Nintendo Switch is well known for its popular games like Smash Bros Ultimate and Overcooked. Both of which can cause friendship bridges to burn, curses to be yelled and neighbours to wonder if there’s a war going on in your place.

But the Switch world is vast and there’s more than you can explore other than just their famous AAA ones. Below are some other similar multiplayer Nintendo Switch games you can check out to keep your homebound-self occupied.

What is the Nintendo Switch?

The Nintendo Switch is a console that can be played at home on your TV and is also a portable handheld gaming device. With 2 main models available, they each play the same games and run the same software, but offer different hardware features.

The base model, Nintendo Switch, offers a 7-inch OLED screen, detachable Joy-Con controllers, and an adjustable dock for charging and TV connection. The controllers provide haptic feedback when playing certain games like Super Mario Party, and can also be swapped with other colours available like neon purple and neon green. From a price of $339, this model can be purchased through Amazon.

Image credit: Animal Crossing World

For those looking for a cheaper option to fit your budget, the Switch Lite has a smaller 5.5-inch LCD screen and can only be used as a portable console without TV compatibility. The Joy-Cons are not customisable and don’t provide haptics, but matches the base model performance wise and is available in 5 main colours: blue, yellow, gray, turquoise, and yellow. From a price of $359, this model can be purchased through Amazon.

With the current Black Friday Sale happening from 21st November to 2nd December, you can enjoy discounts of up to 70% on Amazon sitewide. As a bonus, TSL readers can also get $10 off minimum $60 spent during this promo period.

Is it worth getting a Nintendo Switch?

Other than bragging rights, the Nintendo Switch offers a huge library of family-friendly games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, as well as popular titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Many of these games are easy to pick up and offer hundreds of gameplay hours, so you don’t have to worry about running out of games to play.

If completing missions and defeating monsters don’t interest you, the Nintendo Switch also caters to the fitness junkies with games like Nintendo Switch Sports, Ringfit Adventure, and Just Dance 2024 Edition. These titles will get you sweating by dancing, moving, and playing virtual sports like tennis.

With a wide selection of games, health benefits, and the flexibility of being able to play at home or outside, we would say it’s definitely worth getting your hands on a Nintendo Switch.

How to set up Nintendo Switch Singapore?

What makes getting a Nintendo Switch fun is not only the variety of games available, but the set up process too. Upon opening the console box, you’ll have the satisfaction of assembling the Nintendo Switch by slotting in the 2 Joy-Cons provided.

Once your console has been connected to a power source through the AC adapter provided, there will be step-by-step on-screen instructions for the configuration of your region, timezone, parental controls, and the setting of your user nickname. If you are planning to transfer data from an existing Switch, both consoles must be linked to the same Nintendo accounts for user data and games purchased to be transferred.

1. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Race in 48 different competitive racetracks

Image credit: Nintendo

A classic Nintendo Switch game gets an upgrade with the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Like iterations of the game before this one, you’ll play as one of 36 characters in the Nintendo multiverse, like Mario, Yoshi, Princess Peach, and even Zelda.

You can race yourself in single-player mode, but we think it’s best to get the squad together for a multiplayer mode of up to 12 players. Race to the finishing line to bag one or many of the 12 Cups to crown yourself champion. There are also 48 different race tracks, each varying in difficulty so even newbies in gaming can ease themselves into the world of handheld console gaming.

Price: ~S$80.77
Type: Racing
Max players: 4 for device, 12 for online multiplayer

Get Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

2. Ultimate Chicken Horse

Beat your friends in this level-building game

Image credit: Steam

If you think team work makes the dream work, Ultimate Chicken Horse will have you second-guessing yourself. In this multiplayer game, each player gets a prop – trap, hazard, plank, or platform – to build a course to get from one end to the other. But, the goal is to only have your character successfully cross the obstacle course all of you have built.

It takes a little bit of game theory and strategy but once you get the hang of it, there are 18 levels to go through, each with their own rules and game modes for added fun.

Price: ~S$80.77
Type: Party
Max players: 4 for device, 4 for online multiplayer

Get Ultimate Chicken Horse.

3. Fortnite

Beat your friends in this level-building game

Image credit: u/moonliybae via Reddit

Gen Z-ers may already be familiar with Fortnite, but for millennials and up who want to be part of the action, this Nintendo Switch game is basically a battle royale where the last shooter standing wins the game.

To get yourself ready for battle, you’ll need to explore the land you’re in and collect weapons. There are even opportunities for you to build walls and shields to protect yourself. The game has plenty of customisation options, where you can get new weapon skins and outfits inspired by cartoons like Family Guy, Spider-man, and Attack on Titan.

Price: Free
Type: Battle royale
Max players: 100 for online multiplayer

Get Fortnite.

4. Rocket League

Virtual soccer with cars

Image credit: iMore

For all the guys – and ladies – out there that love soccer and cars, Rocket League is a sweet combination of both to add to your game collection. The game takes things from 0 to 100 the moment you hit “play” so expect lots of excitement-packed game sessions.

Prepare to spend plenty of time on addictive matches here – we hear it’s hard to peel yourself away from the screen once you begin!

Price: Free
Type: Action
Max players: 4 for device, 8 for online* multiplayer
*via a Nintendo Switch Online subscription.

Get Rocket League.

4. The Jackbox Party Pack 6

Play mini party games

If you can’t head out to a party, bring the party to you. Jackbox ensures that you won’t be missing out with their multiplayer party games that can include up to 10 people. Right under the social distancing limit, you should note!

Image credit: Nintendo

Bond with your friends or family over 5 different mini-games that involve serial killers, word play and hidden identities. You don’t need extra joy-cons for this as players can participate using their own phones as well. It’s not necessary to gather to play either – the game can also be enjoyed remotely through video calls for optimal social distancing.

Price: ~S$40.38
Type: Party
Max players: 10 players for local and online multiplayer

Get The Jackbox Party Pack 6.

5. Dragon Quest Builders 2

Travel to virtual islands and design towns

Image credit: Alastair Pang

Transport yourself into the fantasy RPG world of  townspeople, ancient evil and monsters with Dragon Quest Builders 2. This game is all about creativity with limited rules so go forth and explore islands or design your own town as you wish. The overall objective? To turn a ravaged realm into one that you’ll love to frolic around in.

Image credit: Nintendo

With its many available features, this game can very much be enjoyed alone. But more is always merrier so consider playing it with a couple of friends. In the “Isle of Awakening” section of the game, you can gang up with 3 other players in both local* and online multiplayer modes to build up a community together.

*Players have to be connected to the same local network.

Price: ~S$47.12
Type: Action
Max players: 4 on both local and online multiplayer

Get Dragon Quest Builders 2.

6. Minecraft

Get lost in time exploring their virtual world

Minecraft needs no introduction as the boxy-looking game that many love, and others are perplexed by. Now that you’re stuck at home with lots of time to burn, give this a shot. The game will take you into a virtual world where there are caves and oceans to explore, monsters to fight, and houses to build.

Image credit: Game Tyrant

Get fellow bored buddies together and you might just find yourself glued to the screen all day, all night. Device multiplayer* can support up to 4 players, while online multiplayer allows up to 8 players.

Image adapted from: Nicholas Marcelin via Youtube

*Multiplayer mode with several joy-cons connected to one Switch system.

Price: ~S$40.38
Type: Adventure, Action
Max players: 4 for device, 8 for local and online multiplayer

Get Minecraft.

7. Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Relaxing game for stressed people

Image credit: Nintendo

If there’s one game you’ve heard to death about these few weeks, it’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons. All the hype considered, the game is a surprisingly relaxing one. In the words of my Animal Crossing-addicted friend, it is in essence “a low-fi hip hop beat in game form”.

Image credit: Alastair Pang

Like a retirement dream-come-true, the game drops you on your own little island, where you can fish, create a garden and hunt for fossils. Despite its adorable appearance, the game is best for adults who are stressed and need respite from hectic work. That being said, kids are bound to love the bubbly characters as well.

Price: ~S$80.77
Type: Simulation
Max players: 4 for device, 8 for local and online multiplayer

Get Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

8. Splatoon 2

Virtual paintball battle

Image credit: @heychi_mon via Instagram

Behind massive hits like Overcooked, Splatoon 2 is another PVP game that’ll have you yelling at your opponents from the edge of your seat. Essentially a paintball battle in digital form, you’ll get all the joy of splattering everything and everyone with paint, sans the bruises you’ll face IRL.

Image credit: Escapist Magazine

Amp up the competition further by switching on additional features in the game such as a moving battlefield.

Price: ~S$80.77
Type: Action
Max players: 8 for both local and online multiplayer

Get Splatoon 2.

9. Snipperclips Plus

Co-op game where you have to think outside the box

Puzzle-themed Snipperclips Plus is a wholesome game to spend time with your family or friends. Pushing you to think out of the box, this game is one that’ll pick at your mind, and will likely fit your bill if you love a creative challenge.

Image credit: Silicon Era

Pick from one of the two modes – co-op or competitor –  where you can work together or play 2V2 in a bid to see which team can complete each round the quickest. All you need to do is work with your partner to reshape your characters to fit into the dotted lines. Don’t be fooled by the instructions though – the puzzles can be pretty tricky as you progress into later stages!

Image credit: @scrooge1203 via Instagram

Price: ~S$26.16
Type: Puzzle
Max players: 4 for device and online multiplayer

Get Snipperclips Plus.

10. Arms

Wacky boxing game for kids

Arms would be the modern-day adaptation of the classic and well-loved Street Fighter. Battle your opponents by shooting at them, not with a weapon, but with your character’s elastic arms.

Image credit: Gigazine

Since hitting buttons and swishing the control around wildly is how you’ll motion your onscreen characters into battle, kids are bound to love it. They’ll also be getting a good little arm workout as you’ll have to physically move their arms in order to play.

Price: ~S$80.77
Type: Action
Max players: 2 for device and online multiplayer

Get Arms.

11. Diablo 3

RPG with monsters, cultists, walking corpses

Image credit: Smithank You

Classic RPG games aren’t just for desktop gaming. Pick up Diablo 3: Eternal Collection on Switch and you’ll be able to have the same fun without the need for an MMORPG-worthy gaming computer.

Image credit: @piinkdew via Instagram

Gather up 4 friends and venture into the demon-filled world. Endless exploration awaits in their Adventure Mode with bounties to collect and walking corpses to slay.

Price: ~S$26.64
Type: Action
Max players: 2 for device, 4 for local multiplayer

Get Diablo 3.

12. Super Mario Party

Virtual board game

Image credit: Euro Gamer

We’re no stranger to Mario Kart, but the iconic game has a virtual board game variation that you might‘ve heard of as well: Super Mario Party. Complete with more than 80 mini-challenges like baseball and rhythmic river rafting, this is bound to be something the whole family can play for hours.

Image credit: @abrandofx via Instagram

Price: ~S$80.77
Type: Party
Max players: 4 for device and online multiplayer

Get Super Mario Party.

13. Just Dance

For those who miss grooving at the clubs

Missing days at the clubs? No problemo. Just Dance 2020 allows you to still groove to beats. Albeit in a PG13 way, you’ll still be able to have a blast with your friends with their multiplayer feature.

Image credit: @seoeunpark_ via Instagram

Rack up as many points as you can with your virtual dance crew by nailing the dance moves shown on screen to beat high scores. There’s no need to worry about having to buy extra equipment as well as all you need is your usual joy-con. If you’re short on those, you use your phone instead by linking it via the Just Dance Controller app.

