With the current 4 Week lock down in place in NZ, we wanted to help you all out by providing a list of Online and Board Games that you can play while in isolation, either by yourself or with your Bubble! We will recommend the games for the section they are most relevant so make sure you look through all sections for inspiration!
Bubbles 2-4:
Escape Room Style Games are a great way to keep your mind thinking critically while you are at home. EXIT, Escape Room the Game and Unlock are all great brands and a personal favourite of the management team.
Adventures Games are a more RPG style/story based puzzle games from the same creators as the EXIT series. If you are more interested in solving an overall mystery, or you have already completed all of the EXIT games, make sure to give these a try.
The Codenames Series are great team games, but are possible with 2 or 3 players. Great for keeping your critical thinking going as you try to crack the codes before your See the online section for advice on how to play this online.
Catan is a classic which must be mentioned. Finally you have the time to spend building your nation and crushing the will of your family or flatmates. Just remember to hoard rocks more than toilet paper.
Unstable Unicorns and Llamas Unleashed are fun games for 2-8 players. This game tends to be 30-45 minutes and is a great way to give your teenagers a break from a screen.
Shuffle Games like Cars and My Little Pony are great for those with younger kids at home.
Junior versions of classic games like Monopoly and Cluedo are also great games to keep the kids occupied!
Bubbles 4+:
Games like Ultimate Werewolf (Age 10+), Ultimate Werewolf Inquisition (Age 8+) or One Night Ultimate Vampire (Age 8+) are good for playing if you are isolating with a larger household. These are Mafia style, "who dunnit" games which are fast paced and fun kids and adults.
For groups of adults that are isolating together, party games like Cards Against Humanity, The Voting Game, Superfight and Blank, Marry, Kill are a great way to ease any tension and have some fun in your isolation bubble. See the online section for advice on how to play this online.
Online Options:
There are plenty of games that you can play through online servers, but you can also use Skype, Discord or Zoom to take your favourite TCG's and board games online.
TCG Games such as Pokemon, Magic the Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh are still playable with your friends while your in isolation over the above mentioned servers or on our own Discord! Further, there are online servers for each of these.
Pokemon TCG Online Magic Arena Yu-Gi-Oh Dueling Nexus
Dungeons and Dragons is a perfect game to keep playing online! Discord! Skype! Roll 20! There are many ways to connect with your players and DM and keep the Party Going!
Game of Phones is a game designed to be played on your phones! Perfect for Isolation!
Playing the Codenames Series online should be relatively simple through an online chat group as long as you have at least one physical copy of the game. The player with the game sets out the grid and sends a photo to the group playing. They then would need to send the other "codemaker" a picture of the code tile. Then the game can begin over the voice chat and messenger.
*** If you only have 1 copy of the game the owner would have to be one of the "codemakers" for every round, unless you use the code tiles available on google images.
For some of the Party games listed above there is be an option to play online if one player with a copy of the game is willing to play as the game master, and distribute the cards between other players online.
Ultimate Boredom Buster = Gloomhaven
If your looking for that one game that will keep you going for the whole lock down, that will inspire your roleplaying and comes in a really big box, then Gloomhaven is the game for you!
