online party board games

[DrZoidberg]

Now with Corona we can't meet in big groups to play board games. Which is a shame. Since I love it. Board games online just doesn't have the same pull. Until now.

Secret Hitler has released a free online version of the game. Which is great.

I did it yesterday with a bunch of friends from Stockholm. It worked out really well.

https://secret-hitler.com/

We just connected via zoom and used the app to play. So I'd like to do this more.

Can you recommend other party board games that also work online? The whole point is to chat via zoom and have loads of chatty fun, rather than just having a good game to play. There's no shortage of awesome cool online games. What I'm asking for is party games. Games to socialise to.

 

[none]

MAFIA

 

[DrZoidberg]

MAFIA

Do you have a link?

 

[none]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mafia_(party_game)

Mafia, also known as Werewolf, is a social deduction game, created by Dimitry Davidoff in 1986.[2] The game models a conflict between two groups: an informed minority (the mafiosi or the werewolves), and an uninformed majority (the villagers). At the start of the game, each player is secretly assigned a role affiliated with one of these teams. The game has two alternating phases: first, a night role, during which those with night killing powers may covertly kill other players, and second, a day role, in which surviving players debate the identities of players and vote to eliminate a suspect. The game continues until a faction achieves its win condition; for the village, this usually means eliminating the evil minority, while for the minority this usually means reaching numerical parity with the village and eliminating any rival evil groups.
...
Artificial intelligence

Werewolf is a subject of artificial intelligence research due to its unique features such as persuasion and deception.[67] The game requires several AI technologies such as multi-agent coordination, intentional reading, and understanding of the theory of mind.[68]

Deep learning has been used in an attempt to develop agents that can win the game as werewolves or as villagers.[69] Regular expressions have been used to parse utterance logs for divulgence (or "coming-out" as a role) and decision information, although one difficulty has been that a statement such a "Player A is a werewolf" could be based on either the player's ability (e.g. as seer) or just speculation.[70]

 

[Worldtraveller]

Lots of social deduction games like that would work well online, although not as much fun as in person. I'm not generally a big fan of 'party' games, but I do like social deduction games (Avalon, Coup, Maskerade, The Resistance, Secret Hitler, etc.).

I haven't been board gaming since last Feb (so a little over a year now. ) I started the local group here, and it's still going with a few people who kept attending even through the pandemic (mostly people who know or hang out with each other anyway). I think I currently have 3 games on kickstarter, but I haven't counted recently....

Our Pathfinder (RPG) group continued to play online, and that works ok as a medium for that type of game.

ETA: Although wikipedia groups social deduction games as party games, most of us more hardcore gamers consider party games to be a distinct category (Apples to Apples, Card against Humanity, and games like that are more party games).

 

[DrZoidberg]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mafia_(party_game)

Mafia, also known as Werewolf, is a social deduction game, created by Dimitry Davidoff in 1986.[2] The game models a conflict between two groups: an informed minority (the mafiosi or the werewolves), and an uninformed majority (the villagers). At the start of the game, each player is secretly assigned a role affiliated with one of these teams. The game has two alternating phases: first, a night role, during which those with night killing powers may covertly kill other players, and second, a day role, in which surviving players debate the identities of players and vote to eliminate a suspect. The game continues until a faction achieves its win condition; for the village, this usually means eliminating the evil minority, while for the minority this usually means reaching numerical parity with the village and eliminating any rival evil groups.
...
Artificial intelligence

Werewolf is a subject of artificial intelligence research due to its unique features such as persuasion and deception.[67] The game requires several AI technologies such as multi-agent coordination, intentional reading, and understanding of the theory of mind.[68]

Deep learning has been used in an attempt to develop agents that can win the game as werewolves or as villagers.[69] Regular expressions have been used to parse utterance logs for divulgence (or "coming-out" as a role) and decision information, although one difficulty has been that a statement such a "Player A is a werewolf" could be based on either the player's ability (e.g. as seer) or just speculation.[70]

I was thinking of a link to a good online service for it. I found tonnes. But which are good?

 

[Swammerdami]

Diplomacy is a good board game. Webdiplomacy.Net is a good place to play it. I'd like to try a game; if there's interest we could set up a game mostly or wholly composed of TFTers.

...

Werewolf is a subject of artificial intelligence research due to its unique features such as persuasion and deception.[67] The game requires several AI technologies such as multi-agent coordination, intentional reading, and understanding of the theory of mind.[68]

I was thinking of a link to a good online service for it. I found tonnes. But which are good?

Do you want to play against bots or against humans? (I'm not aware of any sites to play against bots.)

For the on-line Mafia games I've played, there was no "service." The games are set up on message boards (which may or may not be dedicated just to games). One non-playing human (the Moderator) sets up the particulars, randomly assigns roles, counts the votes, posts the reveals, etc.

 

[Worldtraveller]

If you want something similar to Werewolf, it would be pretty straightforward to run other Social Deduction type games.

I could explain and run a game of Resistance: Avalon (although there may be an online version) for instance.

 

[DrZoidberg]

If you want something similar to Werewolf, it would be pretty straightforward to run other Social Deduction type games.

I could explain and run a game of Resistance: Avalon (although there may be an online version) for instance.

Werewoolf, Maffia, Avalon, Resistance, Secret Hitler; aren't they all pretty much the same game? If there's a great online version for Secret Hitler, then why do the other one's?

I have found another one. Catan has a great phone app version that can be played against others. Just have a Skype window open while playing it, and it's like playing together.

 

[Worldtraveller]

If you want something similar to Werewolf, it would be pretty straightforward to run other Social Deduction type games.

I could explain and run a game of Resistance: Avalon (although there may be an online version) for instance.

Werewoolf, Maffia, Avalon, Resistance, Secret Hitler; aren't they all pretty much the same game? If there's a great online version for Secret Hitler, then why do the other one's?

I have found another one. Catan has a great phone app version that can be played against others. Just have a Skype window open while playing it, and it's like playing together.

They are all variations on a theme (that's why they are all in the category of social deduction games). I personally prefer the gameplay of Avalon, and some of the werewolf variants, because I like the variety of roles that are available. Secret Hitler is not my favorite of that category, but it's very subjective.

Catan is ok too, although I don't like playing just the base game. The two expansions I always play with are Cities and Knights and Seafarers. They rather change the makeup of the game, though.

 

[DrZoidberg]

If you want something similar to Werewolf, it would be pretty straightforward to run other Social Deduction type games.

I could explain and run a game of Resistance: Avalon (although there may be an online version) for instance.

Werewoolf, Maffia, Avalon, Resistance, Secret Hitler; aren't they all pretty much the same game? If there's a great online version for Secret Hitler, then why do the other one's?

I have found another one. Catan has a great phone app version that can be played against others. Just have a Skype window open while playing it, and it's like playing together.

They are all variations on a theme (that's why they are all in the category of social deduction games). I personally prefer the gameplay of Avalon, and some of the werewolf variants, because I like the variety of roles that are available. Secret Hitler is not my favorite of that category, but it's very subjective.

Catan is ok too, although I don't like playing just the base game. The two expansions I always play with are Cities and Knights and Seafarers. They rather change the makeup of the game, though.

Secret Hitler also has the word "Hitler" in the name. That's hard to beat.