Akupara Games recently joined forces with game industry leaders across the world in support of the #PlayApartTogether initiative.

 

By bringing special events, exclusives, activities, rewards and inspiration to some of the most popular games in the world, #PlayApartTogether encourages users to adopt best practices for the sake of their own health and that of their families and communities. By incorporating COVID-19 self-protection messages into games, the industry is telling the world: “Wherever you are, whatever game you play, you can make a difference.”

 

Although it’s immensely challenging to practice social distancing, we’re lucky that we live in the age of technology and there are plenty of options for keeping in contact with our loved ones using gaming as a platform. Akupara Games CEO David Logan said it best,

 

“During these trying times, it is absolutely vital for each of us to play our part – adhering to our local ordinances, staying informed of the messages from the World Health Organization, and supporting our global community with a thoroughly washed hands-off approach. While we practice social distancing, we must not confuse this for social isolating; we will always be a social community that finds a means of connection. Players – old and new – allow this time to connect with the game medium as a means of joining new communities and discussions, sharing stories and experiences, and ultimately playing apart yet together.”

With that in mind, we’ve compiled some of our favorite ways to socially distance without socially isolating. For any of the multiplayer games that don’t have integrated webcam or chat functionality, we recommend jumping into a Discord server or video conference app so you can have the full experience of seeing and hearing your friends – it goes a long way toward combating loneliness!

 

 

 

Adventure in fantasy worlds untethered by shelter in place ordinances in these virtual tabletop sims

 

Pen and paper RPG and tabletop gamers are way ahead of the curve when it comes to digital alternatives to traditionally in-person entertainment. There are several options for platforms to facilitate roleplaying games – all you really need is a microphone (or ideally, a webcam). Plus, we finally all have open availability so we can schedule regular campaigns in the first place! Silver lining.

 

Roll20 – Roll20 is a free to play system with a ton of features that make it ideal for playing tabletop games remotely. Integrated webcam functionality, sophisticated maps and miniatures, and native character creation, character sheets and rules support for about a dozen systems: Dungeons and Dragons 3.5, 4th and 5th editions, Pathfinder, Cypher System, Shadowrun, Savage Worlds, World of Darkness, Old School Revival, GURPS 4th edition, D00Lite, Warhammer 40k RPG, Dark Heresy 2nd edition, Star Frontiers, Tavern Tales, and Gumshoe.

Additionally, Roll20 has a marketplace full of supplemental artwork (used for building in-game scenarios), purchasable campaigns, rules books, and systems. They even have a community board for finding ongoing campaigns that have openings for players, so you can get in on the action even if you don’t have an established gaming group.

 

Tabletop Simulator – Tabletop Simulator has a $20 entrance fee (although they’ve had several sales so far during the pandemic). It is an agnostic system that has all the functionality you would expect on a normal tabletop – dice, cards, counters, timers, multiple table setups, etc. While it does not have integrated webcam functionality (text chat only), it’s easy to use in combination with Zoom or GoogleMeet to hear and see your companions while playing online. There is an EXTREMELY ACTIVE Steamworks community that has uploaded hundreds upon thousands of tabletop, board, card, roleplaying and wargaming games to the marketplace for free. As far as digital gaming shelves go, this one is tough to beat – but since it’s community driven, your mileage will vary when it comes to quality. I’ve recently used it to play Betrayal at House on the Hill, DrunkQuest, Munchkin and Aye, My Dark Overlord and I’ve got an upcoming Cyberpunk 2020 campaign in the books, all of which play nicely on the system and have great supplemental art and functionality.

Plus, you can flip the table and it’s immensely satisfying. 

Fantasy Grounds – Fantasy Grounds has a heftier price tag at $40, but has a fairly exhaustive list of virtual tabletop features. It comes pre-loaded with rulesets for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2E, Dungeons & Dragons 3.5, Dungeons & Dragons 4E, Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Additional rulesets are available for free and for purchase from the Workshop.

 

 

 

Enjoy these casual party games without the need for pants

 

It’s probably going to be a while until any of us get the chance to host or attend a good ol’ fashioned get together – so fix yourself up a charcuterie platter, put on a fun outfit, grab a glass of wine and boot up one of these games that help approximate the party setting in the digital realm.

 

Jackbox – From the makers of You Don’t Know Jack, Jackbox offers a variety of fun minigames (sold in packs) that play just as well online (better, even) than they do in person. These are bite sized experiences of 15-20 minutes a pop, all designed to get you and your friends laughing. It’s as much fun to watch on stream as it is to play, and only one person needs to own the game for up to 8 players to play simultaneously. It works best in combination with a video conference app and screen share so that the players can get the full context of the gameplay – players participate through prompts on their phone. 

Jackbox released a full blog post on how to play remotely, and have been deeply discounting their packs during this crisis.

