6 Best Games for Having a Conversation with Friends (so you can avoid a “Zoom Happy Hour”)
At the start of the pandemic, friend groups flocked to video games when they were told they could no longer see each other. Video games were an obvious resource to assist in the remote socializing that would be the norm for the foreseeable future. I have played many video games with various friends, family, acquaintances and strangers this pandemic, many have been fun, many have been hard, but which have been the most conducive to a good conversation? This is a list of the 6 best games for having a conversation with your friends:
6. Warzone
Activision released their free battle royale at the beginning of the pandemic. It quickly took the spotlight as mainstream pandemic activity. Warzone is perfect for chilling and chatting but you need to be ready to end the convo at any point. The beginning of a round can often be quiet and slow, just looting and running in a seemingly perfect silence to have a conversation. But beware, sometimes it can be so quiet that while chatting you forget to keep your guard up and get surprise attacked and eliminated instantly.
5. Fall Guys
Fall Guys is the first non shooter battle royale. Its pure fun and silliness is reminiscent of ultimate knockout and most extreme eliminations. Once you get the hang of it, you can get a very good momentum of conversation and laughter. But, if you want to actually win, the conversation could be hard to maintain past the second round, especially in the grab-the-foxtail course and the avoid-the-cooties course — those levels will be more likely to make you shout curses than maintain a pleasant chat.
4. Rogue Company
Rogue Company, just recently released, has quick 4v4 rounds that can be taken slow if you are taking constant cover. Once you get a good flow, and assuming you’re not paired with a team that’s way way too hard, Rogue Company has enough breaks and fast rounds that it’s very easy to have a smooth and easy conversation while playing. Sometimes you get unlucky and keep losing without being able to chill, but usually there’s a good balance.
3. Minecraft
I have personally never gotten the hang of Minecraft. There’s still so much I know I can do that I haven’t quite figured out yet. But what I use it for is to hang out with my friend who stinks at video games. We can just mine and build without worrying about getting killed by strange kids on the other side of the world. Sometimes we just take a walk, camp in the night, and start walking again.
2. Fortnite
Fornite knows how to party; it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Just hanging in the lobby with your friends is a fun time. Once the combat gets heated you have to pause the convo and focus. In my experience playing Fortnite, however, once the conversation stops, the laughing is usually just around the corner. Fornite leaves me and my friends in stitches more than any other game, it’s simply hilarious.
- Rocket League
I’ve been playing Rocket League with my friends for years (before it was bought by Epic and made FREE) and it is the closest equivalent we have to just tossing a ball in the park. You can make it hard and competitive or easy and relaxed, but it typically results in the most levelheaded and uninterrupted conversation out of all the games listed. Rocket League is so simple and yet requires so much technique. Hours can be spent chatting with friends while simply practicing and getting better.
