Games
So many games to play that don't require being in the same room!
Use the phone, video chat or text along with these, to stay connected while being physically apart.
Word Games
Tools for playing word games
https://randomwordgenerator.com/
BOGGLE
A lot like the original but the game board is online. Works best with screen share and your own paper or make your lists in any place you can type up a list.
https://wordtwist.puzzlebaron.com/init4.php
CATCHPHRASE
In Catch Phrase you must explain the word or phrase by giving clues to your team without saying it and your team tries to guess what it is. The clues may be verbal or through gestures.
Word generator online.
CHARADES
Charades is a classic game where players act out words for their team to guess. The rules of Charades are similar to Pictionary, but instead of drawing the word, players act out the word without talking.
Word generator online.
If you've played Codenames before you know how fun it is. There's a version where the cards are on displayed on a website you and your friends can view and interact with online at www.horsepaste.com for the standard version or www.codenamesgreen.com/ for the cooperative version
If you’ve never played before, here are the rules as the online version doesn’t have them: https://howdoyouplayit.com/codename-rules-how-do-you-play-the-codename-board-game/
MADLIBS
The classic game can be played over the phone or video chat whether you have a book of MadLibs or not. There's an app on both iPhone and Android if you don't. Or try the online version of a similar game: MadTakes
PICTIONARY
Pictionary is a fun drawing game for all ages. Players draw a word and their team must guess the word. The team that guesses the most words correctly wins.
So many tools to let you play Pictionary wherever you are:
Word generator online or download the app from the same site.
Another word generator that lets you select the difficulty and number of words.
SCATTEGORIES
If you've never played, check out the basic rules here: https://www.wikihow.com/Play-Scattergories
And here are a number of online options so you don't even need to have the game (though if someone does, they can be in charge of picking the lists and rolling the dice.https://swellgarfo.com/scattergories/https://really.boring.website/http://www.wordgames.com/en/scattergories.html
If you have the categories but need a tool to get a random letter, use one of these online tools. https://rollthedice.online/en/cdice/scattergories-diehttps://wheeldecide.com/wheels/board-games/scattegories-spinner/
SCRABBLE
Yes, there's Words with Friends (see below) but there's also good old fashioned Scrabble and you can play online with friends (you'll have to share your handles to match one another) in the internet's best place to play scrabble at Internet Scrabble Club
WORDS WITH FRIENDS
One of the most popular games on Facebook is the Scrabble-like game Words with Friends, which pits players in a turn-by-turn battle of letters. Play like usual, or pick up the phone or start a video chat while you play a game in real time.
Digital Games
JACKBOX GAMES
Learn how to play Jackbox games remotely
https://jackboxgames.com/drawful-two/ Free for a limited time
KEEP TALKING AND NOBODY EXPLODES
There’s a bomb on the screen and a complicated manual to help defuse it. The manual however is not with the bomb, so players can play this game in different rooms of the same house, or over the phone. Each game is about 5 minutes.
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is available for $9.99 to $14.99 on multiple platforms through the company’s website.
HEADS UP!
Ellen's famous game is usually played together, but if you use a video chat, you can play as usual and just don't view what your camera is showing the others. It's a free app for both iPhone and Android. Players hold their phone up to their forehead, and the others give clues to help them guess from categories like "Pop Culture" or "Animals."
AIRCONSOLE
AirConsole is a cloud based video game console that is accessible from every home through the web browser. Smartphones are used as gamepads. No additional hardware is required for a full video game console experience. AirConsole boasts a library of 150 games across a variety of genres. There is a free membership that limits you to only 2 players, a smaller selection of games and a waiting period between games, or a "Hero" option for $4.99 a month that removes all of those limits and can be canceled at any time.
Strategy and Role Playing Games
SETTLERS OF CATAN
Players build roads and villages, accumulate resources, and assemble armies in pursuit of victory. Catan classic lets you play online with the exact same rules as the board game, acquiring stores of brick, ore, sheep, wheat, and wood to trade with other players or play solo. Also try playing the physical game using video chat.
DOMINION
Like Catan, Dominion is a massively popular strategy-based game that pits players against one another in pursuit of victory points. Unlike Catan, Dominion is card-based, with players using decks to accumulate wealth and occasionally frustrate attempts by other players to do the same. The game has expanded significantly over the years, but you can still play a basic version for free online, with add-on cards that can be purchased.How to play: Dominion is available for free online.
DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS
Missing your games? The makers of D&D have released an online toolkit with tons of resources for both new players and experienced ones looking to play remotely. New material is released every week day with lots of stuff meant for new and younger players too!
PANDEMIC
May be a little too timely for some as the backstory involves the spread of multiple diseases simultaneously. But as people are playing and finding it to be a cathartic experience, as you team up with friends to fan out across the globe and rid the world of epidemics one country at a time.
How to play: Pandemic is available for $4.99 online.
TICKET TO RIDE
Trains aren’t the most popular mode of transport right now, but Ticket To Ride is still a blast. Relatively easy to learn, the game pits players against one another in a race to build train routes across the United States and Canada, earning points for creating specific ones or having extra-long journeys. For a more worldly game, check out one of the many Ticket to Ride titles based in other countries or continents.
