Fuzzable
Throughout human history, certain transformative years can be inspected in retrospect as pivotal points in altering or reforming human behaviour. It is hard to say that 2020 will not be such an example: thanks to the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns experienced on a global level, many individuals, companies and industries have had to adapt to a new reality.
While varying levels of relief and restriction have transpired since the outbreak of COVID in early 2020, many feel stressed, anxious and worried about what the future entails. With prime examples of entertainment and socialisation cut off, many people are increasingly seeking online entertainment, companionship and relief from the new reality.
Finding entertainment online and/or through devices in the home isn’t just a recommendation: it’s a requirement for many who are struggling with this new reality. Thankfully, a wide variety of gaming opportunities exist to help people navigate this tumultuous period.
Below are some fun games and gaming experiences you can embrace in the event that more lockdowns become the reality in the near future.
Bond with the Family through Trivia and Board Games
In a world where it seems everything is increasingly found online, many have forgotten about the pleasures of more traditional games. When required to socially distance and remain indoors – especially during the winter months – life can become dull and stressful. A bit of fun with the entire family is exactly what traditional board games and trivia games were designed to do!
While different board games and trivia games exist for all ages, finding family-friendly alternatives where everybody can play isn’t always easy. Nevertheless, the best family board games generally feature a few simple common ingredients: age-appropriate material, replay value and a bit of luck built into their method of operation. After all, a game where pure skill always results in the same person winning is no fun for the whole family!
While options such as Cards Against Humanity have become popular among adult options, its variants – such as Kids Against Maturity and Not Parent Approved – offer appropriate fun for everybody during lockdown situations. Other trivia options such as Trivial Pursuit Family Edition put a modern twist on the age-old concept of being a know-it-all, but offer separate card decks for both adults and children.
Even when everybody is cramped up in the home together, it doesn’t automatically result in family bonding time. This is why picking up a couple of family trivia or board games can be a great idea during any current or future lockdown.
Consider the Fun of Online Casino Games
Given the upheaval socially and economically throughout 2020, a wide variety of new online gaming solutions are emerging. While everybody has different tastes, many are finding that a bit of online casino play can be just the right type of gaming experience to alleviate boredom, create excitement and potentially win big in the process. As the hours turn to days and the days turn to weeks, online gambling offers a different form of entertainment for people who have never experienced it prior.
A new casino gaming experience for players can be potentially intimidating, but thankfully, there are many established and reputable options to consider. A new casino worth your time will be licenced, have independent reviews ensuring its credibility, and offer a plethora of online games deemed to be fair in terms of payout.
Services such as Online Casinos offer independent analyses of every new casino in this stressful pandemic era, looking at features such as the number of games and overall variety offered, welcome bonuses, mobile compatibility and date established. This site reviews new casinos and helps first-time players determine where to spend their money and time – lockdown or no lockdown.
Immerse Yourself in Massively Multiplayer Online Gaming
It is easy to take advantage of day-to-day benefits – until we no longer have them to enjoy. At the core of the problem with lockdown scenarios is the fact that many people are forced to socially distance. Friendships go silent, family gatherings disappear and casual interactions in public vanish. Over time, this can have a huge impact on mental and physical wellbeing.
Yet there is one type of gaming experience that can mitigate some of these problems, regardless of how many people you live with, see on a regular basis or consider to be regular friends. The world of massively multiplayer online gaming (MMO gaming) offers an escape from the mundane restrictions of lockdown, providing players with immersive social experiences.
Depending on your exact tastes, there are multiple MMOs to consider playing during these difficult times. For those who enjoy a well-established role-playing game with monsters and experience points, classics such as World of Warcraft and Guild Wars 2 offer great replay value.
Anybody interested in science fiction and space-related simulations should check out options like EVE Online. Plenty of other high-profile options also exist that can help alleviate boredom during lockdowns, cold weather and/or any other situations that keep you inside for long periods of time.
Embrace Offline PC & Console Gaming
With tightening budgets due to economic losses during previous lockdowns, not everybody has money to spend on monthly subscriptions and play time. A one-time purchase of a particular game – or playing an existing game – designed for immersive offline play can be beneficial to the soul and wallet during any potential lockdown.
Turn-based strategies such as those from the Civilization series offer dozens of hours of play, designed to occur in a relatively slow-paced setting to help pass the time. Complex and highly-rated trilogies such as the Mass Effect series can easily provide more than 100 hours of gameplay without the need for an internet connection or multiplayer engagement (with the recent Andromeda stand-alone game, more than 150 hours of unique gameplay can be enjoyed).
Notorious titles such as Skyrim require no internet connection and are notorious for the sheer amount of world-building that exists within them; available for PC, console and even VR headsets, the play time for Skyrim is limitless.
Regardless of what the future may hold, the world of gaming has limitless possibilities. If you or your family feels stranded due to restrictions and isolation, then consider embracing one or more of these aforementioned games/play styles to help pass the time and have a little fun in the process!
