4 clever games you’ll want to play over the holidays
You came, you ate, you sat through Uncle Bob’s crass jokes. You’ve earned yourself some alone time.
If the holidays prompt you to research “solitary retreats near me,” or if you find yourself utterly bored with dinner table conversation—how are we still talking about Wicked?!—here are four games you can play on your phone or computer.
Heads-up: The last one requires a minimum of two people, so save it for when you’ve recharged your social batteries.
1. For those who are sick of Wordle
Domino fan? Sudoku fan? If you like either or both of those games, you’ll love Pips, a new logic puzzle game from The New York Times. The rules are simple: Place your domino tiles on a game board to meet a set number of conditions. Some regions must have the same number of pips—those dots that make up the face of your domino tile; others must add up to a certain number.
You have to satisfy all requirements in order to win. If one puzzle doesn’t scratch the itch, you can play two more on the same day, though you have to pick a different level of difficulty.
If you’re looking for a Wordle alternative, or want something more numerical that’s not good old Sudoku, this one’s for you.
2. For those who want to fight a machine
You know that really annoying CAPTCHA puzzle you have to sometimes complete to prove you’re not a robot? Well, game designer Neal Agarwal has turned it into a mischievously addictive computer game.
I’m Not a Robot features 48 puzzles that become increasingly difficult as the game progresses. One minute, you’re checking boxes with stop signs on them; another, you’re trying to park a Waymo with your keyboard’s arrow keys.
The action culminates in a frantic Dance Dance Revolution game, but it’s so difficult that only 1% of people had reached that level within a month of the game launching. If you find yourself sucked in, and your family keeps growling at you for being antisocial, just tell them you’re on a noble mission to prove your humanity to a machine.
3. For transit nerds (or those who loved The Sims)
Are you old enough to remember SimCity, or progressive enough to find public transit cool? Then you’ll love Subway Builder, a new simulation game that lets you design, build, and operate subway systems in more than 20 cities across the United States. But here’s the best part: Unlike other transit games, this one uses real-life data to map where residents and workers live, as well as building foundations, road layouts, and existing tunnels that may impede construction.
The game gets so realistic you have to contend with signal failures, broken down trains, and operational costs in a way that might just help you gain an ounce of sympathy for the folks who run the actual subway in your city.
Transit experts believe the game could start a transit revolution—so hop on quick.
4. For those who hate being “the Banker”
Do you still carry cash? Hasbro, the maker of Monopoly, figured you’ve upgraded to mobile banking, and decided to make a version of Monopoly that meets you where you are.
Meet: Monopoly App Banking, a version of the classic board game that eliminates both paper money and the dreaded role of the banker, instead delegating transactions to a free mobile app. In this case, the app is both the bank and the banker!
The app-assisted game promises faster, fairer play—no more power grabs—and augmented-reality enhanced mini games you unlock every time you land on Free Parking, Jail, or Railroad spaces. Don’t worry, though: The board itself remains.