Image credit: Nintendo

Price: ~S$40.77
Type: Party
Max players: 6 for device, 64 for online multiplayer

Get Just Dance.

Play these multiplayer Nintendo Switch games at home

Image credit: @nerdnightin via Instagram

Staying home doesn’t mean staring at your four walls, waiting for time to pass. If you’ve already got the device on hand, these are some of the many multiplayer Nintendo Switch games you can unlock, for bonding sessions while maintaining proper social distance.

For more things to do at home, check out:

• Easy home workout routines
• How to DIY bleach and dye your hair
• Virtual travel experiences for popular overseas attractions

Cover image adapted from: Alastair Pang, Silicon Era,Game Tyrant, Alastair Pang
Last updated by Brandon Chia on 1st December 2024.

The post 13 Multiplayer Nintendo Switch Games To Play That’re Not Smash Bros Or Overcooked appeared first on TheSmartLocal - Singapore's Leading Travel and Lifestyle Portal.

With the unpredictable weather outdoors, it’s no wonder Singaporeans are constantly on the prowl for things to do at home. When it comes to staying home while still staying sane and entertained, consider stocking up on these unique board games and card games.

The world of multiplayer tabletop games has come a long way since Uno and Monopoly, and there are all sorts of different themed games in this list – including zi char cooking, dating red flags, and even cryptocurrency. One thing’s for sure, owning a handful of these games is sure to come in handy for the next family bonding session.

How many players are needed for each board or card game?

You can find most of these games on Amazon Singapore. Just for TSL readers, you can get $10 off when you spend a minimum of $60. It is valid from 8th-13th October 2024 only.

1. Wok And Roll

Strategic dice game with local recipe element

Image credit: Origame

First things first, how ingenious is the old-school zi char box packaging? In Wok And Roll, players take turns to roll the six various dice types and make corresponding moves. Strategic pathways allow you to advance and eventually create full zi char dishes. The player with the most completed recipes at the end of the round wins.

Colourful layouts and uniquely local touches elevate the otherwise simple dice game. Even the player tokens are amusing hawker stall names, like Hunger Pang’s Eatery, Big Belly Zi Char, and 888 Bae Fresh Crab & Seafood.

There are also 2 sides of the board, with Simple and Expert game modes. This means more variants each time you play, and you’ll be getting more bang for your buck.

Price: $30

Buy Wok And Roll from Amazon.

2. Sushi Go!

Cute & portable card combination contest

Image credit: Board Games Galore

In Sushi Go!, players score points based on the card combos they collect. You’ll be able to serve up dishes like maki rolls, sashimi slices, and even gyoza based on how many corresponding cards you have in hand.

The aim is to collect and group your cards strategically to ensure that you have the highest-scoring dishes. Leave the crappier ingredient cards to your opponents, or render them unable to complete successful dishes at all!

The entirety of this card game fits neatly into a small tin box, so you can stow it in your bag and have fun on-the-go.

Price: $17.63

Buy Sushi Go! from Amazon.

3. Pandemic

Team co-op adventure with different roles each time

Image adapted from: Watch It Played

The Pandemic board game is #relatable, perhaps even a little too on the nose.

Its detailed board set-up and various game elements make each round highly immersive. There are infection cards, disease cubes, and role assignments to take note of. This game requires brainpower, concentration, and cooperation among players, so be prepared to work that noggin.

There are different roles assigned randomly each game, and each role is assigned a different group of cities for which to make decisions. This means no 2 games will be exactly the same.

You can even decide the difficulty level at the start of each game, which will determine how many times during the game “increase, infect and intensify” effects will sweep over the epidemic.

Price: $32.99

Buy Pandemic from Amazon.

4. Red Flags

Dating choices & scenarios with ratchet prompts

Image credit: Grim Rabbit Games

Prepare for things to get saucy with Red Flags, an absolute hoot where you get to sabotage your friends to achieve victory while making fun of their romantic choices at the same time. A mix of white flag and red flag cards will be dealt to the players. Basically, white flag cards are dreamy and desirable traits of a partner, while red ones will make you question the potential match.

Each round, players take turns to be matchmade by the rest. The other players will pitch the Dream Guy/Girl for you using a combination of 2 white flag cards, but the subsequent player will sabotage their pitch by throwing in a red flag.

The point is awarded to the player whose pitch still gets accepted despite horrible red flags. These include “Refuses to cover face while sneezing”, “Has 19 kids and counting”, and “Describes all food as “yummy yummers””.

Bonus: If those prompts aren’t ratchet enough for you, you can even purchase Dark or Sexy expansion decks to get more morbid or raunchy prompts respectively.

Price: $49.31

Buy Red Flags from Amazon.

5. Telestrations

Telephone Game with a Pictionary twist

Image credit: Amazon.sg

Think of Telestrations as a marriage between the Telephone Game and Pictionary, where the clue gets lost in translation but in the form of players’ drawings. If you’ve ever played the free online game Gartic Phone,- this is essentially the physical version of it.

Strong art skills might help to ensure your victory, but prepare for rip-roaring laughs to ensue as the drawn prompts get progressively skewed. There are over 2,000 word prompts in the stack, and the game can accommodate up to 12 players – goodness knows what the drawing will morph into by then!

Price: $68.06

Buy Telestrations from Amazon.

6. True Colours

Vote to test how well your friends know each other

Image credit: Geeks Under Grace

True Colours is the card game version of the camping/drink game, “Who’s most likely to –?”, but presented in card voting instead of counting down and pointing. Each player is represented by a colour, and the voting is done through anonymous card submissions into a ballot box.

Before the ballots are revealed, players also have to guess whether the others voted for them. This is done by placing a card in front of them, indicating whether they think they received the majority of the nominations, the minority of the nominations, or none at all.

Points will be awarded when the ballots are revealed, based on how accurate their predictions are for each round. Besides voting to test how well you and your friends know each other, there’s also an element of messiness ‘cause you get to laugh at those who ownself say ownself, but whose predictions went horribly askew.

Price: $28.38

Buy True Colours from Amazon.

7. Patchwork

Tetris meets jigsaw puzzles, with a competitive twist

Image credit: Geek And Sundry

Patchwork has won a tonne of awards under its belt, which is unsurprising considering how unique the concept is. That said, there are a lot of elements to take into account, so it might take a few trial runs before you get the hang of it.

2 players compete to collect the most buttons – the currency in this game – while also taking turns to complete their own grid with Tetris-like tiles. Each of the patchwork pieces cost different amounts of time (measured by steps advanced by your token on the time track board) and buttons to build.

Flip and rotate your pieces strategically throughout your construction process because at the end of the game, two points will be deducted for every empty space on your grid.

Price: $42.59

Buy Patchwork from Amazon.

8. The Durian Game

Fast-paced & chaotic card trading game

Image adapted from: The Mind Cafe

This homegrown game is created by the people behind board game cafe, The Mind Cafe. The Durian Game is something which durian lovers will love, and will possibly work up an appetite for the King of Fruits while playing.

Each player is dealt a hand comprising various durian types, from Black Pearl to Golden Phoenix. Everyone around the table yells out how many cards they wish to trade, in the hope of finding a player with the same number of cards they want to give up.

Win by collecting 9 cards of the same durian type. The game will then be restarted for subsequent rounds of shouting and swapping. Although the rules are simple and rounds don’t last more than 15 minutes, it’s a hilarious and chaotic game best suited for large groups of up to 10 players. Careful not to contribute too much noise pollution for your neighbours though!

Price: $29.90

Buy The Durian Game from Amazon. 

9. Cryptocurrency

Intricate deception-based game

Image adapted from: Capital Gains Studio

Think Monopoly with an investments and trading twist, and a deception element. Cryptocurrency is good for people who are deep into the fintech craze. Those with no crypto knowledge will probably catch no ball – just being honest.

Players take turns to perform actions, such as taking a loan, hiring staff ranging from interns to specialist advisors, purchasing bitcoin and engaging in trades.

Deception comes into play when the game kicks into the speculation or rumour mongering stage. This is where 2-4 players try to determine which of the 4 cryptocurrencies will be the most valuable, and which will turn out to be a scam.

Price: $45.90

Buy Cryptocurrency on Lazada.

10. Wavelength

Unique apparatus to gauge your friends’ perceptions

Image credit: Shopee

Wavelength is all about testing how well you know your teammates’ perceptions, based on preset answers combined with your own prompts. The stack of card answers feature comparative ranges like “Forbidden vs Encouraged”, “Useless Invention vs Useful Invention”, and “Sad Song vs Happy Song”.

During your turn, one member of the team will have to offer a prompt relating to said category, and have their partner or teammates guess which point of the spectrum they will turn the arrow towards.

The set-up comes with a unique spinning apparatus and is overall quite aesthetic, with pastel tones and speckled design as opposed to the bright and tacky colours often associated with board games.

Price: $96

Buy Wavelength from Amazon.

11. Hotpot Havoc

Use mental sums to build the best hotpot bowl

Image adapted from: Capital Gain Studio

Hotpot Havoc is a game that’ll make you crave hotpot while putting your dexterity and mental maths to the test. Everyone playing starts off the game with cards representing a bowl and a sauce – some bowls are easier to fill than others, and each sauce has its own unique set of ingredients to get paired with.

Everyone will then take turns to flip ingredient cards over and decide if they would like to add it to their bowl. Cards added will win you points while discarded cards end up in the free-for-all communal pile where other players can snatch it from. Remember, it’s fastest fingers first, not a buffet. That one, you can plan for later after the game is over, like at these hotpot restaurants.

Price: $22

Buy Hotpot Havoc from Amazon.

12. Say What? Singapore’s Shiok Food Card Game

Test your knowledge of Singapore food

Image adapted from: TOYTAG

Say What? is a pretty straightforward game featuring all the local delights any true blue Singaporean would know. And for anyone new to our shores, any wrong guesses are now things you must eat before leaving our Little Red Dot.

For this game, you will have to work in pairs. One team member will describe the food on the card while the other team member tries to guess what local delight they are referring to.

You can use anything from shared memories of the food to where it’s sold, as long as you don’t accidentally blurt out any of the words on the card. Whichever team can get the most correct guesses in the same duration wins the game.

As it is a team game, you’ll need an even number of players of at least 4 players to start the game.

Price: $25

Buy Say What? Singapore’s Shiok Food Card Game from Shopee.

13. Hawker Wars

Battle it out to be the most successful hawker stall

Unlike actual hawkers, you’ll get to enjoy playing Hawker Wars in the comfort of your own home, away from the hot steam and flames.

Image credit: @hawkerwarsgame via Instagram

To start this game, each player will choose which hawker store they would like to represent. Based on the chosen stall, the ingredients you need will differ.

After drawing 2 ingredient cards and 1 action card each round, you can use your action card to sabo your fellow hawkers by stealing their dishes or giving their stall a nasty cockroach infestation. And to give yourself a leg up in the game, you can use food award cards to boost your dishes, gaining you more points.

Price: $19.98

Buy Hawker Wars from Amazon.

Have fun at home with unique board games and card games

Be it multiplayer online games you can play remotely with your friends or watch parties to stream TV shows and movies simultaneously, us Singaporeans have accumulated all sorts of ways to stay entertained and socially connected while at home.

If you want to take it old-school and also give your eyes a much-needed break from all that screen time, invite your friends or SO over and have a crack at these board games and card games available in Singapore.

For more fun activities to try at home:

• Online art supply stores
• Home workouts using household items
• Guide to home brewing beer in Singapore
• Hotpot home delivery and DIY options
• Easy air fryer recipes to try at home

Cover image adapted from: @redflagsgame via Instagram, Origame, Board Games Galore, Watch It Played
Last updated by Ariel Soh on 11th October 2024.

