UNO is not just how simple and easy it is to play. but also that it seems everyone has their own special rules added into the mix to make their games more fun. I’m constantly in disagreement with new friends about whether you can pick-up-put-down (in my world, you can) or whether you can stack multiple cards if they’re the same symbol (umm also yes).
You can play it online here.
#4 Dungeons And Dragons
Look, we have endless hours to spend indoors with our friends on the phone – you may as well start an uber long game of D&D, because it’ll pass the time really quick. Bandersnatch made choose your own adventure shows back, and we’re going full circle by moving on to choose your own adventure RPG.
You can play D&D here.
#5 Skribbl
Skribble is basically like Pictionary, and it’s super cute. You basically draw stuff and others have to guess what you’re drawing, which I feel is an easy and standard beginners game for anyone who wants to play but doesn’t want to think too hard.
This one is more family friendly too, so you can play in group family Zoom calls as well as with your mates (unlock a particular card game I can think of).
Check our Skribbl here.
