HomeFeatures
Video games to play while you’re self isolating and social distancingDistance makes the heart grow socialer
Distance makes the heart grow socialer
Unless you’re in one of thoseinternational versions of Big Brotherthat are still going on, you’ve probably noticed that we’re in the midst of a pandemic of something called the Covid-19 virus. I can tell it’s serious because my dad’s American girlfriend isn’t allowed to visit him, which means he’s bored and phoning me in the middle of the day. Haha, I joke. But he is 70, and has a weak heart, plus he’s immunocompromised on account of catching Lyme disease from a tick once (which is exactly the sort of ridiculous thing that only happens to country dads).
If you’re anything like us, you’re now at home, staring at the walls of your living room because of this social distancing thing. But it’s not just you. In fact, all of RPS is now working from home for the foreseeable future, too. So in the spirit of camaraderie, I’ve pooled some suggestions for video games to play while we’re self-quarantining. We’ve got somemultiplayer ones, someboard-gamey ones, and, of course, a healthy dollop offree ones.
Multiplayer
To see this content please enable targeting cookies.Manage cookie settings
We already have lists of our favouritemultiplayer gamesandco-op games(which are, of course, not exactly the same thing). I would add to those, however,World Of Warcraft, which is how I kept in touch with my old school friends in the post-employment, pre-families period of our lives.Sea Of Thievesis also a good shout - we’ve put togetherour own pirate crew, after all - and it’s available on that there Game Pass For PC. They’re both good games for chatting, and feeling like you’re actually hanging out with people.
Puzzles and board games
Now that we can no longer indulge in our office tabletop night, Matt Clements off of EGX has rallied everyone together on Discord to organise playing games in groups, but remotely. Which is a great idea, if it’s something you and your friends are able to do.
The aforementioned group has revealed a lot of good ideas, of course.Tabletop Simulatoris partly what it says on the tin, and partly a silly physics simulator, so you can play board games properly,orcollaborate to build some kind of giant hellish domino sculpture in the shape of a willy. It also has a deal where if you get a family pack of four copies at once, it’s cheaper per person than buying one copy for yourself. So if you’ve got three mates, you can all save a couple of quid at the same time.
Pixel Puzzles Ultimate JigsawandPixel Puzzles Traditional Jigsawsare both free-to-play jigsaw games with robust systems. The starting selection of puzzles is free, but you can buy themed packs of new puzzles if you blitz through ‘em. I’m also a massive fan ofGlass Masquerade 2, which is both pleasingly creepy, and a bit harder than your regular jigsaw puzzle.
Elsewhere we have ourlist of the best puzzle games, although it’s a bit out of date. You should definitely addReturn Of The Obra Dinnto that list, for example. If you’re after more explicitly point and click goodness, check out the wholeBlackwell Legacy series, as it’s a quality experience that won’t break the bank.
Miscellaneous video games
When you’re stuck inside, a key part of maintaining the fragile balance of electrical impulses that we call mental health is having a routine. It can be important to get up and have a shower and actually get dressed every day, rather than lounging about wearing the same, increasingly grim t-shirt and leggings. To pull an example from absolutely nowhere,do as I say not do as I do!Games likeRitual Of The MoonorStardew Valley, for instance, can give you set things to do to help with structuring your day (as long as, in the case of the latter, you’re disciplined about how much you play).
I have also been playingThe Longing, which takes a very long time to play, and has also given me a surprising sense of purpose. It’s an easy one to sit down and do a little bit of every day.
Free video games
Games are expensive, and people have less money than ever right now. Worth remembering in these trying times, then, is our wonderful weekly column of free games courtesy of Kat Brewster.Priceless Playpops up every Saturday, and we have our ownlist of the best free gamesas well.
Steam is holding aGame Festival with free demosfor a bunch of games right through this weekend, and GOG has gathered all theirfree games on one handy page, as well as running theirSpring sale. As I was writing this, I got an email saying thatFootball Manager 2020is also free to play for the next week. And, joy of joys, Itch.io has a load of great"games to help you stay inside", also for free, right now!
