Playing Boardgames Online

Last updated March 27, 2020

As I adapt to our new Shelter-In-Place existence, I'm looking for options to maintain social connections via board gaming and RPGs. While I'm no stranger to online RPGs (and hope to run some one shots in the next week or so), I haven't tried an online boardgame in well over a decade. 

Here are some of the games I've uncovered thus far:

• Carcassonne (normally $10 on Steam with expansions and bundles available)  
• Catan Universe (free though there are in-game purchases for expansions)
• Charterstone (normally $19 on Steam)
• Dominion (free at https://dominion.games/ though there is a subscription service to play using expansions)
• Galaxy Trucker (normally $10 on Steam)
• Lords Of Waterdeep (normally $7 on Steam with expansions available)
• Scythe (normally $20 on Steam with expansions and bundles available)
• Smallworld 2 (normally $10 on Steam with expansions and bundles available)  
• Splendor (normally $10 on Steam with expansions and bundles available)
• Terraforming Mars (normally $20 on Steam)
• Ticket To Ride (normally $10 on Steam with expansions and bundles available): I've used this app but never the online component.

There are also some more general board game tools:

• Board Game Arena: technically free but unless you have a premium account (24 Euro a year or 4 Euro a month) you might be locked out due to high demand
• Tabletop Simulator (normally $20 on Steam with specific games and bundles available) 
• Tabletopia: free with individual games requiring purchase

I hope to add to this list in the coming weeks and will add any experiences I have with them.