With circuit breaker coming to an end this June (fingers crossed!), many might look forward to heading back to their usual routines. But, one thing’s for sure – life after circuit breaker will definitely be different than what we used to know. With South Korea’s recent Itaewon incident, the country is preparing for what may be the second wave of Covid-19 infections. Staying home might just be the safest option for the upcoming weeks, maybe even months. However, we understand the need for social interaction, after all, you did spend the past few weeks cooped at home. Why not try some of these online party games as possible alternatives to satisfy your social cravings now, and in the future?
Online Party Games
There’s just something about gathering a group of friends to engage in the same activity. Before the pandemic, we used to gather our friends to watch a movie together. Even though watching a movie required no extra help from our friends, watching it together made all the difference.
During this period, for those who crave social interaction, why not try some online party games?
We’ve divided the list into two. “Casual Games” for anyone who wants to engage in relaxed, laid-back fun with your friends, and “Competitive Games” to cater to people with a competitive spirit, or simply want to find an excuse to quarrel with your friends. You know what they say, arguments make a relationship stronger.
Casual Games
Tabletop Simulator
Tabletop Simulator is a game simulator developed by Berserk Games and was released for Mac and Windows on Steam on June 5th, 2015.
The basic games include 15 classics such as Chess, Poker, Jigsaw, Puzzles, Dominos, and Mahjong. This may seem like a limited amount; however, this is not all. New games can be easily created by importing images onto custom boards and tables. These new custom games are uploaded to the Steam community workshop and can be downloaded for free.
Due to that key feature, a whole plethora of tabletop games, such as, “Exploding Kittens”, “Clue”, “Settlers of Catan” and “Cards of Humanity” can be enjoyed using Tabletop Simulator.
At a low price of $20 and almost an unlimited amount of games at your fingertips, Tabletop Simulator is worth every single cent.
Platform: PC
Number of players: 1 – 10
Price: $20 for 1 copy & $55 for the 4-pack
Verdict: Get it now
Playingcards.io
A free alternative to Tabletop Simulator would be Playingcards.io where people can enjoy the game of “Cards Against Humanity” for free online.
Gang Beasts
If you’re not sure of what “Gang Beasts” is, we’ve got you covered. “Gang Beasts” is a silly multiplayer party game where you take control of customizable gelatinous characters and brawl it out in hazardous environments.
The game comprises of 4 distinctive game modes, namely, Waves, Football, Melee, and Gang. The whole game revolves around the simple mechanics of running, grabbing, head butting, and punching.
It is due to this simplicity that makes the game ridiculously fun. Our only complaint with the game would be the lack of variety which makes the game feel repetitive after a few hours of play. Hence, making their greatest strength, their greatest downfall, which, is amplified with its steep price point of $20. Therefore, with the lack of replayability, we would recommend waiting for a sale before picking up “Gang Beasts”.
Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Number of players: 1 – 8
Price: $20
Verdict: Wait for a sale
House Party
“House Party” is a video chatting application where you can play games with friends. All you need to do is to download the application on your device and register for an account.
To get the games started, grab your profile link, and invite your friends to join you. Once they have the app downloaded and have added you as a friend, invite them to a video call. From there, you can pick from one out of the 4 games offered, which includes, the popular “Heads Up!” (charades), “Trivia”, “Quick Draw!” (alike “Pictionary”), and “Chips and Guac” (a variation alike “Cards Against Humanity”).
Best of all, it is completely free!
Platform: Mobile
Number of players: 2 – 8
Price: Free
Verdict: Download it now
Pummel Party
“Pummel Party” is a 4-8 player online and local multiplayer party game, comprising of a whole collection of unique and entertaining minigames, which, can be enjoyed in either “Board” or “Minigames” mode.
“Board” mode is a board game where your aim is to attain the most trophies and keys by the end of rounds set in the settings. In a way, “Pummel Party” is very much alike to the popular “Mario Party” with its similar game design and gameplay. In this game mode, there can only be one winner. To attain victory, you would have to battle through hazardous terrain, earning an arsenal of weapons along the way. However, if you don’t want to invest a large amount of time and want to go straight into the action, their other game mode, “Minigame” would be perfect for you. With the creation of the Steam Remote Play, one copy of “Pummel Party” is all that’s required to play with all 8 of your friends (as long as the people you’re streaming together with has a controller).
Platform: PC
Number of players: 2 – 8
Price: $14.50
Verdict: Get it now
The Jackbox Party Pack 1-6
The “Jackbox Party Pack” comprises of various distinctively different party games bundled together in a set to entertain you for an extended period. Currently, there are 6 bundles available for purchase and in each bundle, there are up to 5 party games, some of which are pretty well known such as, “Quiplash”, “Trivia Murder Party”, “Push the Button”, etc.
One person streams the game on the server of their choice and the rest can participate by going onto the Jackbox website on any of their devices and participate from there. This also means that only one person has to own the game for all to enjoy.