The post 13 Unique Board Games & Card Games In Singapore For Stay-Home Dates & Parties appeared first on TheSmartLocal - Singapore's Leading Travel and Lifestyle Portal.

If you don’t feel like heading out for game night, then we’ve got you covered. For those who’d rather nua in the comfort of your home rather than heading to someone’s crib for board game night, there are plenty of free online games to keep that competitive camaraderie alive.

From an online version of Cards Against Humanity to a multiplayer version of Wordle, these games will help you bond with your pals all without needing anyone to put on a pair of shoes.

1. Avalon (The Resistance)

The website provides explanations for each character.
Image credit: Kezia Tan 

Avalon (The Resistance) is a deduction game where you’ll have to find out each other’s given identities – both the good and the bad. Players will be split into 2 teams, but here’s the twist: not everyone knows their teammates.

Everyone will be sent on a quest to pass or fail missions. After each mission, there will be a time of discussion about who sabotaged the mission. Alas, this is where the accusations and assumptions will arise.

How to play: 

• Embark on missions with other players, where you can choose to pass or fail each mission.
• If you’re a bad guy, you can choose to sabotage and fail a mission.
• If you’re a good guy, you will only be able to pass the missions.
• After each mission, everyone will be given time to discuss and figure out who are the bad and good guys.
• Whichever team that successfully passes the most missions will win.
• In the event where the bad guys lose, they will be given the chance to identify the Merlin character (good guy). If identified correctly, the bad guys will win.

Number of players: 5-10 players

Avalon (The Resistance) website

2. Among Us (Mobile)

Image credit: Steam

There was a period of time when these faceless blobs in space could be seen everywhere – and for good reason. Among Us is a simple murder mystery game that’s easy to pick up and is now available for free on iOS and Android.

Image adapted from: Among Us

This game is known to break friendships, as backstabbing and telling despicable lies are part of the strategy if you’re in it to win. Players are split into teams known as Impostors and Crewmates. It’s the Impostor’s job to kill everyone without being detected, while Crewmates vote to get rid of the player that’s most likely the Impostor.

To make things more challenging, Crewmates are assigned tasks to be completed as well.

How to play: 

• Figure out who’s the Impostor as quickly as possible and vote them out.
• If you’re the Impostor, avoid detection and kill everyone.
• Work together to find the Impostor, without falsely ejecting a Crewmate.
• The last team standing wins.

Number of players: 4-15 players

Among Us is available on  the Apple App Store and Google Play Store

3. Cards Against Humanity

Image credit: @jenleereeves via Instagram

You’ve probably played the popular card game at least once in your life, but did you know that there’s an online clone of Cards Against Humanity as well? There’s no login or download needed, it’s as simple as opening a tab on your browser and creating a virtual room for you and your friends.

Image credit: Pretend You’re Xyzzy

Cards Against CLRTD has game rooms that can facilitate up to 20 players and its database includes cards from the base game, as well as the myriad of expansion packs.

The chaotic party game is all about funny, weird, morbid and sometimes inappropriate humour as you amuse one another with outrageous answers – perfect for keeping spirits up.

How to play:

Open the website, enter a nickname, create a game room, and send the invite link to your friends. You can customise the score limit, player limit and decks to play.

1. If you’re the “Card Czar”, choose a winning card from the white cards that you find funniest, corresponding to the black card given. That winning card is awarded to its owner.
2. If not, choose a white card in your hand that you think best fits the prompt in the black card, one that the “Card Czar” would pick.
3. The participant that has the most number of cards wins the game.

Number of players: 3-20 players

Cards Against CLRTD website

4. Codenames Online

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Codenames is a word-based party game that’ll test how well you and your buddies can communicate with each other. Awarded as one of the best board games in 2016, there’s an online variant that’s free and just as fun.

Image credit: Codenames Online

Players are split into 2 teams – red and blue – with 1 spymaster on each side. The spymaster gives 1-word clues and the team guesses the corresponding words until all tiles with their colour has been cleared. Nothing will beat that “Eureka!” moment when your friend correctly guesses “School”, “Temple”, “Hotel”, and “Crane” from a single word – “Building”.

How to play: Create a game room and send the invite link to your friends.

1. Split players into 2 teams and assign a spymaster on each. Only the spymaster is able to see the coloured board.
2. The spymaster will give 1-word clues followed by a number for the team to guess their coloured words. For example, “Music, 2” will prompt the team to guess “Flute” and “Pitch” from the above example.
3. A  team will forfeit a point if they guess a neutral black word or the opposing team’s word.
4. If the shaded black tile is chosen, the team automatically loses.
5. First team to clear their words wins.

Number of players: Minimum 4 players

Codenames Online website

5. Skribbl.io

Image credit: skribbl.io

Bringing you back to the old days of Pictionary and Draw Something is Skribbl.io, an online drawing game where players must race against the clock to guess the image. While nailing a 10/10 drawing can be a challenge, anyone can have a go at it and walk out of the game as a Skiribbl.io champ. 

How to play: Create a private room and customise the number of rounds, time for drawing and words for the game. Once you’re done, send the invite link to your friends. 

1. If you’re the artist, attempt to draw the prompt given.
2. If not, guess what the artist is trying to draw.

Number of players: 2-12 players

Skribbl.io website

6. Squabble

Image adapted from: Squabble

By now you should be familiar with Wordle, the 5-letter guessing game. But if you’re not satisfied with just sharing your daily score with your friends, you can challenge them on Squabble, a multi-player take on the latest viral sensation.

There’s a twist though – everyone has a depleting health bar that ends your game when it reaches 0. If you guess right, you heal a bit of health and deal damage to your opponents. If you guess wrong, you take damage. Last till everyone else is knocked out and you’ll be the champion of Squabble!

You can choose to either have an intimate vocabulary battle in Blitz mode that can host 2-5 players or a rumble with up to 99 other players in Royale mode. Check out these best Wordle starting words to get a headstart on your opponents.

How to play:

• Keep guessing words
• Guess right to deal damage and heal your health
• Be the last one standing

Number of players: 2-99 players

Squabble website

7. Spyfall

Image credit: Spyfall

Put on your best lying face and fake it till you make it in Spyfall, a game where the spy tries to remain “hidden” while the other players deduce who it is. Everyone will get a role and know a certain location, except for the spy who has to lie their way out of a barrage of questions.

Image adapted from: Spyfall

It’s also a perfect companion game for Zoom or Google Meets calls so you can catch who’s being all shifty-eyed. 

How to play: Create a private room and send the invite link to your friends. You can customise the number of players or the number of locations.

1. Each player gets to ask any other player any question, for example, “Is this place underwater?”
2. The player must answer the question. Answers should be discreet enough that the spy cannot guess the location, but also clear enough to prove their innocence.
3. If you are notified to be the spy, pretend like you know what the location is. 
4. After 1 round of asking, everyone guesses who the spy is.
5. If the spy is exposed, they can still win by correctly guessing the location.

Number of players: 3-12 players

Spyfall website

8. Telegram Werewolf

Image adapted from: Billy Tran

We’ve got a number of Telegram channel bots, and Telegram Werewolf is one of the most well-known games. Based on the iconic party game, the werewolves hide among villagers and eat one every night, while the villagers use their character’s own special abilities to expose the werewolves. It might actually even be easier playing through Telegram than IRL as the bot handles everything for you.

With over 40 unique characters and roles such as The Harlot and The Wolfman, prepare for all the chaos that can ensue as fingers are pointed and names are lynched.

How to play:

Invite @werewolfbot to your Telegram group.

1. Type “/startgame” and get everyone to join.
2. The Werewolf Bot will DM you to tell you your role as well as DM you lynching options when it comes.
3. For the villagers, deduce who the werewolves are and lynch them. For the werewolves, the aim is to “kill” all the villagers.

Number of players: Minimum 5-6 players

Werewolf for Telegram website

9. Quizarium on Telegram

Image adapted from: Billy Tran

Spice up your Telegram groups with Quizarium, a free-for-all trivia game that will make use of your general knowledge. There are questions on geography, history, and music all with unlimited attempts at answering. And don’t worry if you think they’ll be too hard, the bot automatically gives hints.

Faster fingers get more points, so it’s a game of speed and wits. As a heads up to your friends, it’s best to also warn everyone of the impending spam that’s about to dominate the chat during this game.

How to play:

Invite @QuizariumBot to your Telegram group.

1. Type “/start” and pick your desired category and game length.
2. Type the correct answers as fast as you can!

Number of players: Minimum 2 players

Quizarium website

10. Psych!

Image adapted from: Google Play

It’s rare to find an app game that is both free and has online capabilities like Psych!. The aim of the game is to outwit your friends by giving fake answers to real trivia questions. Depending on which game deck you pick, the prompts could range from making up a fake definition for an uncommon word or faking a plot of an obscure movie title.

Among the free party packs, “And The Truth Comes Out” involves your friends by personalising the prompts. For example, questions will be like “If Jessica were to be arrested tomorrow, it would most likely be because…” and the best answer wins. It’s a true test of friendship to see how well you know each other – and how strong your friendships really are.

How to play: Download the application and invite your friends and create a room together.

Number of players: Minimum 2 players

Download Psych! from the App Store or download Psych! from Google Play

11. Game Pigeon

Image adapted from: Game Pigeon

Game Pigeon is like a library collection of party games that’s available on Apple’s iMessage. You have classic phone games like 8 Ball and Basketball along with more traditional games like Chess and Mancala, all entertaining in their own way.

While most of the games here are limited to 2 players, you can still send them in an iMessage group chat and the first one to accept your invite will be your challenger. For more virtual interaction, Crazy 8, which is similar to Uno, is a game that can have multiple people playing at once.

How to play: Grab your friends, download the application and send each other game invites via an iMessage group chat.

Number of players: Varies on game

Game Pigeon website

12. Gartic Phone

Image adapted from: Gartic.io

Skribbl.io meets Telestrations in Gartic Phone, a simple game about drawing and deciphering what exactly your friends have drawn. Each player starts out creating a prompt which another player has to draw. That drawing then gets passed to another player who has to describe what they’re seeing, and another player will have to draw that guess. This cycle goes on depending on how many players there are.

While the classic mode can be very fun and chaotic by itself, you can amp things up with different modes such as Speed Run where drawing time is cut short and Knock-Off where you have to replicate a drawing as the timer ticks down.

How to play the game: Invite your friends to a voice call and join a lobby.

Number of players: 4-30 players

Gartic Phone website

13. Time Heist

Image adapted from: Time Heist

History buffs can battle it out in a game of wits with Time Heist. From major events that stunned the world to trivial facts about lesser-known celebrities or scholars, you and the gang will be working in teams – the Paradox Thieves or Guardians of Time – to nail these questions within seconds. 

Time Heist is no different from Heads Up. However, in this game, the roles are reversed and only the captain is given visible access to the topic or word at hand while the others are left to guess. Thus the captain will need to work hard to leave clues about the category, century and gist of what the word is without revealing it. 

How to play: 

• Hop onto a group call, open up the game and separate yourselves into 2 teams.
• Select either the fast, regular or legend mode.
• Dedicate a captain who will be in charge to give the team clues of the selected topic.
• After a clue, the other team will get their chance to guess the word and the process repeats itself again until the word is guessed.

Number of players: 4-6 players

Time Heist website

Free online games to play with your besties

Whether your clique loves to draw or they prefer to flex their wordsmithing, these free online games should be enough to keep you and your friends entertained without having to spend a single cent.

