Remote Games
Games that help us stay connected, and don't take 45 minutes of rule-explaining.
iOS Games
Among Us
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/among-us/id1351168404
- Needs 4+ players. Similar to Werewolf, one person plays the imposter each round but must keep it a secret and sabotage a spaceship crew without getting caught.
- Free to play with advertisements
- Way, way better if you video or audio chat (requires 3rd party solution) with other players while playing.
Polytopia
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-battle-of-polytopia/id1006393168
- strategy game, capture territory, wage war, cooperative or versus
- free to play alone, requires 3-5$ expansion to play online with others
- Asynchronous. You don't have to play at the same time. When you do, there's a little bit of lag - but it can be fun to remind someone it's their turn / negotiate / banter while playing.
Jackbox Games
https://www.jackboxgames.com/how-to-play-jackbox-games-with-friends-and-family-remotely/
Trivia style multiplayer games. Requires the person that owns the game to set up some kind of screen-sharing broadcasting solution. Participants will need to see the shared screen and play by providing input on any device that has a web browser.