Platform: PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Android (selected systems), Apple TV
Number of players: 2 – 10 (Depending on the game)
Price: $25 ~ $29.9 per bundle
Verdict: Get it now
Deceit
“Deceit” is a deceptive and action-filled, multiplayer first-person shooter game. Together with five other people, two have been infected by a deadly virus and are tasked to take down the other four innocent players.
The objective of the innocents is to stay alert, traverse three zones and escape through the hatch at the end, all whilst working together and fulfilling objectives. At the end of each of the zone, a blackout period occurs, allowing the infected players to transform into their terror form and attack. This is the bread and butter of the game.
The exhilaration you get from anticipating and escaping from the terror lurking in the darkness is alike a horror game or movie. All in all, deceit is a masterpiece of a game that combines the frenzy of fast-paced combat mixed with strategic gameplay.
Combined with a Discord chat while playing the game is a formula for a great time.
Platform: PC
Number of players: 6
Price: Free
Verdict: Download it now
Competitive games
Brawlhalla
“Brawlhalla” is a 2D platform fighting game. The game revolves around the same simplistic mechanics and gameplay comprising of dodging, heavy attacks, light attacks and special moves. Easy to pick up and hard to master, there is a steep learning curve which distinguishes the beginner from the master.
With an increasing roaster of 49 characters and 19 maps, there is a lot to experience and explore. All characters have slightly different characteristics and abilities which can be played via a weekly rotation or unlocked through the in-game currency earned in-game or purchased with money.
A substantial amount of time is required to unlock a character in “Brawlhalla”. There are many game modes to enjoy such as “1v1”, “2v2”, “Free for All”, “Brawlball”, “Bombsket ball”, and much more.
If we were to compare, “Brawlhalla” is quite similar to the popular game “Smash Bros”. However, what makes this game shine is its free-to-play concept as well as its cross-platform functionality.
Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch
Number of players: 2-8
Price: Free
Verdict: Download it now
Overcooked! 2
The sequel to the original “Overcooked!”, “Overcooked! 2”, is a chaotic co-op cooking game for up to 4 players, serving a variety of recipes such as sushi, pizzas, salads in a series of unconventional kitchens.
The game starts out easy, with simplistic recipes in an open kitchen. The game becomes significantly more complex as you progress with a whole multitude of obstacles hindering your success.
Teamwork is essential in the game as everyone has to be on the same page, synchronising their actions to aid each other to attain victory. What started out as a fun and casual game gradually changed into a competitive, chaotic mess where everyone is on the edge of their seats, screaming at each other to get the job done.
With Steam remote play, players are now able to stream the game from one device for all of their friends for free, which means that only one player has to own the game for all to enjoy on PC.
Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch
Number of players: 1-4
Price: $22
Verdict: Get it now
Too Many Cooks
A perfect free alternative to the “Overcooked!” franchise would be “Too Many Cooks”, a mobile game. “Too Many Cooks” manages to capture the essence of “Overcooked!” but puts their own unique spin on it to create a completely different experience.
In “Too Many Cooks”, each person you co-op with has a pre-assigned task to do. Everyone must be as effective as possible, from churning out the ingredients to washing the dishes.
League of Legends
While “League of Legends” does not really fall into the category of party games, it is a well-known game over the past few years drawing more than 8 million concurrent players. If you are unfamiliar, “League of Legends” is a team-based strategy game where two teams of five powerful champions brawl to destroy each other’s base. League of Legends has over 140 champions with 3 distinctive game modes, namely, “Aram”, “Normals / Ranked” and a rotating game mode that changes from time to time. Its key strength lies in the large champion (character) pool as every single champion plays very differently with skills unique to each individual champion, making the game feel fresh. There is a free weekly rotation of champions for you to try but you can unlock new champions using the in-game currency which can be obtained in-game or with money.
However, its greatest strength is also its greatest downfall, as the game has a steep learning curve due to the large champion pool and complex itemization system. As a new player, you may feel completely overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information thrown at you when you start playing, deterring you from attempting to learn the game.
But we assure you, the satisfaction of every victory is worth the investment of time. Since the game is completely free, why not grab a friend or four with you and try it out together.
Platform: PC
Number of players: 1-5
Price: Free
Verdict: Worth a shot
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Are you a fan of first-person shooters? If so, “Counter-Strike: Global offensive” is the game for you. The main idea of this game is a confrontation between two teams: Terrorism and Counterterrorism. The main goal of the game is to either destroy your enemies or complete a map task, like planting a bomb. The more tasks you fulfil, the more money you get, which can be used to purchase better weapons to secure your victory. With teams comprising of 5 players, you can hop on with 4 other friends and have a blast.
Platform: PC
Number of players: 1-5
Price: Free
Verdict: Perfect for thrill-seekers
Which of these games have you tried during this stay home period? If you’re thinking of spending more time with your family at home, here are some board games you can check out as well!
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