More games to check out:

• Old-school mobile games
• Retro games now on mobile
• New party games
• Free quirky online games
• Mobile & gacha games
• Playing card games
• Childhood online games
• Online co-op games for couples

Cover image adapted from: Gartic.io, @czech_games_edition via Instagram, Pretend You’re Xyzzy, skribbl.io
Originally published on 1st April 2020. Last updated by Joycelyn Yeow on 26th April 2024.

The post 13 Free Online Games To Play With Friends Like Among Us & Cards Against Humanity appeared first on TheSmartLocal - Singapore's Leading Travel and Lifestyle Portal.

Living in Singapore, we all probably have some degree of familiarity with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). You’ve probably heard mom tell you to stay away from fried chicken because they’re heaty and might cause sore throats. Or being prescribed po chai pills to treat stomach aches and pure cordyceps capsules for boosts of energy.

We’re used to blindly ingesting said products, without appreciating the health benefits of these TCM formulations. But now you can delve into the health benefits of TCM herbs with a new card game – Master Sinseh by Eu Yan Sang. While it can’t quite cure your nibbling heatiness, here’s what the game entails, and some tips on how to be the best “physician” at the table.

What is the Master Sinseh card game?

For starters, Master Sinseh is a card game where up to 5 players take up the role of a Sinseh, the colloquial name for a TCM physician. The game is played over 5 rounds, each represented as a “day”. Each “day”, ailing patients will visit you, seeking the best possible treatment.

Here’s where your Singaporean kiasuness may be of good use: your goal is to cure as many patients as possible and collect the most points, to be crowned the master Sinseh.

For those who’re looking to brush up on their cai fan ordering skills, you can challenge your buds to play this game with you in Mandarin, as there are Chinese translations of the rulebook and cards.

You don’t have to worry about understanding fancy Chinese words either; this card game is mostly in English. You’ll get to learn about the healing properties of commonly-used TCM herbs as you win over patients from your peers. As they say, all is fair in love and war, but at least the patients go home cured, right?

How to set up Master Sinseh?

What a 4-player game of Master Sinseh looks like.

• To start a game of Master Sinseh, begin by forming the various decks you’ll need. These include the Patient deck, Book deck and each player’s Personal deck of herbs.
• Place the burgundy-coloured Patient Display Area in the middle of your play area.
• Each player then picks a Personal deck of their choosing. Don’t worry, they’re all identical apart from their differently-coloured borders.
• They also get a corresponding Player Display card.

The 4 Liquorice cards go back into your hand after each day, a nod to its real-world counterpart that is so common and readily available.

• Each player then picks out the 4 Liquorice cards from their Personal deck, and then sets their deck face-down to draw 6 more cards to make a starting hand of 10 cards.

How to play Master Sinseh?

In order to claim the title of the best master Sinseh, you’ll want to accumulate the most amount of Heart points amongst your fellow Sinsehs. This means curing as many patients as you can over the course of the 5 rounds, using your arsenal of herbs in the most efficient way possible.

• Each round will start with 3 Patient cards drawn from the Patient deck and presented onto the Patient Display Area.
• Each player will also draw 3 cards from their Personal deck to add to their hand. Skip this step in the first round.
• Each player will have to prescribe exactly 2 Herb cards from their hand to each patient.
• Herb cards will be played face down onto the Player Display Area.
• In order to treat a patient, players will have to play Herb cards that contain the same elements as the ones on the Patient cards.

Do note that other elements not used to cure the patients will not be counted towards your total heal value. In this case, the value of the “Clear Heat” (yin-yang with fire) element is ignored.

• Calculate your Heal value by adding up the numbers above the elements used to treat said patient.
• The player with the highest Heal value keeps the Patient card for scoring at the end of the game.
• Repeat for all 3 patients for each round.
• During the calculation of Heal values for each patient, players with Heal values 1-2 points below the highest scorer draws a card from the top of the Book deck.
• Book cards contain a mix of Heart points and Gratitude symbols.
• You’ll need 3 identical Gratitude symbols to gain 3 Heart points, any less and you don’t earn any bonus Heart points.
• Do note that you’ll also earn Gratitude symbols by curing select patients.

In the above example, this Sinseh has amassed a total of 12 Heart points; 8 from Patient cards and 4 from Book cards and Gratitude symbols. 

• After 5 rounds, the players will total up the Heart points denoted by the numbers in the top right of their Patient cards, as well as those gained from Book cards and Gratitude symbols.
• The player with the most Heart points will win the game.

Tips on how to be the best Master Sinseh

1. Ration your Herb cards wisely

As with every card game, there are some nuanced strategies you can employ to gain the upper hand. Master Sinseh rewards those who can ration their resources wisely, so don’t squander your good Herb cards like the all-curing Codonopsis and Cinnamon on day 1.

This rings doubly true when you know you can’t beat your opponent’s strong combination of Herb cards. Just think of it like folding when you don’t have a good hand in Poker; perhaps it might be wise to use your Liquorice cards for that “unwinnable” patient, as those will return to your hand at the end of the day.

2. Keep an eye out for what Herb cards your opponents have played

Each player’s Herb deck is identical, which means you can pretty much keep track of which Herb cards your opponents have played to predict which ones they could be holding on to. Much like keeping an eye out for 2s in Big Two, tracking your opponent’s cards can make it easier to decide whether or not to go all in for a particular patient.

Some big Herb cards to look out for include ones that have a multiplicative element value which can result in huge Heal values, like Chinese Peony, Barley, and Poria.

3. Don’t forget about the Book cards

Playing around the Book cards can be a valid strategy as well. The 3 Heart points gained from matching 3 of the same Gratitude symbols can be a game changer. So, it might be smart to target specific patients, as some of them come tagged with a bonus Gratitude symbol to go along with your Book cards.

Conversely, if you’re feeling a lil’ devious, you can also try to deny your opponents those sweet 3 points, by going for patients that they need to complete their set of 3 Gratitude symbols.

Bonus: Play with the special cards featuring Eu Yan Sang products

Master Sinseh might be a little tricky to get a hang of in the beginning, but as you play through the first days you’ll be curing patients left and right in no time. Once you’ve got a couple of games under your belt and want to spice things up a bit, you can throw the special Eu Yan Sang cards into the mix.

Some of these special cards even feature illustrations of actual Eu Yan Sang products, like the Luk Mey Pills and the Pure Cordyceps.

To implement these purple-bordered cards into your games, deal 2 of them to each player at random, so each player starts the game with 12 cards in hand rather than 10. The special cards are played as your regular Herb cards, and they come with game-changing effects. These include sabo-ing your opponents’ Heal values and drawing extra Book cards.

Have fun brushing up on your TCM knowledge with Master Sinseh

Essentially, Master Sinseh is designed for players of most ages to enjoy, including TCM noobs. The game is packed with nuggets of information about common TCM herbs and remedies  on their cards. Take their Herb cards for instance; they tell you what benefits each herb confers, ranging from reinforcing yang to replenishing blood and qi.

You’ll be able to pick up a copy of Master Sinseh at Eu Yan Sang Stores islandwide and online for $29.90. However, you can snag yours at a special, purchase-with-purchase price of $19.90 when you spend over $38 at Eu Yan Sang from now till 3rd April 2024.

If your usual gatherings are looking a tad lacklustre after cycling though the same old playing card games for far too long, you can give this quirky number a try. Just like how Goji Berries can replenish vital essence, Master Sinseh could breathe new life into your game nights. Just remember to get your IRL afflictions looked at by an actual Sinseh.

Learn more about the Master Sinseh card game

This post was brought to you by Eu Yan Sang.
Photography by Shawn Low.

The post This New TCM Card Game Lets You Roleplay As Physicians, Play With Your Colleagues Who Forever MC appeared first on TheSmartLocal - Singapore's Leading Travel and Lifestyle Portal.

If you’re seeing green and yellow squares every time you close your eyes, chances are you still have a slight obsession with Wordle. The latest mini-game to take over the Internet has plenty of us guessing 5-letter words in as few tries as possible, and boy is it a hit. The team here at TheSmartLocal hasn’t been spared from the addictive daily quiz either.

To uphold our reputation as wordsmiths, we decided to find out which are the best words to start Wordle with. Thankfully, plenty of data scientists – who are equally addicted – have done research into the most optimised 5-letter word for us. Here are 12 of the most efficient starters for your next Wordle round.

What are the rules for Wordle?

World’s a simple game – all you have to do is guess the 5-letter word of the day within 6 tries. After each guess, you get a hint on how close you are – if a tile turns yellow, it means that the letter appears in the word but is at the wrong place. If the tile turns green, the letter is in the right place. A grey tile simply means that the letter doesn’t exist in the word at all.

Wordle is currently run by the New York Times and is completely free to play. All you need to do is to create a free NYT account.

The game resets everyday at midnight in the UK, or at 8am in Singapore. No worries if you missed the previous day’s games – past games can be found on the Wordle archive online, also available for free.

1. Crane

Wordle’s all about probability, and that involves numbers. Thankfully, popular maths YouTuber Grant Sanderson did all the work to calculate how “CRANE” is the best opener. The New York Times’ WordleBot also deduced that “CRANE” is the best opening word in normal mode.

Reason: Grant calculated which starting word would give you the lowest average guesses using the Wordle answer sheet, while the NYT used a sample of 4,500 commonly-used English words to get their results.

Best second word: SLIPT

2. Roast

If you want a fast win, take a page out of this Reddit user’s book. According to PedanticOwl, there’s a good chance you’ll get the winning combination in just 3 tries when you use the starting word “roast”

Reason: The combination of “roast” and  “cline” gives you a chance of winning on the third guess 46.95% of the time. This is second only to the “clint” + “soare” combination.

Best second word: Cline

3. Salet

Mathematician Alex Selby devised an algorithm that determined “SALET” is the best word to start Wordle off.

Reason: Alex’s algorithm determined that Salet took the least average guesses of 3.4212 to guess the word of the day. Popular math YouTube Grant Sanderson from the popular Crane video also corroborated this conclusion with a follow-up analysis.

Best second word: CRONY

4. Soare

Wordle’s all about probability, and that involves numbers. More than 7 million people watched YouTuber Grant Sanderson’s video on why Crane is the best Wordle starting word. Unfortunately, he got one tiny detail wrong and uploaded a follow-up video naming “SOARE” as the best opener instead.

Reason: Grant calculated which starting word would give you the lowest average guesses using the Wordle answer sheet and determined Soare is the best single-try opener. Yes, all the answers for Wordle are already figured out, but where’s the fun in that?

Best second word: CLINT

5. Trace

Data analysts have also entered the chat. Researcher Daniel Kats analysed the Wordle dictionary and arrived at “TRACE” as the word with the lowest average guesses to solve.

Reason: Based on his analysis of an asymmetric dataset, Daniel found that Trace took an average of 3.58 guesses to solve.

Best second word: SULLY

6. Serai

Another word from Daniel’s analysis and his pocket pick for a starter is “SERAI.” 

Reason: S is the most common letter amongst all five-letter words, plus it is also the most common as a first and last letter.

Best second word: POUTY

7. Arose

Another YouTuber MrExcel.com who specialises in Excel and statistics looked at 8,000 five-letter Scrabble words and ended up with “AROSE.” 

Reason: A, E, O, R, and S are the letters most commonly found in his analysis of words, and together they spell “arose.” Another option to start off is “ARISE.”

Best second word: JUICY

8. Tales

Being an expert in something requires experience, and a professor called Barry Smyth found a way to shortcut this by using a Wordle simulator. He ran a million games through it – more than we’ll play in a lifetime – and found that “TALES” was the best single word.

