4 Best Online Games Adults Can Enjoy

With life slowly moving back to pre-pandemic normalcy, medical experts are still advising caution with regards to going out and meeting up with friends. So what can sociable, bored adults do while waiting to get back to their old lives? One answer has persisted since the coronavirus crisis began: online gaming.

According to some studies, video games and online gaming have become valuable tools for connection and growth — particularly in older generations. Adults can turn to gaming for intergenerational social connectedness and psychological healing. Middle-and-older adults who are aging without children, in particular, benefit a lot from the social aspect of online games. Here are four online games adults can enjoy:

Gin Rummy

Gin rummy is a two-player rummy variant that you can play online. In the game, each player receives 10 cards and must compose them into sets (three or four cards of the same rank) or sequences (three or more consecutive cards of the same suit). Players exchange cards until one of them “knocks”, and reveals their hand. The goal is to get 100 points, and you can mislead your opponent about the combination you have. If you’re looking for a similar online game with more players, mahjong — or tile rummy — is a good choice. Marketed as an ancient Chinese game, mahjong skyrocketed in popularity after World War II, so there are plenty of sites and apps dedicated to it.

Skrbbl

Did you love playing Pictionary as a child? Well, Skribbl is the perfect game for you. As an online Pictionary dupe for two to eight players, Skribbl lets you create a ‘private room’ so you can send an invite link to your friends. From there, you can create a unique game by choosing custom words, drawing time, and number of rounds. Artists have to draw the prompt given, while everyone else races to guess what the drawing is. It’s arguably more fun to play Skribbl if you and your friends are bad artists.

Poker

Poker is one of the world’s most popular card games, and millions of players enjoy this classic through online poker sites. The goal is simple: make the best five-card hand using a combination of two hole cards and five community cards (if you’re playing Texas Hold’em). However, poker beginners may be surprised at the level of competitiveness in the global community. The feel of online poker is often wildly different from a friendly home game, as many opponents will have studied poker in-depth to win. It takes more work to succeed in online poker, which makes it feel extra rewarding. If you want to practice before engaging with other players, some sites allow you to set up a private link so you can have an online poker party with friends.

Codenames

Described by one writer as the “perfect social engagement” for a pandemic with no end in sight, Codenames is a word-based party game that will test how well you and your friends can communicate with each other. Players will be split into a red team and a blue team, with a spymaster on each side. The spymaster has to give one-word clues so their respective team can guess which words on the board belong to them. It’s a challenging game, but it often makes for a hilarious Zoom hang-out with equally bored adults.

For more lifestyle tips, check out our other articles on Fashionisers.