T
he past coupleofmonthshavebeentoughforeverybody,
and it’s likelythenextfewaren’tgoingtobeanyeasier.
Due to theongoingCOVID-19pandemic,manyofyou
will be stuck insideforlongperiodsoftime.Perhapsyou’re
living alone, or witha partnerorflatmate,orwithchildren.
Perhaps you’ve beenfurloughed,orlaidoff,orareself-isolating
with symptoms.
All these scenariosposeuniquechallenges,andeveryoneis
struggling with theirownwavesofbadnews.Butif thereisa
silver lining, it’s thatthere’splentyofwaystokeepourselves
and those aroundusentertainedwhilestayingindoors.Forthis
column, I’ve put togethera bunchofPCgame
recommendationstosuitvarioussituations.
If you want toloseyourselfinanother
world, there are severalexcellentoptions.My
first choice wouldbeTheWitcher3. Withits
incredible writing,vastfantasyworldandoodles
of fascinating quests,it remainsthebestsingle-
player RPG five years on fromlaunch.Afterthat,I’ddiveintoRed
Dead Redemption 2, anotherastoundinglyabsorbingexperience
set in the Old West. You alsocan’tgowrongwiththetwomost
recent Assassin’s Creed games– OdysseyandOrigins.
But maybe you don’t havethetimeorspacetoplaygames
on your own, perhaps if you’relivingwitha flatmateorpartner
with one computer betweenyou.Inthiscase,thereareseveral
ace games designed to beplayedtogetherononescreen.My
personal choice is Divinity:OriginalSinanditssequel.These
isometric RPGs are designedtobeplayedinlocal,split-screen
co-op mode, letting you chooseyourowncharactersandapproach
the adventure however youlike.
Meanwhile,Valve’sexcellentpuzzlegamePortal 2 has recently
receivedsplit-screenco-opsupport.Theofficial co-op campaign
isshort,buttherearehundredsofthousands of user-made
mapsthatcanbefreelydownloaded,someofwhich are actually
betterthanValve’sownmaps.
If youwanttoarrangea virtualget-togetherwith pals then check
outourfullfeatureonp88,butherearemyrecommendations.
Forgroupsofthree,ApexLegendsandCallofDuty: Warzone are
freelyavailableBattleRoyalegamesperfectly suited for trios.
If therearefourofyou,shootforeitherDestiny 2 or Left
4 Dead2. Theformerisfree,andwillkeepyou occupied for
dozens,if nothundredsofhours. The latter may
bequiteoldnow,butit’sstill the single-best
cooperativegameevermade – it’s thrilling,
hilariousandaction-packed. If your group is
largerstill,downloadPlanetside 2. This huge
onlineshooterallowsformuch larger teams.
It’salsofreeandhasrecentlyreceived a massive
updatethathasrejuvenateditscommunity.
Finally,isolatingwithchildrencan be an enormous challenge,
particularlyif they’reverysmall. Good games suitable for
toddlersareespeciallydifficulttofind, but there’s a few that
willgiveyoua half-hour’speace.The first game I ever played
withmydaughterwasPeggle,a one-button pinball puzzler
that’sperfectfortotstowatch.
Othergreatgamestoplaywitha little one on your lap include
GrowHomeandGrowUp,charming little games about climbing
andexploration.Lastly,there’sSnake Pass, a cheery and colourful
puzzlegamewitha fascinatingmovement mechanic. Stay safe
andgameon!Games
Rick Lane is Custom PC’s games editor @Rick_LaneRICKLANE/INVERSELOOK
GAMES FOR THE ISOLATED
Stuck at home during the pandemic? Here are Rick’s PC game
recommendations to suit every needPortal 2 has recently
received split-screen
co-op support