Reason: From 2,500 possible five-letter words, this simulation found that “TALES” had a success rate of over 95% averaging 3.66 rounds when using just one word to start the game.

Best second word: CRONY

9. Cones

If you’re okay with using at least 2 rounds to solve the word of the day, “CONES” is the second-best word Professor Barry found success with in his simulation.

Reason: “CONES” had a higher solve rate of 96% when paired with Trial as the second word. Using both words to kick off your daily Wordle will help you solve it in an average of 3.68 rounds.

Best second word: TRAIL

10. Hates

Another word coming out from the professor’s simulation is “HATES.” Players who guess it first, followed by “ROUND” and then “CLIMB” would see a higher success rate.

Reason: While you might only guess the word on the fourth try, using Hates, then Round, and then Climb help you solve it 97% of the time.

Best second word: ROUND
Best third word: CLIMB

11. Audio

“AUDIO” is a community favourite that we’ve seen said by many as their go-to starting word.

Reason: It checks off four different vowels and it’s a commonly-used term.

Best second word: STERN

12. Adieu

No, we didn’t forget about “ADIEU,” but it’s not as efficient of a word as you might think.

Reason: Like Audio, you can find out if the daily Wordle has any vowels immediately. However, it’s not that common of a word, and you should only use it if your strategy involves getting vowels and common consonants out of the way.

Best second word: SNORT

Other good starting words to use for Wordle

• Dealt
• Roate
• Store
• Stare
• Pious
• Ouija
• Aisle
• Ocean
• About

Tips to guess Wordle’s word

Think simple and common. Of the 13,000 words that you can key into Wordle, only 2,315 are possible answers as they are common words, not “aargh.” You can also try to hit common consonants like R, S, and T as it might benefit you more than vowels. While you’re at it, remember that letters can repeat, so don’t be afraid to guess “BUNNY” or “HAPPY.” The New York Times even developed WordleBot to help analyse your answers and give you advice for future Wordles.

If all else fails, you can turn to Unwordle. This website tells you the best word to guess next. It kind of goes against the spirit of Wordle, so use this only as a last resort if you can’t think of a word anymore!

Finally, if 2-word starters aren’t enough, some Wordle players also use 3-word combinations to start. Though its effectiveness is debatable, those that use it swear by it. If you wish to give it a shot, here are some popular combinations:

• SCALY, GUIDE, THORN
• SCALP, TIGER, MOUND
• SPINE, LOATH, MURKY
• INLET, SHARP, DUCKY

What words are not used in Wordle?

In case you’re wondering, offensive words are 100% out of the picture so don’t waste your guesses there. Words in plural and past tense – for example, those that end with “s”, “es” and “ed” – are excluded from Wordle’s list of possible answers. Common names, popular brands, and destinations like countries are excluded as well.

If you wish to play like a pro, search up past Wordle answers. Unlike Taylor Swift’s surprise songs, none of the answers have been repeated so that can help to narrow down the options.

Best words to start Wordle with

Everyone I’ve spoken to has a different strategy when it comes to Wordle. Some people start with a different word every day, while others are determined to guess it in the least attempts possible. There’s no right or wrong way to play the game, but if you’re in the “minimum effort, maximum reward” camp, here’s a list that will keep your Wordle streak going.

Check out similar articles:

• Play Squabble with your friends
• Free online multiplayer games
• Unique board and card games

Originally published on 11th February 2022. Last updated by Kezia Tan on 15th March 2024.

The post 12 Best Starting Words For Wordle, Including Second Word To Maximise Guesses appeared first on TheSmartLocal - Singapore's Leading Travel and Lifestyle Portal.

Some days you want to play old-school arcade games, other days you want to compete with your gang over multiplayer games. Then there are times when only a good board game will satisfy that itch. At GameOver Gaming & Cafe, you get the best of all 3 worlds.

Yep, they’ve got arcade games like the original Street Fighter, console games for PS5 and Nintendo Switch, as well as board games. It’s located in The Rise @ Oxley condo, and prices are as low as $8/hour on weekdays and $9/hour on weekends. Instead of the noisy beeps and zaps of a typical arcade, the gaming cafe is a lot quieter and cosier too.

Over 11,000 arcade games to enjoy

Image adapted from: GameOver Gaming & Cafe

Take a seat at one of their comfy brown sofas or egg-shaped pods and get ready to transport yourself to the 90s. You’ll be spoilt for choice as the cafe’s 2 vintage arcade machines have over 11,000 games installed.

Image adapted from: @the.scrumptious.spoon via Instagram

With an hourly rate, the cafe allows you to play to your heart’s desire without having to top up any cards or coins. The available games include classics like Tekken, Super Mario Brothers, and Basketball NBA. There’s even a classic jukebox where you can blast your song of choice to set the mood for your session.

11 consoles with both PS5 & Switch options

Image credit: GameOver Gaming & Cafe

Once you’ve had your fill of the joysticks and arcade fun, move over to the console games where there are over 100 titles to choose from. These include party favourites like Mortal Kombat, Demon Slayer, and Overcooked, available on both PS5 and Nintendo Switch.

Image adapted from: @the.scrumptious.spoon via Instagram

If you want to take a break from the screens, you can also check out their board game selection, including Werewolf, Happy Dimsum, and Taco Goat Cheese Pizza. Not sure what these games are? Ask the friendly staff to teach you the rules and learn a new game.

Refuel with some gelato & pastries

Image credit: GameOver Gaming & Cafe

To sustain your competitive edge, fuel up on their limited selection of freshly baked pastries ($4-$5) or a cold can of beer. For a heftier meal, they also have options like pizza ($10) and fries ($6).

Image credit: GameOver Gaming & Cafe

Those in the mood for dessert can check out their gelato with flavours like Yuzu, Kyoto Matcha, and Strawberry Yogurt. These start at $4.50/scoop, or can be topped over croffles for a sweet treat to be shared with friends.

While away your rainy or sunny days at GameOver Gaming & Cafe

Image credit: GameOver Gaming & Cafe 

There’s something for all kinds of gamers here, be it for the pros training for battle or for group who just want to chill out over some friendly games.

Weekends here can get crowded, so make sure to call in advance for reservations. But keep in mind that all the games are on a first come first play basis. Now, if you’re looking for something different from Timezone and other gaming cafes, come on down here and it’ll be Game Over for the rest.

Find out more about GameOver Gaming & Cafe

Price: Weekdays $8/hour | Weekends $9/hour
Address: 71 Oxley Rise, #02-11 The Rise @ Oxley, Singapore 238698
Opening hours: 10am-12am, Daily
Contact: 9820 9743 

For more gaming ideas, check out:

• Best escape rooms in Singapore
• Arcades in Singapore
• Board game cafes in Singapore
• Free steam games to play at home

Cover image adapted from: GameOver & Gaming Cafe, @the.scrumptious.spoon via Instagram

The post This Game Cafe Has Unlimited Arcade, Console & Board Games, Hidden In A Dhoby Ghaut Condo appeared first on TheSmartLocal - Singapore's Leading Travel and Lifestyle Portal.

If you own a Nintendo Switch, chances are you’ve already played those chaotic multiplayer games all happy and smiling. But speaking as a horror fan, nothing beats the fun of jumping out of your seat and cursing as you face a long-haired demon ghost right smack in front of you.

Dim the lights, put on your headphones, and grab your soft toys for emotional support because these 10 horror Nintendo Switch games will bring your scariest fears to life.

1. Alien: Isolation – Sci-fi survival set in outer space

Image credit: @Bukku via Tenor

Imagine Area 51 but you’re endlessly running for your life from enraged aliens. Oh, and you’re trapped in a remote space station too. Alien: Isolation is that game that requires quick wits and a strong gut.

It’s based on the Alien movie series, where you’ll play as Amanda, the daughter of the film’s protagonist Ellen. Your mission is to find the truth behind your mom’s disappearance, and try not to die while you’re at it. 

The game is “simple”. You either fight or run. Sadly, you can’t kill the aliens, so you’ll need to spend a lil time building a flamethrower or 2 to stun them. But beware, for every second that passes, these aliens creep closer and closer to striking.

Scare factor: 7.5/10
Price: USD19.99 (~S$26.63)

2. Darkwood – Horror survival in the woods

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN7EmGbE46M

Think horror and jumpscares are the first thing that come to mind. But for those who would rather not give themselves a heart attack, Darkwood might be more appealing. It has 0 jumpscares to offer, but this indie survival game will still send shivers down your spine.

Image credit: Nintendo

Players explore the forest of Soviet Bloc through a top-down perspective, which limits your view of creatures snooping around. Don’t be fooled by the lack of jumpscares, because the eerie sound effects are enough to leave you feeling unsettled throughout the game.

You’ll survive by cooking hallucinogens in the day, while defending yourself in the night and praying that you make it for sunrise. Remember, don’t trust anyone.

Scare factor: 7/10
Price: USD14.99 (~S$19.97)

3. Outlast: Bundle of Terror – Investigate a haunted mental asylum

If you’re an OG horror game fan, you’ve probably chanced upon Outlast before. This classic from 2013 is now available on the Nintendo Switch as Outlast: Bundle of Terror, which combines its original and DLC (downloadable content) version.

Image credit: Nintendo

Outlast uses daunting visuals for an anxiety-inducing experience – think bloody messages on walls and jumpscares at every corner. You’ll bump into a few lifeless bodies lying here and there too. You must document your investigation through your one and only tool, a camcorder, and hide when the Variants run.

Scare factor: 8.5/10
Price: USD24.99 (~S$33.29)

4. Amnesia: Collection – Puzzle-based survival horror game

Image credit: WiffleGif

In Amnesia: Collection, you’re up for slow-paced suspense. Set in the gloomy walls of Brennenburg Castle, this exploration survival game consists of 3 different games in the series.

For starters, play The Dark Descent, where you’ll need to think out of the box to solve puzzles in order to progress in the game. Tip: Stay out of the dark, as a haunting creature lurks these areas.

The next 2 installments, A Machine For Pigs and Justine, follow a similar gameplay with a few tweaks. But, the tension only gets more intense and horrific.

Scare factor: 8/10
Price: USD24.99 (~S$33.29)

5. Resident Evil Revelations Collection – Fight on a ghost ship

Image credit: Nintendo

With 2 games included in the Resident Evil Revelations Collection, you’ll have double the fun and double the fear. From fighting off hordes of zombies to clearing puzzles, you’ll be kept on your toes as you uncover the hidden truth on this cursed ghost ship.

If you’re feeling particularly brave, grab a friend to take on Raid Mode together for some co-op action. It’s a mini game where clearing stages will earn you EXP for levelling up your character.

Whether you’re a die-hard fan of the series or a horror novice, expect some hair-raising moments that’ll make you scream in terror.

Scare factor: 6.5/10
Price: USD19.99 (~S$26.63)

6. Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water – 8 different endings

Set in the eerie Hikami Mountain, Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water follows 3 protagonists as they discover mysterious tales and encounter hostile ghosts. To defend yourself, you’ll need to use a weapon called the Camera Obscura to blow a Fatal Frame shot to snap the perfect photo of these supernatural spirits.

Image credit: Windows Central

The chilling narrative is enough to send shivers down your spine. But adding to the suspense are the 8 different endings you can achieve, and it all depends on what you do in the final chapter of the game. That’s plenty of gameplay to scare yourself silly with.

