Los Angeles Times

Amid coronavirus fears, here are 5 simple, social games that can restore your faith in humanity

There are many ways to communicate, and arguably one of the oldest is play. Before "Fortnite," "Minecraft," "Myst," "Tetris" and "Pong" there were backyard baseball diamonds, chessboards and hopscotch tiles etched or placed on the ground.

To be human is to play.

As many of us transition to a life of social distancing, the bonding power of play will only become more important. And for many, play is already a powerful way to connect. Consider that "Fortnite" is as much a social media platform for friends and marketing events as it is a competitive game. And the way in which we share creations in a "Super Mario Maker" or a "Minecraft" is a sort of personalized digital postcard that we're unleashing to the world.

So at a time where meeting "IRL" is heavily discouraged, virtual play

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