Quarantine Cycle: Games to play when your family won’t and friends are socially distanced

Looking on the bright side–not my forte, mind you–this whole global pandemic thing has at least one good thing going for it: it’s gotten our friend Kelsey back at the writing desk. If you’ve been paying attention, Kelsey has penned a series of articles about what to do with your loved ones now that you’re caged up with them like a tiger at the G.W. Zoo. His work inspired me to pen an article about what to do if you and your family have more of a Joe Exotic/Carole Baskin vibe. That is, what to do when your family hates games, won’t play them with you, and hates your for even suggesting such a thing? Head to the internet, my friends. Here’s games you can play either asynchronously or in real-time with friends even when you can’t be sitting around the same table.

Shards of Infinity

Shards of Infinity feels like Ascension-lite when you first start playing but then you realize it is Ascension-lite, and that makes it so much better than it’s aging predecessor (both from Stone Blade Entertainment in the land of cardboard). Shards games are quick, easy to grok, and even though the amount of cards is radically smaller than Ascension with all its expansions, offers a complete, strategic deck-building experience. And this is coming from someone who isn’t deckbuilding’s biggest fan.

Shards also has the benefit of Temple Gates as its developer. Sure, they only have two board game ports under their belts (the second will be talked about in a little bit, don’t worry) but their games reek polish with a buttery interface and simple graphics ripped right from the cardboard they’re based on. Let’s not discount the simple fact that their notifications always seem to work as well. Put it all together and you have a fantastic app you can play real-time in under 10 minutes or asynchronously if your friends aren’t available.

• Shards of Infinity for iOS Universal, $8
• Shards of Infinity for Android, $8
• Shards of Infinity for Windows PC via Steam, $8

Through the Ages

What more needs to be said about Through the Ages that I haven’t already said? From a design standpoint, it might be the best board game app ever created. Flawless and intuitive multiplayer, the ability to play using the cardboard graphics or not, single player challenges…it has it all. On top of that, it’s one of the best board games ever designed.

Is there a learning curve? Surely. In fact, I’m at least a hundred games in and I’m still learning. Throw in the Leaders & Wonders expansion and the possibilities for new combos and strategies is nearly endless. Recommend playing 2p only, as 3+ players simply becomes a pick-on-the-weak. Then again, I know players who love it at 3 and 4. Give it a try in all configs…even a bad game of Through the Ages is fun and time well spent.

• Through the Ages for iOS Universal, $10
• Through the Ages for Android, $10
• Through the Ages for Windows/Mac via Steam, $8 (on sale)

Agricola

Much like the current world of analog board games, the digital world has had a huge influx of new titles over the years. Also like the current world of analog board games, many of them are terrible. The biggest problem with this is that gems like Agricola from Playdek get lost in the shuffle. In fact, if it wasn’t for my current decathlon game, I probably wouldn’t have added Agricola to this list. Now that I rediscovered it, however, I can’t stop playing it.

A big part of that is the Playdek effect. This was Playdek’s first attempt at a non-deckbuilding card game and they really crushed it. There are folks on BGG who hate the presentation, but they’re wrong. Playdek breathed life into a stuffy, thinky euro and we’re all the better for it. The village and your farm comes to life and who doesn’t love the whistle sound effect when you sow your fields? Hello? Maybe it’s just me… Anyway, Agricola is an oldie but a goodie and deserves to be on everyone’s device. Multiplayer is Playdek perfect and while you’re waiting for your friends to take their turns, you can always hop into the solo mode or play the rather good AI. If there’s a downside, it’s that Agricola remains iOS only.

• Agricola for iOS Universal, $5

Istanbul

Acram Digital has been around for a while now and the crown jewel of their catalog is definitely Istanbul. Istanbul is a clever euro with a board that will never be the same between plays and a unique method of worker placement. It might take a game or two to wrap your head around, but once you do it’s one of the better euro apps out there. After all, how many board games let you send your opponent’s criminal cousins back to prison? Istanbul does and more.