Scare factor: 9/10
Price: USD39.99 (~S$53.27)

7. Layers of Fear: Legacy – First-person psychedelic horror

Image credit: Hardcore Gamer

If you’re in the mood for a mind-boggling thriller, Layers of Fear: Legacy might just be the game for you. You play as a painter who is completing his magnum opus, but as you explore your ever-changing mansion, things start to get a little … bizarre. Is it your genius that’s causing you to lose your sanity? Or something else haunting your home?

The game’s stunning graphics and haunting soundtrack will only make you question reality more.

Scare factor: 8.5/10
Price: USD19.99 (~S$26.63)

8. MADiSON – Psychological thriller facing demons

Even the bravest of the bravest will scream their lungs out while playing MADiSON. Your character is a 16-year-old boy who receives a seemingly normal camera as a gift. But you’ll soon find out that it captures more than just pictures. Maybe the fact that it belonged to a serial killer 30 years ago has something to do with it.

Image credit: Pure Nintendo

You’ll get to solve puzzles, uncover secrets, and even hang out with demonic entities. Just a piece of advice: never lose your camera because that’s your only way out of this hellish mess.

Scare factor: 8.5/10
Price: USD34.99 (~S$45.61)

9. Yomawari: The Long Night Collection – Evil Japanese spirits

Image credit: @Kaneda18 via Gfycat

Don’t let the anime cartoon-ish graphics fool you, Yomawari: The Long Night Collection is a survivalist thriller through and through. This spooky series features 2 installments – Night Alone and Midnight Shadows.

There’s no fighting involved, just your smart wits are needed to run, hide, and avoid the horrors of a haunted town. You’ll be armed with nothing but a trusty flashlight to find your loved ones before the creatures of the night find you. Keep it with you at all times, as it’ll help to detect ferocious ghosts and keep them at bay.

Scare factor: 7.5/10
Price: USD39.99 (~S$53.27)

10. Little Nightmares II – Dark horror tale in a 2.5D world

Image credit: Gamesradar

There’s more than meets the eye than just the cute paper-bag wearing Mono in Little Nightmares II. For fans who weren’t scared enough in the first version, you can look forward to another dark and twisted tale in this one.

In this 2.5-dimensional world, Mono goes on a mission to save his friend, Six, the protagonist in part 1 of the series, from the clutches of some seriously creepy foes. Of course, a horror adventure game like this isn’t complete without any puzzles to solve or traps to avoid.

Image credit: Nintendo

Part 2 of the game series also introduces a new multiplayer mode, so you can team up with a friend to face your fears together. Since Little Nightmares II steers away from your conventional horror antagonists, anticipate an anxiety-filled escapade. Fair warning, this game is not for the faint of heart.

Scare factor: 8.5/10
Price: USD29.99 (~S$39.95)

Horror games on Nintendo Switch

Nintendo Switch isn’t just about Animal Crossing or Overcooked, and this list of scary games  prove just that. So, gather your courage and try out these 10 horror games that’ll make you run back to mummy. Who knows, you might even see your worst fears IRL, right next to you.

Check out all things horror: 

• Best online horror games
• Free horror games on Steam
• Netflix horror movies

Cover image adapted from: Windows Central, Press Start Australia, Slant, Gamesradar 

The post 10 Best Horror Nintendo Switch Games That Are Scarier Than Sadako Climbing Out Of Your TV Screen appeared first on TheSmartLocal - Singapore's Leading Travel and Lifestyle Portal.

Gamers in Singapore can agree that there’s nothing wrong with playing a videogame every now and then. Steam, a digital video game distribution platform, has a massive library to explore. Thankfully, not all great games require a portion of our paychecks, with some free Steam games offering endless enjoyable entertainment.

Spanning genres such as atmospheric horrors, exciting shooters, and cooperative multiplayer, there are plenty to suit your gaming taste. 

– Shooters –

1. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds – Realistic bullet trajectories

Image credit: Steam

Most of us have probably tried PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds aka PUBG on mobile at least once. Now, the full PC version of PUBG is free to play on Steam. The first-person shooter game sees players dropped off randomly in a battle field. You then have to grab the best weapons around to kill everyone off to be the last man standing.

Aimlessly shooting isn’t all the strategy you’ll need though. PUBG has realistic gunplay and physics, which means bullets you shoot do get affected by gravity if you’re shooting from a distance. But once you get the hang of this, you’ll easily take out opponent after opponent before you’re crowned Winner Winner Chicken Dinner.

Get PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.

2. Team Fortress 2 – Massive community with many game modes

Image credit: Steam

Team Fortress 2 has been around for more than a decade, but the sprawling online community and game servers are still thriving like it was released yesterday. The 9 cartoonish characters each have their own character traits and unique tactical playstyle, giving the game a rare personable touch many first-person shooters don’t have. 

Multiple weapons and equipment for each character are also available, giving you the option to customise to your heart’s content. What’s even more fun is the myriad of game modes ranging from capture the flag and king of the hill to defence against robot hordes. 

Get Team Fortress 2.

3. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive – Iconic, competitive FPS

Image credit: Steam

Chances are you’ve at least heard of the iconic Counter-Strike series. Global Offensive, the latest entry, is a challenging but addictive FPS that will keep you coming back despite how many times you die in-game. 

The game is fun for casual and competitive players alike, and any kill you get will stroke your ego the same. The more you play and understand that even the tiniest of variations in the weapons’ recoils can have a monumental difference, you’ll realise how insanely accurate the game is. It’s understandable why CS:GO is still a regular in major Esports tournaments.

Get Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

4. Destiny 2 – Sci-fi universe with vibrant landscapes

Image credit: Steam

Destiny was hot stuff when it was released back in 2014, and Destiny 2 has since replaced it. It’s easy to see why this game had a good run in the past: it pairs a visually stunning and vibrant sci-fi universe with some satisfying FPS gameplay. 

Plus, you can play it in different ways to suit your pace, whether it’s enjoying the game’s story mode, slaying missions with your buddies in co-op, or having a showdown with other players in PvP.  

Get Destiny 2.

5. Paladins – Upgrade characters as you battle in teams

Image credit: Steam

If you’re #teamOverwatch and #teamTeamFortress, you’ll likely fare well in Paladins. As you shoot and blast your way through 3 intense 5v5 modes, you can upgrade your “champions” to suit your playing style or to drive the outcome of the game. 

Pair all this with vibrant maps and an array of unique playable characters and you’ve got a game that’s both fun and competitive enough to get addicted to.

Get Paladins.

6. Warframe – Sci-fi third-person shooter with amazing graphics

Image credit: Steam

In a sci-fi world with aliens, techno-robots, distant planets and space guns, Warframe is an exciting third-person shooter. The graphics and world design are so high quality that you’d think it was an expensive triple A game. You can either slice your way through enemies with a katana, torch them with a flamethrower, or stealthily sneak and leap past them – the choice is yours. 

With a little mix of RPG, you’ll go from area to area to complete quests and loot all the shiny stuff you can find. If you’re feeling lonely, invite some friends for co-op and roam the immersive world as space ninjas. 

Get Warframe.

7. Apex Legends – Battle royale gameplay

Image credit: Apex Legends

Move over Fortnite, there’s a new battle royale in town. Enter Apex Legends, a first-person-shooter battle royale where you’ll fight for victory in groups of 3; solo players will be automatically grouped up with 2 other players to compete against 19 other teams. You also get unique abilities depending on the “legend” you choose.

The weapons in the arena borrow from the Titanfall universe, so those who have played that other shooter would be familiar with them. And unlike other battle royales, you can also respawn in Apex Legends when you die, provided your teammates bring your respawn beacon to the respawn station.

Get Apex Legends.

8. Fistful of Frags – Cowboy & Wild West-themed shooter

Image credit: Steam

Welcome to the Wild West in Fistful of Frags, a period-based multiplayer shooter that masterfully combines absurdity with tactical skill. There’s nothing quite like a classic deathmatch or free-for-all shoot out to get that adrenaline pumping. 

The weapons accurately reflect those of the time, meaning that slow-reloading revolvers and sawn-off shotguns will be your primary arsenal. There are also many alternative ways to engage in combat, be it knife-throwing, machete-hacking or dual-wielding. And if nothing else works, throw your pistol at the enemy and hope for the best.

Get Fistful of Frags.

– Simulation –

9. theHunter Classic – Hunting simulator with 12 maps

Image credit: Steam

Living in SG means that we would have little to no chance of going hunting IRL. But here’s your chance to with theHunter Classic, where you’ll be able to hunt down 45 different species of wildlife including Apline Ibexes, Mule Deer, and even Polar Bears.

This is no point-and-shoot-deal, however. You’ll need to use your smarts in picking out the best calls and lures to bait the animals into your line of sight.

Now hunting by yourself will get old real quick, so you’ll be glad to know this game allows for up to 8 players. In multiplayer mode, you can choose to be in competition with each other or work as a team to hunt a target.

Get theHunter Classic. 

10. DCS World – Fly jet in a realistic flight simulator

Image credit: Steam

If you’ve ever envied Tom Cruise in Top Gun, DCS World will at least give you a taste of what it’s like to be Maverick. Be warned, it’s not for the faint of heart, as this flight simulator is so realistically accurate, military personnel actually use this simulator to train flying the big guns.

Flight simulator rig.
Image credit: Ms.Panther

Just as hardcore as the game is the community surrounding it. Since DCS World appeals to aviation enthusiasts, it’s not surprising the lengths players go to make their gaming experience as realistic as possible. There are mods available to fly different aircraft as well as programme voice commands in the game. 

Get DCS World.

11. The Sims 4 – Live a virtual life the way you want

Image credit: Steam

You heard it right – after having been around for 8 years, The Sims 4 is now free to play on Steam and all other platforms. The base game pretty much includes all of the basics that we love about the franchise: different life stages, a variety of careers and aspirations, and of course, a sophisticated build mode that includes swimming pools and landscaping.

Once you feel the game out, go on and purchase one of the many DLC packs (from $6.90) to jazz up your virtual homes. Else, there are always mods such as furniture, hairstyles, and outfits you can download for free online. 

While you’re at it, check out these Singapore-inspired Sims 4 buildings and download a Paranormal Stuff pack (U.P. $12.90) in time for Halloween. 

Get The Sims 4.

– Strategy –

12. Crusader Kings II – Medieval turn-based strategy

Image credit: Steam

On the surface, Crusader Kings II may seem like your typical era-hopping, turn-based strategy game, but there’s a great world-building aspect to the game that makes it enthralling. Based in the medieval ages from the 11th century, expand your dynasty through warfare, tactical assassinations, strategic marriages, and ensuring your character has an heir. 

With open-ended goals, you’re free to influence the politics of medieval Europe by plotting, warring or whichever way you’d like – just make sure your dynasty survives. History buffs will especially geek out over the chance to battle the Mongols and negotiate with the Byzantine Empire.

Get Crusader Kings II.

13. Battle for Wesnoth – Fantasy turn-based strategy with endless replayability

Image credit: Steam

Delve into a fantasy realm with orcs and the undead in Battle for Wesnoth, a turn-based strategy with charming pixel graphics. You’ll be able to lead your character through perilous quests across the lands, grow your army to defend the kingdom against other factions and be wholly engrossed in the epic story-driven adventures. 

The strategic combat system will put your skills to the test. What’s better is that the game is open source, meaning that there is infinite replayability via hundreds of community-made maps, characters, campaigns and stories. Rope in your friends for some versus campaigns as well!

Get Battle for Wesnoth.

