Recommended by the NoVA Board Game Group
Since the Library's Games Collection is currently unavailable, we've teamed up with the NoVA Board Game Group to bring you recommendations for the best games to play at home while you practice social distancing.
The NoVA Board Game Group is a small group of passionate board game enthusiasts based in northern Virginia, who believe in creating and sustaining unique game experiences with an identified culture.
Email the NoVA Board Game Group your game questions: novaboardgamegroup@gmail.com
Most Recommended
Unique Recommendations
Solo Recommendations
The following 10 solo games were recommended if you want something to play by yourself. Note that some of these can be played with more people or cooperatively, but they were specifically mentioned as being great solo games.
Co-Op Recommendations
The following 10 cooperative games were recommended if you want a cooperative experience where everyone is working towards the same goal together.
Legacy Recommendations
Legacy games evolve and change as you play them over several game sessions.
Digital and Online Options
There are a variety of board games available digitally through services like Steam or the App Store/Google Play. Some examples are Ticket to Ride, Splendor, Istanbul, Lords of Waterdeep, Catan, Scythe, Terraforming Mars, Twilight Struggle, Raiders of the North Sea, and many more! Most of these games allow for both solo play and online play with others.
Also, you can virtually play board games on PC by using the Steam program called Tabletop Simulator ($20). It represents a game in virtual 3D and allows you to manipulate game pieces as if they were really on the table in front of you. However, Tabletop Simulator does not simulate game AI or rules - you still have to do that yourself as you would in an analog version. Tabletop Simulator must be installed on a computer. There is a fairly steep learning curve but there are many videos on YouTube that can help. On the plus side, there are a ton of games available in this format (some are free and some cost money).
Another popular option online is Board Game Arena. Board Game Arena is free and runs through a browser on either your computer, tablet or smartphone. Some of the games offered are Sushi Go, Colt Express, Stone Age, Tokaido, Terra Mystica, Puerto Rico, Hanabi, Love Letter, Roll for the Galaxy, and more. Board Game Area simulates game AI/rules for you and you can match up with players around the world.
If you would like to connect with others who use any of the above services, email the NoVA Board Game Group at novaboardgamegroup@gmail.com they will try to connect you with others who use the same service/play the same digital game. Be sure to be specific about the service/game you use/play.
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