Many of us who find ourselves firmly in the double-digit days of quarantine are searching for ways to spend our extra free time indoors that don’t involve reorganizing everything in our homes or obsessively tracking the latest dismal COVID-19 news. We’ll be posting a bi-weekly roundup of media and entertainment sources recommended by our staff to provide a welcome distraction from the world.
Here at CALA, we’ve been dusting off old board games and reaching for controllers a lot over the past few weeks. More than just children’s entertainment, games are a perfect way to connect with family and friends of all ages, relieve stress, keep your mind sharp, and let your creativity flow. Check out a list of our favorites below and be sure to recommend your own in the comments!
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Genre: Social Simulation
In the latest installment of the Animal Crossing franchise, your story begins as you move to a deserted island with a pair of animal neighbors and one simple goal: to build a pleasant life for yourself and your new friends. The beauty of the game–and its therapeutic appeal in these particularly chaotic and uncertain times–is in its flexibility; whether you prefer to spend your days fishing on the beach, building waterfalls, planting flowers, or designing your home, you can work at your own pace and exercise your creative muscles to make your island oasis look exactly how you want. There is also an online multiplayer feature that allows you to visit your friends’ islands and host them at yours, making the game a great backdrop for virtual hangouts. – Cayla Delardi
Final Fantasy VII: Remake
Platform: PS4 [Exclusive to PS4]
Genre: Action RPG [Role playing game]
Volume 1 (of 3) of the groundbreaking RPG (originally released in 1997) created by Square Enix. Not only was this game updated visually, Square Enix has completely revamped the classic turn based battle system, making it free form, fast paced, and layered with engaging complexities. Additionally, hours of new story content is interwoven into the original story, building upon the classic experience. An absolute masterpiece and must have even for those new to the franchise. – Jervon Mercier
Mad Dragon: An Anger Control Card Game
Platform: Tabletop
Genre: Card Game
“Players race to get rid of their cards while learning anger control skills.” Good for kids of all ages who are staying at home and those with whom they are staying at home. Bonus game: Exquisite Corpse over text message or variations like Kwame Alexander’s community poem starting from What I’m learning about grief (is that it is still learning about me), etc. – Annelise Finegan Wasmoen
Solo
Platform: Tabletop
Description: Card game (standard 52 card deck), miniumum 4 players
Solo Whist is a trick-taking card game whose direct ancestor is the 17th-century Spanish game Ombre, based on the English Whist. Its major distinctive feature is that one player often plays against the other three. However, players form temporary alliances with two players playing against the other two if “Prop and Cop” is the current bid. It requires four players using a standard 52 card deck with no jokers. Aces are high and the deal, bidding and play are clockwise.
This game has been played by generations of my mother’s family and passed down – we called it Solo (Whist was a completely different game we also played). In the kitchen on Holly Road on Dublin’s northside, I played with my grandmother, Alice Fortune, my mother Ina, my aunts Tedie and Charlie, and my sisters Cathy and Laura. In Ireland we had weekly card game nights. In New York, I’ve played cards during blackouts, hurricanes, but sadly not pandemics.
My favorite bid: Misère
Here are the rules, bids, and instructions: http://www.52pickup.net/card-games/solo-whist/
– Anne Maguire
Drawful 2
Platform: Jackbox Games (PC, Mac, Apple TV, and more)
Genre: Party game
Drawful 2 is played in groups, from 3 to 8. (We’ve been playing it using the screenshare feature in Zoom with family on the west coast.) Players are presented with odd titles (Nose Hair Collection, Haunted Taxi Cab, Man Bun, etc.), which they illustrate, privately, on their iPhones. After every player has finished drawing, each drawing is shown on a shared screen, one at a time, without the title. Players then submit their own titles for each drawing: the objective is to trick the other players into thinking your title is the correct one. After all titles are submitted, the drawing is shown again, this time with all the titles. Players get points for guessing the correct title, as well as for each person that picked their fake title. The titles are weird, the drawings are bad, and it’s a funny way to stay connected with friends and family. – Andrew Dicus
Quiddler
Platform: Tabletop
Genre: Word game
To try to have some time off the screen nowadays we’ve been playing Quiddler. It’s a word game with cards that is really easy to play yet challenging for everyone. Our family age range is 8 to 60 and it is perfect for everyone. Get out your dictionary, though, people, at least in my family, have a tendency to invent words… – Jenny McPhee
Exquisite Corpse
Exquisite Corpse, the collaborative poetry or drawing game, can be played over text message. For another variation, see Kwame Alexander’s community poem, starting from What I’m learning about grief (is that it is still learning about me), etc. – Annelise Finegan Wasmoen
Oh, what a fun idea for a post! I grew up with Patience in Germany, in the US more commonly known as Solitaire. Because I spend so much time in front of the computer, I will always play it on a table top.