14. Fallout Shelter – Post-apocalyptic management game

Image credit: Steam

Why manage a company when you can manage an underground bunker to house survivors of nuclear fallout instead. In Fallout Shelter, you’ll excavate and build a flourishing underground vault colony, attract all sorts of dwellers and make sure their needs are met. 

You’ll have to plan an optimal layout, generate resources like food and water and regularly send your dwellers out for scavenging. 

As you play the game, you’ll realise that making sure your electricity generator is running while simultaneously feeding everyone is trickier than you think. One wrong move – such as a mutant creature intruding – can ruin everything, so stay sharp. 

Get Fallout Shelter.

– Horror –

15. Cry of Fear – First-person horror game with co-op

Image credit: Steam

You’re stranded in a deserted town in the dark of night looking for answers. Wandering through the dimly lit streets with a sole flashlight your companion, terrors lurk around every corner as your sanity declines. An atmospheric thriller, Cry of Fear sets an immersively grim, depressing mood for players intensified by the protagonist’s haunting story. 

The nerve-wracking experience will leave you second-guessing every corner in the game like an M Night Shyamalan movie. If you want to watch your friends squeal in horror, the campaign supports up to 4 players in co-op. You might not want to revisit the town after you’re done, but the multiple endings to explore might sway you otherwise.

Get Cry of Fear.

16. We Went Back – First-person horror puzzler in an abandoned space station

Image credit: Steam

We Went Back won’t take you more than an hour to finish, but it’s a beautifully crafted puzzle horror game that leaves you wanting more. Abandoned in a desolate space station, find a way to escape while keeping your bearings as the slightest metallic clank can creep you out. The environment is polished and detailed with clues lurking around waiting to be found.

Get We Went Back.

17. Ultimate Custom Night – Mashup of the Five Night at Freddy’s franchise

Image credit: Steam

You might recall the Five Nights at Freddy’s series of survival horror games that went viral on the Internet. Ultimate Custom Night is a mashup of the series, containing characters that span the entire franchise. 

There’s just something inexplicably terrifying about being trapped in a security room of a kid’s pizzeria, defending yourself against wandering animatronics as you watch them crawl from room to room via the security cameras.

The only tools to defend yourself against inevitable jump scares are sliding doors, vents, the A/C and a few more, all of which lead directly to your office. A challenging game in its own right, keeping Freddy Fazbear at bay might take a few tries – and scares along the way.

Get Ultimate Custom Night.

18. Doki Doki Literature Club – Psychological horror

Image credit: Steam

Doki Doki Literature Club comes in the style of a visual novel as you join your school’s literature club. Innocent-looking and cute, you’ll spend the day with Sayori, Yuri, Natsuki, and Monika as you learn more about them and write poems.

But if you’re wondering why this game falls under the “horror” category, let’s just say there’s more than meets the eye. The game is best enjoyed blind so without spoiling too much, just keep playing and there will come a point where things get strange, psychological and horrific. 

It’s more than worth your time and once things pick up, it’s absolutely mental. You’ll end up questioning yourself, the game, your computer and more. Oh, and as you’re playing the game, remember the phrase “Just Monika”.

Get Doki Doki Literature Club.

– Story-based –

19. missed messages. – Thought-provoking visual novel

Image credit: Steam

With visually pleasing pastel art along with chill, lo-fi music, missed messages. hits you right in the feels with a story that’s relatable to many. Described by the creator as a “romance horror story with life, death and memes”, it’s a surprisingly apt definition of the emotions the game puts you through. The best story-driven games are the ones that change your perspective on life afterwards.

Note: the game touches on sensitive issues such as suicide and self-harm.

Get missed messages.

20. Emily Is Away – Interactive & thoughtful story about friendship

Image credit: Steam

Emily Is Away takes place in a simple interface, the desktop of an old computer. Aside from the nostalgia trip with Windows XP and Yahoo Messenger, you’ll mainly be having a conversation with your childhood friend Emily over the span of 5 years, starting from when you’re both moving away for college.

The decisions you make during the dialogue will affect your friendship together and the conclusion to the story is hauntingly real and relatable. After completing a playthrough, you’ll be left reminiscing about your teen years and perhaps even contemplating past and present relationships. 

Get Emily is Away.

21. Kyle is Famous – Humorous text-based game with 21 different endings

Image credit: Steam

Kyle is famous. Kyle has to prepare for an important interview at the end of the day. Kyle needs you to make decisions that affect his day. How Kyle manages to conduct the interview is up to you.

Don’t let the simplicity of the text-based game fool you, it’s a concoction of absurd humour and hilarity that will leave you laughing at your screen. Control Kyle’s decisions from the outfit he wears to the breakfast he eats, and each one of them sets you on a wildly different path. You could just conduct a perfectly normal interview, or end up becoming a ghost, time travel and swallow a fridge.

Get Kyle is Famous.

– Online multiplayer –

22. Dota 2 – One of the biggest MOBA games

Image credit: Steam

Dota 2 is one of the most played games on Steam, and for good reason. This multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) is played with two teams of five players on either side of the map, with each team aiming to capture the other’s base. Choose from a huge catalogue of heroes with their own unique abilities and work together to win.

Not going to lie, the learning curve is rather steep. But get the hang of it via offline mode against bots and slowly hone your skill and carve a unique set of strategies for yourself. It’s dangerously addictive and you’ll dream of becoming an Esports champion at least once.

Get Dota 2.

23. STAR WARS: The Old Republic – “Live” in a Star Wars universe

Within the Star Wars timeline, the game takes place some 3,000 years before the 1977 film A New Hope.
Image credit: Steam

If you’re a major fan of a pop culture phenomenon, you might have probably fantasised about what it would be like to live in its universe. Well, you can do just that in STAR WARS: The Old Republic – virtually, of course. 

Choose one of 8 classes – from Siths to Jedis – to begin your story, be it solo or co-op. Then, carve your own way by making decisions and upgrading your character so that your experience can be totally unique. 

Get STAR WARS: The Old Republic.

24. The Lord of the Rings Online – Explore Middle-earth as a hobbit

Image credit: Steam

So you’ve spent the last 1.5 months eagerly awaiting new episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and now you’ve got to wait another 2-3 years for the next season. Well, tame those urges with The Lord of the Rings Online. 

The MMORPG game allows you to explore all the nooks and crannies of Middle-earth as one of 7 races, including elf, dwarf, and hobbit. You can run around solo, or tackle story quests co-op. Either way, we hear you can earn points in-game to buy stuff for your characters and even unlock expansion packs. 

Get The Lord of the Rings Online.

25. Brawhalla – Online 2D platform fighter

Image credit: Steam

Imagine Super Smash Bros but as an online multiplayer game on PC and you have Brawlhalla. The fighting mechanics are unique and dynamic with a variety of characters to choose from. The highlight comes in the many game modes on offer such as “Brawlball” and “Kung-foot” together with the weekly tournaments and ranked seasons. 

Gather up to 8 friends and engage in 1v1 up to 4v4 battles or a free-for-all deathmatch for some maddening mayhem. 

Get Brawhalla.

– Idle/Clickers –

26. AdVenture Capitalist – Capitalism simulator

Image credit: Steam

In a nutshell, AdVenture Capitalist is about making money, buying upgrades and expanding your business with said money, waiting to make more money, and then buying even more upgrades. The more cash you make, the less effort you need to earn more – kinda like real life capitalism.

Grow your business from a lemonade stand to world-monopoly by clicking and idling. To those unfamiliar with the idle/clicker genre, a game where you simply wait around may seem like a strange concept. But once you get started, you’ll be hooked. 

Get AdVenture Capitalist.

27. Crush Crush / Blush Blush – idle dating sim

Image credit: Steam

Crush Crush is a borderline inappropriate idle dating sim that is very much aware of how absurd it is in the genre of anime dating sims. The dialogue is witty with plenty of poking fun at pop culture. There is a surprising level of detail put into the game and there are also astonishingly regular updates from the developers. 

Image credit: Steam

Not to mention that there’s a sequel called Blush Blush that’s pretty much the same ridiculousness, but with anime guys instead. 

Get Crush Crush and Blush Blush.

– Puzzle –

28. Gravitas – Physics-driven puzzle game

Image credit: Steam

If you’re looking for a quick brain teaser to pass the hour, Gravitas does the trick. Inspired by the Portal series of games, the physics-driven puzzler allows you to manipulate gravity to create bridges, move cubes and progress from room to room. 

The playing experience is enhanced by the humorous dialogue in the background with the “Curator” that’s bound to give you a good laugh.

Get Gravitas.

29. What Never Was – Captivating first-person adventure

Image credit: Steam

It’s remarkable how a good point-and-click puzzle game with pleasing graphics and immersive storytelling can really reel you in. What Never Was is a short, first-person adventure where you’ll spend all of your time exploring the attic, searching for clues and learning about the mystery of your grandfather. 

The puzzles are imaginative and will give you a good challenge. Meanwhile, take the time to read through the journals and enjoy the captivating narrative, complete with voice-over narration as well.

Get What Never Was.

30. We Were Here – Co-op puzzle game for you and your friend

Image credit: Steam

You’ll need a team of 2 to navigate the puzzles in We Were Here. Separated in a castle in the frozen wasteland, you and your partner must communicate via microphone. While one tries to decipher the strange patterns or glyphs on the walls and the other tinkers with odd mechanisms in a different room, the both of you must relay essential info across to help each other. 

If you think it’s easy, try describing what a hieroglyph looks like to your friend. If you liked the game, you can also check out the 2 paid sequels in the series, We Were Here Too ($10) and We Were Here Together ($13). 

Get We Were Here.

Steam games you can play for free

You won’t have to spend a single penny to get all the satisfaction from gaming. Hopefully, these free Steam games will keep you occupied and entertained at home. So boot up your laptop or PC and get downloading.

Check out more games to play:

• Best PS4 games
• Multiplayer Nintendo Switch Games
• Free online games to play with friends
• Free quirky online games
• Iconic 90s video games to play today

Originally published on 16th May 2020. Last updated by Hafiq Hairuddin on 21st March 2023.
Cover image adapted from: Steam, Steam, Steam

The post 30 Free Steam Games To Add To Your Library From Co-Op Shooters To Horror-Themed Adventures appeared first on TheSmartLocal - Singapore's Leading Travel and Lifestyle Portal.

Think of chaotic multiplayer games and chances are the Nintendo Switch comes to mind. That and other notable action-adventure games like The Legend of Zelda. No wonder it’s so coveted by casual and hardcore gamers alike.

Even if you’ve completed Mario Kart and managed to build the town of your dreams in Animal Crossing, it looks like there’ll be plenty more games to love with the lineup of launches this year. Here are 11 new games coming to Nintendo Switch in 2023.

1. Hogwarts Legacy

Image credit: Portkey Games

Many of us have grown up watching and reading the Harry Potter series and wondered what it’s like to be a witch or wizard in training. Satisfy your curiosity by “enrolling” yourself into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the new Hogwarts Legacy game. Set in the 80s, you’ll soon see you’re a gifted student who can master ancient magic.

Pick your house and customise your character before you start attending the various classes. During the course of the game, you’ll learn how to brew potions, cast spells, as well as explore iconic locations such as Hogsmeade and the Forbidden Forest.

Image credit: Portkey Games

The way to level up your character is by performing well in your classes and taming beasts. These also enhance your magical abilities and as you progress further in the game, your character will develop specialised combat skills. One of the most fun elements is being able to use flying brooms to traverse the castle grounds.

As you take on quests, you’ll also need to figure out your moral compass and determine your affinity for righteousness or evil. Choose wisely.

