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The world outside is usually a place board gamers don't want to visit. Now with the Corona Virus we have even more reason to stay inside, but perhaps not many other people to game with. Many people are already actively aware of how isolation can affect us so to combat that we will be publishing a series of articles to help. They will all appear as links at the bottom of this article.
It's also worth mentioning that many folk are already taking action to help prevent loneliness. So here we will list a few ways to stay in touch with and without board games!
Get Gaming in Isolation
Did you know there are various sites that let you board game for free? I was going to list them all here but My Kind of Meeple has done an excellent job explaining the setup of each. If you are ever in need of a game shout us out on social media and we'll try and play a game or two with you!
Artist and Hero Master Designer Jamie Noble-Frier has committed to providing some print off drawings for children (or adults) to colour in. Jamie has a great style that children and adults will love. As well as producing new art he's offering a download of his Hero Master Colouring Book for free.
Many people are using social media to form support groups. You may already be a member of one or want to set up your own, but if not Mark of Never Bored Gaming has started one.
Most phones can run Skype or similar - you can use that to play games. Some games will work very easily over Skype, particularly Roll & Writes. Try Welcome To, Ganz Schon Clever or Deadly Doodles for example. With a little bit of prep and imagination a two player game like Skulk Hollow or Shobu is super possible.
We are Zatu are also putting our heads together to come up with some live streaming ideas for you to join in with so follow, like and subscribe to us on Youtube, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook!
Get Social in Isolation
Being safe and in isolation doesn't have to stop us being social! The internet can be a wonderful tool when we let it. So here's some none gaming tips:
- Form WhatsApp or Messenger groups with your family and also your neighbours. Your neighbours are your nearest source of support and if you don't know them already now is the perfect time to start.
- Think about the elderly and lonely in your community. Do you have an old device capable or running Skype? Could you set it up with Skype and loan it to them so they can stay in touch with their loved ones? If it's a neighbour you might need to share your wifi with them!
- It can be hard to work from home if you aren't use to it. Use a video call app to run a 'virtual office'. You might not speak much but just knowing there's another person there can help with motivation. Remember most of these apps allow you to add multiple users!
- Be creative. Send people even more silly video messages, play guess this tune with recorded messages. If you feel alone someone else is bound to be! Send them something silly! My friend and I would record messages with filters and try to put on a fitting accent!
- Post your own tips publicly so everyone else can benefit from them!
The virus will change how we live for sure but we are hugely capable and adaptable. Stay safe!