How to play: Ticket to Ride is available for $9.99 online.
Interactive
MINUTE TO WIN IT
Look through ideas of games, see which supplies both (all) households have and see who can complete the challenge in a minute or less!
Classic Games
BLOKUS
If you've played, you know how much fun this game is for players of all ages. If not or you need a refresher, here's a tutorial for you.To play online, you will want to coordinate and login to name yourself as there doesn't appear to be a private room, but you can create one and people can join.
https://blokee.mattle.online/
There are also apps to download on the Android and iPhone stores.
GAME PIGEON
An app for iPhone that allows you to play many classic games including battleship, archery, cup pong, word searches, mancala and so much more!
TABLETOPIA
This multi-platform digital environment allows you and friends to play hundreds of licensed board games online. Play directly in web browsers on Mac and Windows platforms, or download on Steam, App Store and Google Play. Basic free mode allows 2 games at a time. Other paid levels are available as well.
MONOPOLY
It’s a classic joke that a game of Monopoly takes way too long to finish. That’s because so many people learned how to play the game wrong, but regardless, you’ll have plenty of time to play with friends online this weekend.
How to play: Monopoly is available for free online.
KAHOOT
Hold an online trivia contest with friends with Kahoot!
YAHTZEE
Yahtzee with Buddies - App works on Android and iPhone
CARD GAMES
CardzMania has more than a dozen popular card games you can play with friends. including euchre, hearts, gin rummy, or president. If you’d prefer to play alone, the site has solo games as well. How to play.
Also, play any Standard 52 Card Deck Game online on PlayingCards.io
A nice feature is that rooms are saved as you play the game and you can take a break and come back later to pick up where you left off as long as you remember the room name. Rooms are automatically removed after 2 weeks of not being used.
The only way to deal cards at the moment is to have each player take their own cards or manually make card piles on the board and have each player grab a pile. In the future we plan to have a way to do automatic card dealing.
CANASTA
https://www.playok.com/en/canasta/#e
https://www.canasta-palace.com/
https://www.canastajunction.com/ - this option costs about $10 but is the most popular option form seasoned Canasta players we hear.
GO FISH
Go Fish is a game where players try to make groups of all suits of each rank.
CRAZY EIGHTS
Crazy Eights is a shedding card game similar to UNO where players take turns adding a card with a matching suit or rank to a pile
MAH JONGG
https://realmahjongg.com/
$5.99 a month after 2 week free trial or $59.99/year
While you can play against random people or a computer, you can also set up a “room” just for you and your mah jongg buddies.
RUMMIKUB
Online version allows you to invite players you know on FB
https://rummikub.com/play-online/
ONLINE PUZZLES
Puzzles.io has a large collection of images that you can break into different-sized puzzles, and you can choose who to invite to join your puzzle crew.
BATTLESHIP, TIC TAC TOE, CONNECT 4, and GOMUKU
Play online Gomoku, Connect 4 or Tic-Tac-Toe with your friends and kids with these easy to play, fun and free online classic games. Simply share a link with them and have fun together. You can play as guest. Games for all, all ages, for everyone, near or far.
CHESS or CHECKERS
People have played these games by mail for ages. Now's a great time to learn and practice your chess skills!
Play Chess
https://www.chess.com/play
https://chess.org/
https://lichess.org/
Play Checkers
Rooms are saved as you play the game. Come back later to pick up where you left off. Rooms are automatically removed after 2 weeks of not being used.
MEMORY
Match up, also called Memory, Concentration, or Pairs is a card game where players take turns flipping over two cards to find pairs. The person with the most pairs at the end of the game is the winner.
UNO
Mattel has an online version of this favorite game that can be played on most computers and phones (with app download for phones). Let's Play Uno
This game looks a whole lot like Uno to us. Play Four Colors on AirConsole.
Slightly offensive games - Ages 17+
CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY
The party game for horrible people now available online so we can be horrible people in separate spaces. Unlike most of the party games you've played before, Cards Against Humanity is as despicable and awkward as you and your friends. Ages 17 +
The rules: http://s3.amazonaws.com/cah/CAH_Rules.pdf
Some of hte online ways to play keep changing, so you may need to print your own cards or search if these methods are not working anymore... its so much fun though, you'll want to find a way to play.
All Bad Cards is a newer online way to play - there's even a family friendly version!
This is more complicated: https://pyx-1.pretendyoure.xyz/zy/game.jsp
Secret Hitler is a dramatic game of political intrigue and betrayal set in 1930's Germany. Players are secretly divided into two teams - liberals and fascists. Known only to each other, the fascists coordinate to sow distrust and install their cold-blooded leader. The liberals must find and stop the Secret Hitler before it is too late.
Lots of other ideas
https://lifehacker.com/you-can-play-these-games-online-with-friends-1842347093
https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/online-games-virtual-game-night-multiplayer-apps
http://www.classywish.com/games-to-play-over-facetime/
https://apppearl.com/games-to-play-over-calls/
https://www.escapenormal.com/long-distance-relationship-activities-the-ultimate-list/
https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/140673/exhaustive-list-board-games-you-can-play-online-fr
https://www.escapenormal.com/long-distance-relationship-print-and-play-games/