For playing with your friends, the app shines. Multiplayer works so well, in fact, that Acram has run huge tournaments without a hitch. Definitely one to pick up, and it’s available for just about any platform you can think of.

• Istanbul for iOS Universal, $7
• Istanbul for Android, $7
• Istanbul for Windows/Mac/Linux via Steam, $10
• Istanbul for Switch, $20

Brass

When Cublo announced they were bringing Brass, a Martin Wallace title, to digital I was excited. He’s one of my favorite developers and I never thought we’d get a game this complex on iOS. When it arrived on the App Store, I wasn’t disappointed. They managed to cram all of Brass’ intricacies and weird rules (Who keeps forgetting you can discard 2 cards to build anywhere? This guy!) into a very pretty package.

Multiplayer is great, although we’ve had issues with notifications sometimes showing up, sometimes not. Not a huge issue if you know your opponents and can send them a quick text to remind them, but could be a deal-breaker if you wanted to play with strangers. If you’re willing to chance it and climb a steep learning curve, Brass is one you’ll want to check out.

• Brass for iOS Universal, $6
• Brass for Android, $7
• Brass for Windows/Mac/Linux via Steam, $10

Patchwork

For me, Patchwork is the strangest game on this list. First of all, it’s 2-player only, which I usually don’t enjoy. Secondly, it’s an abstract game which I never enjoy. Thirdly, I’m utterly garbage at it and–honestly, and I’m not using hyperbole here–I’ve never won a game of it. Not even against the easy AI. Something about it just doesn’t click in my brain. That said, I know folks love this one, and why wouldn’t you? It’s polished and easy to play, with rules you can pick up in about 30 seconds, and yet can make your brain hurt as you try your best to Tetris your way way to victory.

As I mentioned, it’s 2-player only, but multiplayer works great (as in all of Digidiced‘s apps). I was considering putting Terra Mystica on the list (another fine Digidiced app), but I find that game nearly impossible to play on a phone or iPad due to how much stuff isn’t on the screen. Patchwork is simple enough that you can see everything and get an overview of the entire game without issue. If you’re a TM fan, by all means pick it up…but I think Patchwork is where Digidiced really shines.

• Patchwork for iOS Universal, $4
• Patchwork for Android, $3.50
• Patchwork for Windows/Mac/Linux via Steam, $7

Galaxy Trucker

Czech Games Edition first attempt at bringing one of their cardboard creations to digital life was Galaxy Trucker, the best board game app of 2015 and, to many, the best board game app ever. I have to admit, it’s up there. It changed the game for board game apps and did things that no one was willing to try before that point: Solo campaign mode, creating a new mode of play to accommodate mobile gameplay (while still having a mode that replicated the tabletop version), humor, and adding expansions that didn’t yet exist in the physical world. The fact that the guy programming the digital version was the same guy whose brain could design Galaxy Trucker (and Through the Ages) in the first place probably helped. But, things like solo campaigns and tweaking rules to fit mobile are now found in a bunch of board game apps. Five years later, few have come close to how great Galaxy Trucker was at bringing everything together.

As a multiplayer game, GT is fantastic. The asynchronous mode–created newly for the app–is perfect. So perfect, in fact, that it may be better than the original real-time way of playing. That said, playing the real-time version with everyone grabbing tiles at once someone works here, too. If you can get your friends all online at the same time, I recommend it if only for the added chaos. The actual run after the ship building can be somewhat anticlimactic (and can take quite a while if playing asynchronously), but it’s a fun game that doesn’t require you to think too hard.

Yes, there’s a separate version for iPhone and iPad. Stop complaining and just get both. It’s on sale right now due to COVID-19, and CGE are giving away the proceeds from all digital purchases to COVID-19 Solidarity Relief Fund. So, buy it and buy it often.

