Undoubtedly many of us are impacted by Covid-19. While I am fortunate enough to do my day job remotely, I can't say that remains the same for others. I fear that with a sudden financial downturn, this outbreak will feel like an eternity for a lot of folks.
Before Coronavirus, we can count on having board games as an escape and general relief from the stress. Now with the social distancing in practice, I've been thinking about what we can do to keep general spirits up.
Let's get the obvious one out of the way. Tabletopia is an amazing platform that has converted hundreds of more recent board games online. It feels much like the Tabletop Simulator but you don't really need to download anything special. If you want to play games virtually, there certainly are avenues that allow you to accomplish those goals.
But board gaming is more than just experiencing the games. For many of us, other players are not just the artificial intelligence part of the games. Board games are a vehicle to allow us to catch up on life events, share trials and tribulations and generally have a good time together to build and maintain relationships with friends and family.
Indeed, when I view board games through that lens, I realize that I recollect less on the details of each play session, and much more vividly on the experience as a whole. It is the people who make these gathering unique and memorable.
While board gaming may be less likely in the next weeks and months, I still encourage people to regularly reach out to each other through whatever means that feel safe. Without board games as a social lubricant, things may get a bit awkward at first. But if you believe that board games are meant to bring people together as I do, you should still be able to care for each other without the games.
Take a moment to get to know your fellow gamer. Life is a lot messier outside of the board games, but a bit of check-in and support goes a long way. Especially at this time.