From Monopoly and Scrabble to Mahjong and Poker, How to Play Classic Games Online With Friends and Family
Karen and David Rosenthal of Long Island, N.Y., playing an online version of Rummy with their granddaughters, who live in Bannockburn, Ill.
Playing board games and cards has always been a staple pastime for friends and family. But as we wait out the coronavirus pandemic, not everyone has access to their favorite Scrabble nemesis or poker cohorts.
Fortunately, the same internet that brought you reruns of “Seinfeld” to binge-watch also offers a range of classic games that can be played with far-flung opponents. No pricey console or fancy computer is required. All you need is a mobile device or a web browser, and many options are free or sold at a discount in bundles.
Given that classics such as Monopoly and Battleship were designed for playing with others in person, their online counterparts might seem like a less than ideal substitute. But just as people are now using video-chat apps such as Google Hangouts to hold virtual happy hours and Zoom to do business with colleagues, you can use these, too, to see your opponent cringe when she lands on your Boardwalk with a hotel price of $2,000. (Ouch!)
Michael Rosenthal recently resumed his monthly card game with seven friends in his Bannockburn, Ill., neighborhood by moving it online. They are now playing two nights a week using PlayingCards.io, a free web-browser app, and Zoom, which is available on both web browsers and mobile devices. He displays them side by side on a large computer screen, while some of his buddies use two devices—one to show the game and the other to show the video.
The experience is so immersive that “you forget you’re not in the same room,” said Mr. Rosenthal, a 41-year-old executive for a market-research company who is temporarily working from home. Two of his three daughters, whose schools closed down three weeks ago, are using the same applications almost daily to play the card game Rummy with Mr. Rosenthal’s parents, who live in Long Island, N.Y. His wife, Laura, is playing Mahjong with friends using another web-browser app, realmahjongg.com. (It costs $5.99 a month after a 14-day free trial.)
The Rosenthal family has used PlayingCards.io and other free web-browser apps to play online versions of classic games with friends and family.
Photo: Michael RosenthalMr. Rosenthal notes one downside to his new card-playing routine. One of his friends used to make cookies for the group to enjoy when they played face to face. This week for the first time, though, this friend dropped off homemade raw dough in each player’s mailbox so they could bake their own batch. Mr. Rosenthal was thrilled and now hopes his friend will turn the dough delivery into a habit. “They’re really good cookies,” he said.
This week I followed the Rosenthal family’s lead and tested several online multiplayer games with my own long-distance relatives and friends. Here’s what I learned:
The Basics
In most cases, playing a game with people you know requires each player to create an account with the application and choose a username such as Gammy49 or Grandude48. Next, search for each other by username and select an option to connect or become “friends.” Many applications help streamline this process by letting users invite their phone or social-media contacts to participate.
Don’t want strangers crashing your party? Fortunately, most games allow you to create a private experience with your friends by sending them a link or code that allows them to join you. Note that if you are using a smartphone or tablet, you are going to need a second device to video chat to see your opponent. But for laptop and computer gamers, getting away with just one might be possible if your screen is big enough to have two windows side by side, as has been the case for Mr. Rosenthal.
The rules for the online versions of these classic games are the same or similar to their analog equivalents. Most also call for the same number of players.
Monopoly, Life, Battleship and Clue
These Hasbro -owned classics cost between $2.99 and $3.99 and are available on iOS and Android devices, but I got all four in a bundle for just $8.99. Developed by Marmalade Game Studio, the games in some cases come with options such as the ability to play short sessions.
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Monopoly aficionados may want to try the “house rules” option, which lets players receive a reward for landing on “Free Parking.” Without it, some younger players could revolt.
Items including specialty boards and tokens cost extra, like a “1935 Atlantic City” version of Monopoly or additional versions of Clue characters such as Peacock and Orchid. Also, because the apps automate much of the experience, like picking up cards and moving characters, it isn’t as fun as playing the physical versions.
Yahtzee, Scrabble and Words With Friends
Game developer Scopely Inc. makes mobile versions of two more Hasbro classics, Yahtzee and Scrabble. (Hasbro co-owns the rights to the latter with Mattel Inc. ) Called Yahtzee With Buddies and Scrabble Go, they are free to download from the major app stores, and with the latter, you can also play it on a computer via Facebook. com on the game’s profile page. (To find it, type “Scrabble Go” in Facebook’s search bar and choose the result that says “Page.”)
Both show ads and in-app purchase offers. For many games, you can pay to remove ads, which may be worthwhile since they can be annoying and disruptive.
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Pogo.com, a free site from videogame giant Electronic Arts Inc., offers a desktop version of Scrabble that you can play with anyone who signs up. It shows ads that can be removed by subscribing to a monthly service that costs $6.99 a month or $39.99 for a one-year plan. It has several dozen other games, but most are single-player and I found its interface a bit tough to navigate. A spokesman for EA said the company is working to make the platform more modern and responsive for a better user experience.
Zynga Inc. offers a free Scrabble-like alternative for mobile devices that you may already know, called “Words With Friends.” It has been around for more than a decade and counts celebrity fans such as Garth Brooks and Alec Baldwin. The gameplay and board are similar to Scrabble, but with some distinctions such as different point values for letters. It shows video ads and offers players the option to voluntarily watch more in exchange for virtual currency, which can be used to buy virtual perks. (Full disclosure: I’m a longtime daily player.)
Card Games, Checkers and Chess
PlayingCards.io is a free website from independent game developer Rob Middleton of San Francisco who created it for fun in his spare time. It lets groups of users play just about any card game, with the option to create custom decks. The site also features grids for playing games such as checkers, chess and others.
PlayingCards.io doesn’t show ads, though its privacy policy says it may one day take users’ information to develop and display content and advertising, which is fairly common. Also keep in mind that unlike the board games mentioned above, PlayingCards.io’s virtual tabletop games are entirely manual. You must click on cards to turn them over, move them off the screen when necessary and keep tabs on what your opponent is doing. After all, it is easy to miss mom taking a turn if you look away from your screen for a moment—just like in the real world.
Write to Sarah E. Needleman at sarah.needleman@wsj.com
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