• Galaxy Trucker for iPhone, $5
• Galaxy Trucker for iPad, $5
• Galaxy Trucker for Android, $5
• Galaxy Trucker for Windows/Mac via Steam, $5 (on sale)
• Galaxy Trucker for Windows via GoG, $5

Twilight Struggle

The grand daddy of all 2-player strategy games, Playdek’s app is an incredible recreation of Twilight Struggle from GMT Games. Whether you’re a capitalist pig or commie bastard, there’s enough here to make any cold warrior happy. Whether it’s handicapping matches to help the weak, adding optional cards, or even changing the artwork, it’s all here. You even get the occasional speech by the likes of Castro, Kruschev, and Reagan.

The notification system generally works well, but sometimes goes kaput. From what we can tell this is an Asmodee issue as the app is mostly out of Playdek hands at this point. I could be wrong about that…I usually am. Regardless, this is a must-have to scratch your heavy strategy itch.

• Twilight Struggle for iPad, $3 (on sale)
• Twilight Struggle for Android, $2.79 (on sale)
• Twilight Struggle for Windows/Mac via Steam, $4 (on sale)

Race for the Galaxy

Back in 2017 Temple Gates arrived on the digital board game scene in a big way. They managed to bring Tom Lehmann’s classic, icon-heavy card game, Race for the Galaxy, to the little screen. Race for the Galaxy has been a favorite since it arrived back in 2007 and the digital version brought all of its complexity, strategy, and general awesomeness to life.

How did they do it? The game is filled with informative tooltips, meaning you’ll never have to look at an icon-laden player aid ever again. They also imported the AI from the original app developed by Keldon, thought by many to be one of the finest AIs ever developed for a board or card game. Of course, we don’t care about AI here…this is for playing with friends. Yes, the game uses an archaic ‘friend code’ that you have to share instead of simply using email, but once you get past that (rather minor) hurdle, multiplayer is spectacular. All the RftG expansions are added as well, so if you spend a little on IAP you and your friends will have the universe at your fingertips.

• Race for the Galaxy for iOS Universal, $7
• Race for the Galaxy for Android, $7
• Race for the Galaxy for Windows via Steam, $7

Splotter Titles (BoardGameCore)

Let’s move away from native mobile apps into the wilderness that is the internet. First stop is the craziest stop: Splotter town. If you haven’t played a game from Splotter Spellen then your gaming life isn’t truly complete. This is a small Dutch company that’s been around for over 20 years. When I say ‘company’, I mean 2 guys designing and publishing board games in their spare time. None of their games will win any beauty awards, but as heavy euros go they can’t be beat.

There are three Splotter games you can play on the internet and all of them are at one site: BoardGameCore. Compared to other board game sites, this one is pretty sparse, but if you’re a Splotter fan, it’s your only choice and, once you get used to it, it’s not that bad.

First on the list is Antiquity, the city-building game of death and pollution. This is the oldest game on the site and doesn’t have near the presentation or functionality of the others, but it’s still fantastic and a great way to play one of the best board games ever created. Not for the faint of heart, Antiquity can quickly become a game in which you realize you have no chance of surviving, much less winning. It’s brutal and incredible with a steep learning curve and the need for dozens of games before you can call yourself merely competent. Highly recommended for masochists!

The next is Food Chain Magnate. This one is a heavy economic sim known by most for it’s less-than-beautiful Splotter aesthetic. I love it, and the online version actually plays incredibly well. Unlike Antiquity (which is only async), FCM has both async and real-time play which works great if you can all get online at the same time. Another brutal game that you can be out of contention of by the end of turn 1.

Lastly is The Great Zimbabwe. This is an oft overlooked gem that uses cows for currency and has you praying to African deities while you shop for ivory from your neighbor’s craftsman. The game has a unique victory point mechanism in which the number of VPs needed for victory changes based on things you do during the game. Want to worship a god? Great! But now you need 6 more VPs than everyone else to win. How’s about learning a craft so you can make money? Sure, but now your VP target went up by 3. Building up your VP engine pushes victory farther away. It’s an intruging puzzle and one that I will always choose to play when it hits the table. The BoardGameCore version is great, allowing you to play async or in real-time.

Want to play Splotter games? Head to BoardGameCore and sign up for a free account. If you’re a newbie, I recommend going to BGG and getting rules and watching videos first…these games aren’t for the faint of heart.