 

Ultimate Chicken Horse – A twist on the traditional party game, Ultimate Chicken Horse is a competitive platformer that allows you to build out the environments; try to screw over your friends (without screwing over yourself).

 

Blank Slate – This one is a physical board game, but it’s easy to play remotely through video conferencing, and only one person needs to own Blank Slate in order to play. It’s a word game all about phrases – a card with a prompt is chosen and players write which word best completes the phrase. For example, if the cue card reads “Brain ___,” players will write which word first comes to mind and write it down on their dry-erase slate. You could choose Brain Storm, Brain Freeze, or Brain Teaser. Once everyone has chosen their word, reveal your answers to find out if you matched with another player. If your word is the same as someone else, you both earn points! 

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes – While this game is more fun in meatspace, it’s still a lot of fun through video conferencing or through Discord. Work with your friends to defuse a bomb in this timed puzzle game. It even supports VR – which is as close as you’re going to get to being in the same room with your friends.

 

 

 

Get ~Super Chill~ with these relaxing games that will help you forget there is an outside world

Stardew Valley – Popular indie farming sim Stardew Valley has up to 4 player co-op. Work together to build a thriving farm, share resources and increase challenges through fishing, farming, cooking and crafting. They even have remote play through phone and tablet, so it’s easy to enjoy this one together with friends and family.

 

Animal Crossing – You are a person and you are on the internet so you’ve undoubtedly already been inundated with Animal Crossing these past 2 weeks. It’s a game that encourages your friends to visit your island and trade resources and the characters and gameplay are so happy and calming it’s a great way to maintain your sanity inside.  

Mutazione – While not a traditional multiplayer game, we recommend unwinding with some chill Mutazione musical gardening with friends. Hop into a Discord server with and get some rare seed sharing going!

 

 

 

Everyone is just trying to survive right now

If you’re one of those masochistic types, take a break from trying to survive in a COVID-19 world to try to survive in one of these multiplayer games instead. 

 

Astroneer – In this space sandbox adventure, players work together to build custom bases above or below ground, create vehicles to explore a vast solar system, and use terrain to create anything they can imagine. With online co-op you can explore 7 planets with a variety of challenges and settings. 

 

Ark – At the time of this blog post, the AAA survival MMO Ark is on super sale – 80% off. As a man or woman stranded naked, freezing and starving on the shores of a mysterious island called ARK, you must hunt, harvest resources, craft items, grow crops, research technologies, and build shelters to withstand the elements. Also, there are dinosaurs.

 

Don’t Starve Together – The popular single player game also has a standalone multiplayer version, where you must cooperate with your friends to survive in the uncompromising wilderness, the creatures that inhabit it, and the elements. 

 

 

Relive those years of your life you lost to MMO addiction

MMOs require a lot of hours by nature, the kind of hours many of us don’t normally have time to dedicate to entertainment. But since we’re all stuck at home anyway, why not revisit one of the greatest genres? There are lots of classic MMOs that still have servers online (I’m personally playing WoW Classic for the full nostalgia experience), and it’s the perfect time to actually start a fresh character and level with a friend. We’ve all had that same MMO experience of trying to jump into a game after your friend is already level 20, or unsuccessfully trying to work around competing schedules to play together. 

This is one of those rare moments in history where we can play MMOs as intended – with friends, completing goals in an immersive world together.

Binge watch all the content

There are lots of ways to watch movies and TV online with friends, including a new initiative that Twitch is currently in the process of rolling out. Netflix Party also lets you enjoy content online with friends (for free), and there are a handful of web extensions like Scener and Metastream that do the same. Tons of films that would have been premiering on the big screen are opting to do so digitally instead, so there is plenty of new content to enjoy together. 

 

 

Give in to the cyberpunk future and experience social VR

2020 has lots of options for digital social interaction that didn’t exist 10 or even 5 years ago, like shared VR social spaces. If you have access to a VR headset, jump into one of the digital landscapes like VRChat, ActiveWorlds or Facebook Horizon (currently in closed beta). Interact with people all over the world in these shared environments – play games, tell stories, watch entertainers, make art, chat, and get involved in community events. 

VR isn’t any substitution for the real thing but it’s getting closer all the time, and with the release of the untethered, self contained Oculus Quest, it’s the best time ever to explore worlds within worlds. 

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That’s it! There aren’t many platforms better suited to fulfilling social needs while maintaining physical distance than gaming, and with supplemental video conferencing or Discord servers, it’s almost like the real thing. I can’t emphasize enough how incredibly helpful it has been to me personally for maintaining a positive outlook during this shared crisis, and how important having the support of your loved ones is during this time. If you want to keep in touch with us, feel free to get in touch via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Discord! #PlayApartTogether