More than a third of the world’s population is currently under some form of corona virus lockdown as governments attempt to stem the spread of the deadly pandemic. This has left an estimated 3 billion people stuck indoors for the foreseeable future.
Fortunately, staying social while social distancing has never been easier thanks to a near-endless array of online chat and gaming apps that can help keep you connected while in containment. While people in India have been advised to stay indoors, they are relying on numerous online services to avoid boredom while sitting back at home 24/7. Even the World Health Organisation is urging everyone to stay at home and play games.
Now, normally there would be plenty of great games we could recommend here, but in the age of COVID-19, not every “great game” is the same. So, there can be some key criteria in place, which are:
Longevity
So you need a game that can stand up to the test of time, whether that’s through a deep 40+ hour story or a seriously addictive multiplayer mode.
Value
some of us are incredibly lucky enough to be able to work from home and still get the full pay, whereas others are set to be living on not that much until the end of the lockdown.
Key to Fun: List of online games that can be played
Facebook Gaming
Despite Facebook’s dire reputation when it comes to protecting people’s personal information, it still remains – by far – the most popular and feature-filled social network. Facebook’s Gaming tab is one of the key reasons it continues to attract and keep hold of users, as it offers a way to play games with contacts or the more than 2 billion users of the platform.
It comes with classics like Pac-Man and Space Invaders, alongside more modern games like Farmville and Super Dash.
Classic board game apps
Almost all classic board games have an online equivalent, often with identical gameplay adapted for playing on tablets and phones. Not all of them have completely succeeded in making the transition from tabletop to digital.
Among those that have achieved this include Risk, Uno and Monopoly, though unlike many of the other online games listed here they often come at a cost.
Quiz Up
The biggest trivia app in the world features 1,200 topics containing more than 600,000 questions to challenge people on everything from general knowledge to basic math problems. QuizUp offers the chance to play head-to-head battles against friends of start entire tournaments against people.
Players can adjust their settings to find other people to test themselves again, while each topic comes with its own community where members can post about their favorite quizzes or even make their own.
Paytm First Games
Paytm First Games include trivia, contests, and is known for Rummy. Users can connect with different players located across India in real-time to take part in the games.
Paytm Games has a collection of games similar to Ludo, Candy Crush, Snake, Fruit Ninja, Knifeit, and Temple Run which users can play and win rewards. It has over 200 online games to choose from.
Carrom Pool
Carrom Pool is the digital version of the popular board game Carrom and can be played by four players at a time.
Uno
UNO, a family-friendly card game, in its app, has incorporated new rules, tournaments, adventures to make it more interesting.
8 Ball Pool
8 Ball Pool is a pool game for pro pool players and billiards experts. The game supports 1 vs 1 multiplayer mode and comes with easy-to-use touch controls.
Words with Friends 2
The name of the game says it all “words with friends.” Rally together your mother, father, aunt, distant cousin, coworker, boss or neighbor and challenge them into taking you on as you scramble to create words out of the letters that you are issued. Whoever gets the most points wins. And your brain will get a workout as well because let’s be honest—there are only so many words that you can fit the letter Z into. Don’t you hate when you draw that letter in Scrabble?
Mario Kart Tour
Grab Mario, the princess and all of your favorite childhood classic Nintendo pals, toss them in a go-kart, and you’re off! This version raises the stakes even higher, putting you face-to-face with courses that take you underwater and even hang gliding.
Fairway Solitaire
The original puzzle solitaire game. “Hit the fairway” and complete daily challenges, earn rewards and find collectibles! While playing, you can join a club, meet new friends, play together, get your club on the leaderboard and win incredible prizes! Clubs unlock at level 14 and anyone can join. Work together to earn club chips to unlock incredible prizes! The game can be played on iOS, Google Play, and Amazon. Ages Rating is 4+ and the average player age range is 40-65. Complete clever solitaire puzzles, master the course and earn prizes!
Candy Crush
A game that never goes out of style, Candy Crush will definitely pass some time while you’re at home. The classic game will no doubt relieve some stress too – at least until you get stuck on a level.
PUBG Mobile
PUBG or Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds is one of the most popular games around the globe. The mobile version of the game, PUBG Mobile, has gained immense popularity since its launch. The game is currently available for both Android and iOS platforms. The battle royale game basically throws 100 people in a land where the last man or team standing wins. Tencent has also added a couple of new modes in the game for quick matches or practicing the recoil of a gun.
One does not get bored of the game as it has multiple modes and maps to keep the excitement levels up. Also, as it is an online-based game, the player will not be faced by the same bots with the same tactics. Also, to make things even more interesting, one can invest in a battle pass that brings adds more challenges for the player.
Ludo King
Ludo King is a classic board game played between friends and family. Ludo King is a cross-platform multiplayer game that supports Desktop, Android, iOS, and Windows mobile platforms at the same time. This game also supports offline mode, where the player can play with the computer or, local multiplayer.
So, If you are looking for a game that you can even enjoy with your grandparents, Ludo King might fit just right in. During the gameplay, the users can even chat with each other or send each other emoticons. Interestingly, the game also has a snake and ladder mode that also brings back childhood memories for most of you.
“The right games can bring families and friends together during this time in a really positive way,”