• Boardgamecore.net, free online portal for Splotter titles

El Grande/Navegador/Glen More (Yucata)

Sticking to board games in your browser, let’s shift to Yucata which is one of the more popular board game sites out there. There are a ton of games on Yucata, but my favorite from a heavy strategy standpoint are El Grande, Navegador, and Glen More.

El Grande was released in cardboard and wood back in 1995 and it still holds up 25 years later. It’s an area control gem, but with a very cool drafting mechanism that makes the game unique. Honestly, if you’ve never played El Grande you owe it to yourself to give it a go. It’s not overly complex, rules-wise, but there are layers and layers of strategy to be found in its provinces of medieval Spain and the secretive castillo.

Navegador is here because Mac Gerdts is awesome and the fact that this is his only game you can find and play online is a crime against gamedom. Navegador puts a lot of things I love into one heavy package: a market that moves up and down with demand, engine-building, and a rondel. Oh, how I love the rondel mechanism. If you haven’t played a Gerdts game before, give this one a try and then pray to your god that someone, somewhere brings Imperial online.

Lastly is Glen More, the game of building a village in Scotland and whiskey. This is a quick, medium-weight game that I love because it allows you pick and choose buildings to add to your village which acts as your victory point engine. Turn order is malleable, with the current player being the one who’s in last place on the circular track. Thus, if there’s a tile you really want up ahead you can jump as far as you like to pick it up, but then you’ll be waiting a long time until your opponents catch up to you.

All of these games (and hundreds(?) more) await you on Yucata, which has a great interface for playing games with friends either async or in real time. To top it all off, it’s free to sign up and start playing.

• Yucata, free online portal for hundreds of games

18xx (Tabletop Simulator)

Lastly, we have to go to that class of games which has dominated my game nights for the last several years: 18xx. If you love train games, but the quarantine has stopped you from collecting dividends and rusting your neighbor’s trains, then check out Tabletop Simulator on Steam.

TTS is a physics engine that just so happens to be targeted at the board game market. Thus, it has no rule enforcement and little to no automation. It’s basically like sitting around a table and pushing pieces with your virtual little hand. And that’s all there is, really…you can get a ton of 18xx ‘boxes’ that have been made by regular folks like you and me, load it up, and you’ll have the board, cards, and tokens just like if you opened the box on game night. It’s a bit fiddly to move around the table using WASD or your mouse, and I’d rather be actually sitting with my friends around a real table but, in these times, I’ll take what I can get.

It actually gets easier the more you do it, so the best thing is to just give it a go and realize your first game or two will take forever with everyone stumbling around like a drunk at the company Christmas party. After that, it gets better and is actually a pretty great way to play 18xx when you can’t be with the ones you love to game with. Oh, and there’s a rumor that you can even use TTS to play other board games. I wouldn’t know anything about that…

• Tabletop Simulator for Windows/Mac/Linux via Steam, $10 (on sale)

Dungeons & Dragons

If you really want to stretch your creative muscles while locked away in your abode, what better way than roleplaying? Luckily, there are plenty of ways to play the venerable Dungeons & Dragons online, bringing all your friends together into a virtual world that you created.

My favorite way to play is via Roll20, a browser based virtual tabletop that has all the official WotC content available for integration plus a bevy of other awesome features to make your online D&D games actually much more immersive than face-to-face games. Will it cost you? Oh, hell yes. WotC doesn’t give away anything for free, but if you’re really interested in playing D&D online, it’s worth it. Better yet, find a DM who’s already bought everything and then you’re off the hook!

Another great way to play (and I never would have thought this until I actually did it) is to play D&D via Discord. Yes, Discord. Thanks to our own Nick Vigdahl, I’ve been playing a campaign for a few months and it might be the most fun I’ve had rolling virtual dice. There are bots you can use in Discord to keep track of players’ stats, roll dice, cast spells, and run combat. It also has some basic scripting you can do to customize your own commands. It integrates well with D&D Beyond, so if you make your character there everything can simply be imported.

• Roll20.net
• Discord