Virtual games that mean you’ll never be board again! From Scrabble to Monopoly, cards and chess

One of the pastimes I have missed most in 2020 has been getting together with friends to play games. I don’t mean the kind of computer games my kids are obsessed by, such as Minecraft and Fortnite — their virtual connection to pals even through the school closures.

No, the games I have been longing for are the tactile, aesthetically-pleasing classics like Scrabble, backgammon or chess.

I am an old-school multiplayer fan too: I love card games including whist and bridge. In more carefree times, I would regularly play particular games with certain friends. On group holidays, I would look forward to rummy. Or, on rainy afternoons, marathon board game sessions.

The game I yearn for most in these times of physical and social distance, is mah-jong. For the past 15 years, I have played it every few months with three university girlfriends. During that 15-year period, there have been two marriages, nine births, job changes, plus the equivalent of several weeks spent in gossip and debate. We last played on March 6, and goodness only knows when we might again. Right now, the idea of sitting at close quarters with three people from different households to pass tiles then shout about them, seems fantastical. But fantastic too: bubbled-up with my husband and sons, it is female society I crave.

It is not just the friends I miss, but also the camaraderie and competitiveness of a games evening.

So, could I apply 21st-century technology to play old-school classics with distanced friends?

Like many, I had my fill of Zoom last lockdown. But I had also observed how my sons’ on-camera awkwardness evaporated when they had something to engage with, like the dice-roll of a Dungeons And Dragons game. Might the same be true for adults? That the common purpose of playing a game together would distract from the awkwardness, even tedium, of a glitchy video interaction? As an added bonus, might playing on the computer improve my game?

I decided to investigate.

All you need is a fairly rudimentary home set-up — just wifi, and at least one device. But which work best? Let the games begin . . .

HANDS COME UP TRUMPS 

The easy-to-use trickstercards.com has been a life-saver for card enthusiasts through this period. You can practise against the computer, play strangers or set up a match against friends.

Last week, my sons and I revelled in a game of Oh Hell with friends. Play was on a virtual green baize table, while videos of us players appeared on the right. The site offers classic games, including hearts, whist and bridge. After launching a game, players are asked to assess their standard — mark yourself as a beginner and you are offered prompts about what to bid and place. The website does the dealing and scoring. Our party, aged from nine to 49, found the site easy to use. All three children — and mine usually groan about Zoom calls — loved it.

For novice, rickety or rusty bridge players, such as myself, lockdown also offers the opportunity to brush up on skills away from the pressure of the table or potential censure of a disappointed partner. 5/5

GREAT FOR A QUIET NIGHT

Inspired by Netflix’s hit series The Queen’s Gambit, about a female chess prodigy? For centuries, enthusiasts have enjoyed playing the game of kings over sometimes huge geographical distances, corresponding about their moves by post or fax.

These days, there are quicker ways to challenge a far-away foe. If you want to retain the physical feel of the game, set up your board then connect via a video link (you could do this via your mobile phone, or through a service like Zoom). Either one of you can make the moves, or two corresponding boards can be set up.

Or play online via a popular site such as chess.com, perhaps using video on a split screen, or a different device if playing a friend.

If you suspect you have a chess prodigy at home, the child-friendly chesskid.com is excellent. 4/5

FINDING THE RIGHT WORDS

How do you recreate the quiet, serious focus of a Scrabble game against an adversary, online? Many do, using addictive apps including Scrabble Go, or Words With Friends, though I am not alone in finding their interfaces brash and gimmicky compared to the reassuring sobriety of a classic Scrabble board. You also have to pay to avoid being inundated with ads.

On the plus side, being able to connect with friends online, message them during play, leave, then pick up on games, or have multiple matches on the go, is a boon.

If you also want to talk, the easiest solution is to have a voice or video call going concurrently. 3/5

CLASSICS ARE CHILD’S PLAY

It can be awkward to draw out children conversationally over video calls. One solution is to engage them competitively.

The video-connecting app House Party might be more associated with teens and 20-somethings, but it has some brilliant games for all ages, including Word Racers and an Uno generator. Last week, I borrowed a friend’s eight-year-old daughter for a virtual game, which could not have been easier to navigate. Hover over the dice emoji and a list of activities will appear. Lock your room with the padlock symbol so other people don’t join you.

Elsewhere, you can play classic board games including Monopoly either by playing via their apps (search your phone’s app store), or by setting up your board in front of a video screen. 4/5

ON THE TILES

Mah-jong is the game I have been most longing to play. So far, however, a virtual night on the tiles has proven elusive, despite my extensive research. Many mah-jong apps are just basic, garishly-designed tile-matching games.

Of the better online play sites, some require translation from Cantonese, Mandarin or Japanese, or play by the American rules.

For now, launching a game on one of the U.S. sites — a simple-looking interface such as realmah jongg.com — seems the best bet.

Like many, I long to roll a dice on this all being over by next year.

But in the meantime, I’m going to use this second lockdown to sharpen my card play and score some zinger Scrabble words. Victory will be ours. 2/5