Games to Play Alone

Sea of Solitude

Sea of Solitude is a beautiful game to get lost in right now. You play as Kay, a woman who has been overcome by loneliness and turned into a monster. Meet fantastical creatures and (truly quite terrifying) monsters, solve challenges, and explore a flooded city by swimming, on foot, or by boat. One of the best parts about Sea of Solitude is its ability to immerse you completely in the story — so if you’re stressed out right now, this is the solution. The world you explore is beautiful and evolving, with surprises around every corner, and you’ll want to take your time to uncover every corner of it. On your adventures you’ll meet a variety of monsters, some terrifying, some wonderful, and confront them to learn more about Kay — and ultimately discover what it means to be human.

Sea of Solitude is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

Stardew Valley

Staying sane while a pandemic is sweeping the planet requires some effort, and a key part of maintaining your mental health is having a routine, which is where games like Stardew Valley can help. Having tasks to do each day in the game ensures you’ll stave off boredom and maintain a routine — although we recommend showering and wearing some clean clothes every day too! Part farm simulation, part RPG, it’s easy to get lost in the brightly-colored world of Stardew Valley, but make sure you’re disciplined about your gaming time.

The story is simple yet strangely satisfying. After leaving your job with the Joja Corporation, you inherit your grandfather’s farm and have to decide whether to rebuild the community center or support the local Joja Mart. The game’s all about improving relationships with the residents of Pelican Town too, giving them presents to earn their trust. And of course, farming, which is strangely methodical and relaxing. From chopping wood and watering crops to optimizing your farmland, it all takes time and effort and it will take you a while to earn specializations and add diversity to your farming routine. It’s a pleasant distraction from the uncertainty of the outside world right now, and a game you should definitely consider playing!

Stardew Valley is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation Vita, and Wii U.

Control

Remedy Entertainment’s 2019 shooter is one of the best ways to spend a weekend in isolation. You play as Jesse Faden, sent to explore the “Federal Bureau of Control” and defeat an evil force known only as “The Hiss.” Not only are the graphics impressive, the physics are some of the best around, as you use Jesse’s powers to fire objects of all shapes and sizes at enemies. The story may be fairly simple, but there’s enough intrigue (and gameplay hours) to see you through at least a weekend in self-isolation.

Control is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

The Last of Us: Remastered (2014)

If you’re anything like us, you played Naughty Dog’s standout hit back on release day in 2013 on PS3. One of the best games of the century, the timing couldn’t be better for a replay, as our world outside increasingly seems to echo Joel and Ellie’s reality. If you’re late to the party — better late than never — it’s a great time to explore the remastered version on PS4 before The Last of Us 2 drops on the 29th of May.

The Last of Us: Remastered is available on PlayStation 4.

Games to Play With Friends

Borderlands 3

We don’t all want to play alone, but not everybody enjoys online co-op either — so what’s the solution? Borderlands 3 is one of few shooters with local split-screen co-op for up to two players (only on PS4 and Xbox One). Choose from four playable characters (Zane the Operative, Amara the Siren, Moze the Gunner, or FL4K the Beastmaster), each with their own skills, and set out to join Lilith’s Crimson Raiders. Set six years after Tales from the Borderlands, you’re a new recruit sent to investigate the Children of the Vault cult and their leaders, Tyreen and Troy Calypso. If blasting mutants and exploring a vast game world sounds like your thing, pick up the fourth main entry in the Borderlands series today and get your other half or your housemate involved. Borderlands 3 will provide a welcome distraction from what’s happening in the real world.

Borderlands 3 is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC (split-screen only available on PS4 and Xbox One).

Hidden Agenda

For something a little different to movie night, why not give Hidden Agenda a go? This PS4 exclusive has been out a while, but it’s great for anybody with housemates or partners who aren’t gamers. Part movie, part game, Hidden Agenda uses Sony’s PlayLink features, where up to six players can participate using a free app on their smartphones. Take part in forensic investigations or take turns to make crucial decisions during this crime thriller, which features a branching story influenced by your choices. There’s also a competitive mode to try.

Hidden Agenda is only available on PlayStation 4.

A Way Out

Whether you’ve heard of it or not (it flew under the radar for many of us), A Way Out is one of the best gaming adventures to date, from the creators of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. There’s no single-player mode here — instead the game is local co-op, although online co-op is also available. Jailbirds Vincent and Leo are planning a jailbreak and you’ll work together — albeit reluctantly — to escape. Every single decision is made with co-op in mind, and communication here really is the key to success, which is what makes A Way Out so engaging.

A Way Out is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

Although neither have expressed concerns about their networks being maxed out, and internet service providers claim they’re able to cope with the increase in demand, those who rely on the internet for work may worry. Perhaps surprisingly, there’s been no report of a sharp increase in traffic at peak times, although internet service providers did say that the evening peak (usually six to nine in the evening) is now starting much earlier in the day. For now, it looks like this move could help keep things running smoothly.

