5 Classic and Indie Board Games to While Away the Day During Coronavirus Social Distancing

One of my favorite pastimes, whether during a pandemic or on a usual Saturday night in, is playing board games with a few friends. Over the years, and during family-time quarantine, I’ve found that enjoying some of my favorites can ease anxiety and provide a fun escape from the reality of what’s going on in the world. I’ve rounded up a few of my favorite board games that can be played with as few as two or three people.

Ticket to Ride

Ticket to Ride requires a good chunk of time (at least 45 minutes or an hour), especially with more players, but is a fun and strategic board game. A cross-country train adventure game, the goal is to claim railway routes with the cards you collect and use to play matching trains. Perfect for a family of four or five, Ticket to Ride really takes some thinking and is good for ages eight and up. If you get really good, you can even purchase expansion packs. There are also several different maps for countries all across the globe.

Codenames

Codenames is another mind-bending game where you team up and have to think of one word clues that can point to multiple words on the board for your teammate to guess. The first team to match up all of their cards wins. Best for ages 14 and up, the game has a spy theme where players are the agents that must crack the code words. Games can be played in 15 minutes or so and is best for four players.

Dixit

This creative French game focuses on storytelling. In Dixit, you need a minimum of three players ages 8 and up. You also really have to use your imagination to choose a word or phrase based on the illustration on a card and tell your opponents. Other players will then choose one of their cards they think best fits the description without showing others. Cards are then shuffled and matches are voted on. It takes a little while to get the hang of, but once you do it’s fun to see how can get the most creative. One game takes around 30 minutes.

Coup

An Indie board and card game, Coup is all about bluffing your opponents. Recommended for up to six players ages 13 and up, the goal is to be the last player with influence in the game, meaning you’re the last player to have face-down character cards on the table. Different characters have different powers (the Duke, Assassin, Contessa, Captain, and Ambassador) and coins are involved to take actions like paying coins, taking coins, and staging a coup depending on which character you’re using. Don’t worry, it’s much easier than it sounds. Games only take about 15 minutes and can played with as few as two people.

Clue

A classic, but always entertaining, Clue is another strategy great strategy game, and there are tons of themes you can choose from. I, personally, prefer the Harry Potter version or the classic.