4 Online Games You Can Play to Stay Connected with Friends

For the past year and a half, it has been important for people to find ways of connecting with the outside world from home. This indeed was the focus of a write-up on SimHome you may have seen here previously. While that post focused primarily on pure communication though (work calls, phone conferences and the like), it has also been important for people to find ways to socialize remotely.

One good option that’s been discussed a lot since the early days of the pandemic is gaming. Today, multiplayer video games tend to operate online in ways that give friends a way to link up and enjoy a little bit of activity together. While this particular brand of multiplayer gaming is perhaps what first comes to mind for most people though, it isn’t the only option. For those who may not fancy themselves “gamers,” there are also plenty of other types of games that allow for some remote socializing.

Since we aren’t quite out of the woods yet regarding pandemic precautions and stints of isolation, we thought we’d point out a few such games you can play online to stay connected with friends.

1. Board Games

Nothing quite beats playing a board game with good friends in person. But these days most every popular board game — Monopoly, Cluedo, and so on — has been adapted into a digital format catering to online multiplayer. For that matter, there are some slightly less mainstream options as well. PC Games’ list of online board games that rise above the rest, for instance, highlighted fun titles like Mysterium, Terraforming Mars, and the unfortunately-named but very fun Secret Hitler. You can link up with friends to play any one of these games and enjoy some remote time together in the process.

2. Poker

Online poker is another tried-and-true option that can break your social isolation up nicely! A lot of people might not consider this particular game simply because it’s commonly thought of as a more competitive activity — one involving tournaments with strangers, real money in play, and so on. While online poker certainly can be played that way however, there are also websites and apps alike that allow players to set up more or less whatever kind of poker game they might want. So if you’d prefer something more casual as a means of connecting with the people you miss, you can absolutely find a platform that supports casual, friendly games between friends.

3. Bingo

Bingo is a little like the less-heralded cousin of poker: a casino-related game tied to in-person events but now arguably more prominent online. In this case though, online play has more or less revitalized the game. An article on the reasons to play bingo online by Foxy Bingo covers much of why this has been the case. Namely, online bingo is just a lot more convenient and casual than the in-person version, and comes with a lot more game variety (including some fun animated themes you won’t find in person). But there’s also a social component to online bingo. The aforementioned piece mentions chat rooms existing at some bingo platforms, and it is the case that as with poker you can more or less find a game of your choice and link up with friends while playing.

4. Diplomacy

Diplomacy could be lumped into the board game category as well, but in a sense it’s become a different thing entirely online. For those less familiar with it, this is a map-based conquest game in which each player controls an army, alliances are made and broken, and there’s a continual battle for territory. It actually has a reputation for being playfully contentious; a Diplomacy review on Bloomberg called it “the map that ruined a thousand friendships.” But the truth is that it’s a wonderful social activity with friends — a rare online game that extends beyond gameplay, inspiring participants to dialogue continually to scheme with and against one another. It’s an ideal option for social activity during prolonged isolation.

There are many more online games than these that can help to keep you social. For those less interested in conventional modern games though (your shooters, adventures, sports games, and RPGs), the four here are well worth taking a look at.