The EU’s markets and services commissioner Thierry Breton, said:

“Streaming platforms, telecom operators and users… have a joint responsibility to take steps to ensure the smooth functioning of the internet during the battle against the virus propagation.”

In response, a spokesperson for YouTube said:

“We are making a commitment to temporarily switch all traffic in the EU to standard definition by default.”

Netflix also said the company was complying with the request for a month:

“We estimate that this will reduce Netflix traffic on European networks by around 25%, while also ensuring a good quality service for our members.”

But could this news mean increased traffic sees games streaming services like Google Stadia and PS Now reduce streaming quality too? With more of us following social-distancing guidelines or self-isolating, the strain on these services is only likely to increase in the following months. Already gamers are reporting long queue times and outages for online games like World of Warcraft and Fortnite, with Xbox Live’s service down last week (although it’s unclear whether this was due to increased demand or a technical fault).

Now could be a great time to stock up on games downloads or physical games from your Amazon wishlist… what will you be buying?

Bye-bye E3 2020

On the 11th of March, E3, America’s biggest gaming conference, was canceled due to the coronavirus. But already organizers have hinted they may be coordinating an online version of the conference in June, although nothing is set in stone yet. With Sony already failing to make a presence at last year’s E3, we can surely expect online updates on the PS5 and upcoming releases from them. And Microsoft has already announced a digital event to “celebrate the next generation of gaming with the Xbox community.” Devolver Digital also announced they’ll be streaming a conference this year.

Bye-bye GDC 2020

Earlier in the week, the Game Developers Conference (GDC) was canceled, with the announcement it plans to stream many of its planned talks via Twitch. This is bad news for many planning to attend though as digital streaming may not be the answer. Events aimed at developers, such as the GDC, are less about announcements and more about networking and making industry connections. With no in-person discussion and no opportunities to bump into the right people to land a new job in the industry, online scheduling isn’t the best news.

A Major Loss for the Tech Industry

Coronavirus cancellations have led to direct losses from major tech events totaling over $1 billion, with the GDC announcing $129 million in losses from the cancellation of their 30,000-person event. The industry faces losses not only from airfare, lodging, food, and transportation, but also from event sponsors and purchases made on the day by attendees.

Sony have always live-streamed events in advance of GDC’s floor days, and Nintendo have avoided conferences for the past few years, instead using Nintendo Directs for industry updates. It looks as though, in the short-term at least, more developers could follow suit and move to online streaming. Whether we’ll see E3 and the GDC return to form in 2021, who can say — but it may be that a higher percentage of smaller events move online rather than hosting in-person gatherings.

Ever since COVID-19 made headlines, global supply chains have been disrupted, conferences and large-scale events have been cancelled. In the film industry, for instance, Business Insider reported that opening dates for major movie blockbuster premieres were pushed back, as in the cases of the action adventure adaptation of Mulan and the new James Bond film. And, movie productions have been halted as well, evidenced by the latest Mission: Impossible film adjusting its production plan to avoid on-site filming in Italy.

Blue chip tech companies have advised employees to work from home. For example, Facebook temporarily shuttered its London branch to deep-clean offices after an employee was diagnosed with coronavirus. Even Twitter just announced, “We are strongly encouraging all employees globally to work from home… Our goal is to lower the probability of the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus for us – and the world around us.”

And, as the spread of novel coronavirus deepens, repercussions are being felt throughout society. Hand sanitizers, bottled water, safety masks, and all manner of supplies have been flying off shelves, including those typically stockpiled at Costco and certain prepper business sectors. Numerous public relations emails and notifications have likewise been sent and received surrounding hygiene and health guidelines. Travel advisories are heavily publicizing alerts, warning everyone about the ongoing worldwide outbreak of COVID-19. And nations across the globe have proclaimed this novel coronavirus as an urgent public health emergency.

All these suggest that a new future is already being forged, one anchored to the safety and health concerns about the transmission of this virulent new ailment. And, just as society now prepares for flu season, it stands to reason that should COVID-19 have a season of its own that coincides with flu season, then there will be more impetus for society to implement social-distancing programs.

If the term social-distancing is unfamiliar, it is defined by the CDC as a protective intervention measure that includes voluntary home isolation and voluntary home quarantine. At the community level, social-distancing measures include “school closures and dismissals, social-distancing in workplaces, and postponing or cancelling of mass gatherings.”

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, although COVID-19 and the flu are two distinct illnesses, caused by entirely different viruses, they are still incredibly similar in two important regards. Firstly, “Influenza ‘the flu’ and COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, are both infectious respiratory illnesses.” Moreover, COVID-19 is transmitted just like the flu, via “respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs,” says the CDC.

