Our world is slowly reopening, but social distancing hasn’t been cancelled yet. Digital hangouts and virtual fun are still our reality, so here’s a list of games we’ve been playing together that will spice up your next happy hour.
It might not fill the same hole in your heart as IRL game night or weekend bar crawls followed by hungover brunches, or even just HUGGING. But playing cyber Cards Against Humanity with your people sure beats spending your 6,439th evening alone… Or whatever the math is on that these days.
Video chat your friends, grab beers from the fridge, and let’s get competitive, y’all!
The Classic
Head over to All Bad Cards to create a faux-Cards Against Humanity digital game room. It’s incredibly easy to use, where up to 50 of your friends can join in via shareable link. It’s a free platform, so the cards you’ll be playing with aren’t the Official Packs (obvs) but we’ve found them equally as hilarious! We’re looking at this as a bonus for those who’ve played the original game enough to memorize it. You can browse user-generated add-on packs, write your own custom cards, and even add AI Players for added difficulty. It’s a game that never goes out of style, just like 1500 Pale Ale.
Spy Card With A Vengeance
Codenames is the perfect word association tabletop game AND the makers have created an official online portal that’s free to use! It’s well-designed, allows for people to join via shareable link as either players or spectators, and offers the choice of the original game or Codenames Duet, the co-op version. Here’s how it works: split into two teams and choose one spymaster each. Spymasters can see all the cards and corresponding colors, attempting to get their teammates to guess only their team colored cards by using one-word clues. Guessing a pale square kills an innocent bystander and y’all lose your turn, guessing the black X gets everyone assassinated and the game is over. Keep your wits about you and pair with an easy-drinking Flyway Pilsner as you play this for (literal) hours.
Fun With Phones
A hilarious reversal of charades, Heads Up has participants trade off between miming hints and guessing secret words. Have everyone download the free Heads Up app on their smartphone, decide which deck and who is going first, set Zoom to Brady Bunch grid mode, and enjoy the madness of all your friends acting out the words on your forehead. Split into teams and tally your points to fuel your competitive edge, or drink a few Denogginizer Double IPAs and lose your head for funsies. Don’t forget to press record on the call for blackmail–er, fond memories.
For Serious Gamers
The CATAN Universe has gone digital! The original board game is free to play in multiplayer mode, either right in your browser or via downloadable app. Race to settle the island, casually destroy friendships, and become the ruler of CATAN. Such a robust game begs to be paired with Black Robusto Porter, which coincidentally tastes like victory.
Scatter!
This online Scattegories dashboard brings a childhood classic into the digital world. Dozens of categories, 20 letters and a timer are at your fingertips (fully customizable, too!) in this gorgeous, B&W platform. One person shares their screen and everyone privately writes down responses. After the time is up, reveal what you wrote and score one point for every unique answer. Alternatively, make it a team game and use your hive mind to score points by matching answers! The best beer to pair with a letter-based game? Best Coast IPA.
Pay For It
If you’ve exhausted the free options and are looking for something more exciting (but not as much of a monetary commitment as a Nintendo Switch), head to Jackbox Games for a variety of stand-alone digital games and half a dozen party packs you can play solo or with your crew. Trivia Murder Party is dark, deadly and wonderful, Drawful is a work of art and QuipLash will have you giggling to your wits end. The host will have to purchase the game and share their screen so everyone on the video call can see what’s happening. People can play along using the browser on their mobile device and entering the game room code at Jackbox.tv. These high-quality party games pair perfectly with a high-quality barrel-aged beer, like Unholy Alliance Sour Blonde Ale.
The Archives
#ZoomJam is “a game jam about playing together, apart.” Designers and gamers from across the world have submitted ideas on how to play games with your group over Zoom with no special equipment or skills. It’s a vast collection and there’s something for literally everyone. Kick Back as you browse the catalogue, the possibilities are truly endless!
When All Else Fails…
Escape the dumpster fire that is reality in 2020 with Hopocalypse Hazy Double IPA and a Netflix Party. We highly recommend getting the gang together to watch Eurovision, Will Farrel’s latest movie. Hell, it might even put you in the mood to do some YouTube karaoke, truly the way every good/bad night of drinking concludes.