For COVID-19 to be just like the flu in terms of certain symptoms and transmission vectors, then for the flu to have a season could also mean COVID-19 will have a season, too. And, this is just what certain epidemiologists speculate about, as reported by NPR.

But why is there such a thing as flu season? Harvard University explains, “The flu season in the U.S. can begin as early as October, but usually does not get into full swing until December. The season generally reaches its peak in February and ends in March. In the southern hemisphere, however, where winter comes during our summer months, the flu season falls between June and September. In other words, wherever there is winter, there is flu. In fact, even its name, ‘influenza’ may be a reference to its original Italian name, influenza di freddo, meaning ‘influence of the cold’… Therefore, we can conclude that, at least in regions that have a winter season, the influenza virus survives longer in cold, dry air, so it has a greater chance of infecting another person. Although other factors probably contribute as well, the main reason we have a flu season may simply be that the influenza virus is happier in cold, dry weather and thus better able to invade our bodies. So, as the temperature and humidity keep dropping, your best bet for warding off this nasty bug is to… stay warm and invest in a humidifier.”

Interestingly, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) conducted a flu pandemic study that revealed social-distancing as an effective measure at reducing influenza transmission rates and as an effective tool in fighting future influenza pandemics. As the NIH documented, “Pandemic flu comes rarely – only 3 times in the 20th century – but can be devastating. It’s caused by a sudden major shift in circulating flu viruses, such as when a virus jumps from an animal to humans. Most people have no immunity to such new viruses… With components from flu viruses known to affect pigs, birds and humans, it rapidly spreads across the world to become pandemic. Social distancing measures can be implemented during unusual infectious diseases outbreaks. These interventions include closing schools, movie theaters and restaurants, and cancelling large public gatherings… The results suggest that school closure and other measures could help to mitigate future influenza pandemics.”

In essence, if COVID-19 is like the flu, and if there will be a COVID-19 season like there is a flu season, then social-distancing programs could likely be put into effect. Social distancing could become obligatory or mandated to counteract COVID-19’s future spread.

If social-distancing were to become a societal norm, what would that entail? Telecommuting and working from home would become de rigueur. Schools will be conducted online. Stay-at-home parenting would be possible while still earning from regular jobs conducted online.

No longer will movie theaters or stage plays be popular. Rather, the streaming of movies and performances would be in higher demand. Thus, Netflix and Amazon Prime would strengthen, while cinema chains would lose revenues. Could animation productions outnumber other types of films or TV shows because in-person productions would dwindle?

Restaurants will conceivably close down as will Mom-and-Pop establishments because people will stay indoors rather than gather around publicly. Small businesses might suffer considerably, whereas corporations would grow. Ordering microwaveable meals from Costco, Whole Foods, Amazon, and Thrive Market would become customary. Fresh produce could become an enigma. Diets and nutrition would be affected as food sources and food supply logistics change.

Sports and games would give way to e-sports and online gaming. There won’t be a Winter Olympics or winter sports because the Summer Olympics and warmer weather sports will have more following. People will either have to learn to get fit at home or lead sedentary lives.

And maybe even robots would replace the human workforce so that food would be processed and packaged by automation and delivered by drones or self-driving vehicles. One new tech product might even be a device that would cleanse things before entering the house to minimize germs, like COVID-19.

Perhaps all the concern about texting and emailing will fade away into a reluctant acceptance as face-to-face encounters only occur during summertime or warm weather. Dating won’t be the same. There won’t be jokes about mononucleosis being transmitted from kisses but even more sarcastic ones about COVID-19 transmission. Wedding ceremonies will only take place exclusively during warm months. Wedding ceremony invitations will only be via emails.

Snail mail will be just about obsolete. All the bureaucratic papers mailed out to people will peter out, which would be a good thing for conserving timber and cutting back on logging.

Printing of business promotional materials will be curtailed. The shaking of hands will be frowned upon even in the business context, perhaps giving way to immediate hygiene practices of washing hands or rubbing sanitizer fluid between hands. Or, maybe Spock’s “Live Long and Prosper” gesture will be accepted over a fist bump, just to avoid skin contact.

Probably there would be an exodus to warmer states in the USA and warmer countries close to the equator. Would folks no longer make the pilgrimage to see Punxsutawney Phil make predictions about winter weather? Tourism to cold countries would diminish, which would lower various countries’ GDPs.

Litter would change substantially – there would probably be less litter outside because people won’t be roaming around. But collection of litter would perhaps be automated.

Energy consumption might be different. Consider how the possible reduction in folks commuting could, in turn, decrease overall carbon emissions. That would alter global temperatures and affect climate change, too.

We’ll just have to wait and see how the COVID-19 novel coronavirus plays out in the next few months, to ascertain if it will indeed taper during warm months and thereby have a season or not. And, I’m still holding out for that new “future tech” product or device that would cleanse things before entering the house, just to help minimize the spread of novel coronavirus germs during social-distancing season.