Release Date: 25th July 2023
Price: US$59.99 (~S$79.35)

Find out more about Hogwarts Legacy.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Image credit: IGN

If you’ve played the first instalment of The Legend of Zelda, you’re probably familiar with the storyline. In Breath of the Wild, Link, the main character, wakes up from a century-long slumber with amnesia. 

Now in unfamiliar territory, he endeavours to retrieve his memories, rescue Princess Zelda, and prevent the further destruction of his world, Hyrule, at the hands of the evil Calamity Ganon. 

In the new instalment – Tears Of The Kingdom – choose your own path as you explore sprawling landscapes and the large floating islands on Hyrule. We even heard that instead of the Sheikah slate, Link has a newly powered right arm which he uses to perform Stasis, Magnesis and other cool abilities to defeat Hyrule’s sinister forces.

Release date: 12th May 2023
Price: US$70 (~S$92.56)

Find out more about Legend of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom. 

3. The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum

Image credit: Daedalic Entertainment 

Fans of the Lord of the Rings saga would know that Gollum was originally a hobbit called Smeagol. However, his obsession with the golden ring turned him into a creature called Gollum. Although most movies would have the hero as the protagonist, in Lord Of The Rings: Gollum, the villain is the star of the game. 

Image credit: Daedalic Entertainment 

Step into the shoes of Gollum and embark on a journey as he scourges Middle-earth to find his beloved ring. In an unexpected twist, you won’t see Gollum engaging in arm-to-arm combat due to his small stature. 

Instead, he’ll use stealth to cleverly avoid fights. So, you have to come up with strategic plans to avoid orcs. For example, pave the way ahead for Gollum by throwing a rock in the distance and distracting his enemies so that they will be eaten by a giant spider.  

Image credit: twinfinite

P.S. His split personality serves as an interactive feature where players can choose what his reaction should be. This in turn determines the outcome of situations and dictates the fates of other characters. 

Release Date: 2023
Price: TBC

Find out more about The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum. 

4. Kirby’s Return To Dreamland Deluxe

Image credit: Nintendo

In Kirby’s Return To Dreamland Deluxe, the tough pink puff is back for a 1-4 player adventure. Choose from characters such as Kirby, Meta Knight, King Dedede and Banana Waddle Dee to save Magolor, an alien who crash-landed on Popstar Planet. He seeks help from Kirby and friends to collect 5 parts of his spaceship so he can fix it and return home. 

Image credit: Nintendo

Throughout the various levels, join the Fab 4 as they smash, inhale, and blast enemies and destructible items. Characters such as Kirby have been upgraded whereby he is able to absorb even bigger objects and uncover a pathway for hidden secrets. 

Image credit: Nintendo

For those unfamiliar with the game, take note of their individual powers – Meta Knight can slash through rope, Dedede’s hammer can squash pegs, and Waddle Dee’s spear has a great range to hit switches. Plus, it’s a family-friendly game and suitable for even the younger ones. 

Release date: 24th Feb 2023
Price: US$59.99, (~S$79.35)

Find out more Kirby’s Return To Dreamland Deluxe.  

5. Disney Illusion Land

Join Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy on their first ever 2D animated game in Disney’s Illusion Island. Follow along as they brave the island of Monoloth to retrieve the stolen Southern Tomes. It was these powerful books that held the island together.

This is a couch co-op game where you can choose to play solo or grab 3 of your friends to join for a 4-player game. All the characters have unique abilities but comparable skills. This way, no one gets left behind, so there is no need to worry about 1 player dominating the game. 

Image credit:  Nintendo

Choose your favourite character from the 4 and unlock their abilities to explore new areas of the island. FYI,  the characters even have a gifting hug ability which allows players to increase their life. 

Release date: 28th July 2023
Price: US$39.99 (~S$52.90)

Find out more Disney Illusion Land.

6. Minecraft Legends

Image credit: Nintendo

Gamers who are familiar with the world of Minecraft need no introduction to Minecraft Legends. Biomes are found throughout the Overworld, which will be familiar to players who have played the original and unmodified versions of the game.

In a new twist, instead of the traditional combat styles players are used to, this new sequel features real-time strategy. In other words, you can control armies, build bases and defend settlements from enemies.

Image credit: Nintendo

Explore the vast world on a mount, gather materials, support allies, and fight angry Piglin mobs. Throughout your journey, you will have friendly animal friends including badgers, llamas, and fairy-like allies who will gather and build for you. 

Release date: 18th April 2023
Price: US$39.99 (~S$52.90) | Deluxe edition US$49.99 (~S$66.13)

Find out more about Minecraft Legends.

7. Sherlock Holmes The Awakened

Image credit : SHolmes_Games

Get inside the mind of the world’s most famous detective and his sidekick, Dr Watson, in Sherlock Holmes The Awakened. The team embarks on a psyche-shattering case involving the myth of the Cthulhu Mythos, a horrifying fictional universe. 

They discover these spooky cult worshipping beings that are believed to have a hand in a series of mysterious disappearances around Europe. 

Explore a web of abductions, horrifying murders and menacing rituals.
Image credit: SHolmes_Games

Your job is to put a stop to the twisted ways of the dark cult. Those who enjoy solving puzzles might have their hands full since some cases don’t seem logically sound. But the key is to discover clues and put them together to solve the mystery. In the process, you’ll get to visit Baker Street in London and a haunting psych ward in Switzerland.

A remake from the 2008 version, this new game features an expanded storyline. It also incorporates Holmes’ battle against insanity and deductive reasoning into gameplay mechanics that makes players feel like true detectives.

P.S. this was originally only on PC; now that it’s on the Switch you can take your sleuthing on the go. 

Release date: Feb 2023
Price: TBC

Find out more about Sherlock Holmes The Awakened.  

8. Marvel’s Midnight Suns

Image credit: Midnight Suns

Experience the darker side of the Marvel Universe as you team up with battle-scarred superheroes and menacing supernatural warriors to defeat the mother of demons, Lilith, in Marvel’s Midnight Suns.

Image credit: Midnight Suns

Play as the Hunter, the first customisable original character in the Marvel Universe. Players are able to alter their character’s physical appearance, choose their weapons, and even their combat outfits.

As Hunter, join forces with legendary superheroes such as Iron Man, Captain America, and Wolverine and battle alongside them in strategic gameplay. 

Release Date: 2023
Price: TBC

Find out more about Marvel’s Midnight Sun.

9. Digimon World: Next Order

Image credit: Nintendo

As a Digidestined in Digimon World: Next Order, you can discover over 200 Digimon to collect. Although it’s a single-player game, there’s no need to feel lonely as you’ll be having not 1 but 2 Digimon companions.

In order to form a strong bond with your Digimon, take the best care of them by feeding and training them. If you wish to level up your companions, make sure you discipline and Digivolve them. 

Image credit: Bandai Namco

You can also put your creativity to the test as the architect of your town, Floatia. The Digimon metropolis will grow as you recruit new Digmon and upgrade buildings. Additionally, train your Digimon to fight together against the AI. Be their cheerleader and command them to glory.

Release date: 22nd Feb 2023
Price:US$59.99 ( ~S$79.32)

Find out more about Digimon World: Next Order. 

10. Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon

Image credit: Nintendo

Long before she became known as the witch Bayonetta, Cereza was a young girl who wanted to save her mother from imprisonment. Accompanying her on her quest is Cheshire, her first demon, who has possessed Cereza’s patchwork cat doll and can withstand massive damage.

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon features cinematic animations in the form of a storybook that look like they’ve been hand-painted. Get ready to be wowed each time you discover a new section of the treacherous forest.

Solve difficult puzzles and fend off foes.
Image Credit: Nintendo

Cereza and Chesire can both be controlled with a detached joy-con in the game. Use your left joy-con controller to steer Cereza and strap down enemies with her magic. Use your right joy-con controller to move Cheshire to devour and slay enemies. 

Release date: 17th March 2023
Price:US$59.99 (~S$79.32)

Find out more about Bayonetta origins: Cereza and The Lost Demon.

11. Pikmin 4

Image credit: Nintendo

Explore the world of Pikmin in a time where all of humanity has become extinct. Pikmin 4 follows an explorer trapped in the wild who has to capture the titular Pikmin to survive. Each of these little munchkins are primary coloured and have seedlings sprouting from their heads.

Image credit: Nintendo

Their sprouts can be used to overcome obstacles and counter threats, which allows gamers to explore new areas and grow new Pikmin. Pikmin 4’s gameplay will involve more real-time strategy as players move the Pikmin around in herds to defeat nasty monsters and gather food. 

Release Date: 2023
Price: TBC

Find out more about Pikmin 4. 

Bonus: Spongebob Square Pants: The Cosmic Shake

Image credit: THQNORDIC

Spongebob Square Pants: The Cosmic Shake was released early this year, but we’re talking about it in the rare case you’ve missed the news about its launch. Plus, it serves as a nostalgic reminder of our childhood since most 90’s kids will be familiar with the yellow sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea. 

Image credit: THQNORDIC

An all-new adventure awaits Spongebob and Patrick as they accidentally overuse a bottle of mermaid tears given by a peculiar mermaid Kassandra. The bottle of tears is actually a magical potion that can grant people powers. This results in Bikini Bottom being overtaken by Jelly creatures and the original inhabitants of Bikini Bottom mysteriously vanish through a portal. 

Image credit: Nintendo

Play as Spongebob where you’ll learn moves like grappling, swinging between fish hooks, and unlocking bubble surfboards to glide. You’ll get to explore the vast world of Bikini Bottom, collect tokens, and defeat enemies to save its residents. 

Release date: 31st January 2023
Price: US$39.99 (~S$52.90)

Find out more about Spongebob Squarepants: The Cosmic Shake. 

New Nintendo Switch games to check out in 2023

This list of new games for Nintendo Switch this year will give you endless hours of gaming fun, no matter what kind of gamer you are. Whether you’re into RPG or co-op games, this list covers genres from fantasy worlds and mysteries to action and adventure. If any of them have caught your eye, pre-order them from Nintendo’s e-shop or via other online retailers.

Pre-order Nintendo Switch games

For more games to play, check out:

• Co-op Nintendo Switch games 
• Free Steam games 
• Highly raved PS4 games

Cover image adapted from: Wizarding World ,  Nintendo,  THQNORDIC , Nintendo

The post 11 Most Exciting Nintendo Switch Games In 2023 So You Have Something Else To Play Besides Pokemon appeared first on TheSmartLocal - Singapore's Leading Travel and Lifestyle Portal.

If you’ve ever played Overcooked, you’d know how frustrating it can get. No matter who you’re playing it with, chances are, you’re going to go full Gordon Ramsay. “Are all my friends idiot sandwiches?!” you ask yourself. And yet, we can never get enough of chaotic multiplayer games like this. What can we say? Pain does bring people together.

If you’re super confident that even the craziest of co-ops will never rock the boat, here are 10 more games like Overcooked to play during your next dinner party.

1. Moving Out

Just when you thought moving IRL was stressful, wait till you play Moving Out. The name of the game says it all – play as movers tasked to move furniture out of houses, with a set number of items each round. Miss one? Too bad, time to try again.

The chaos lies within the physics element of the game, where the slightest movement matters. Team up and work together with your friends to lift heavy objects and fling items into your truck, all while racing against the time limit and dodging annoying obstacles like ghosts and fires.

Available on:

• Steam: S$29
• Nintendo Switch: USD24.99 (~S$34)
• PlayStation 4: S$9.22 (U.P. S$36.90)
• Xbox One: S$30+

Free demo available.

2. Ultimate Chicken Horse

With a name like Ultimate Chicken Horse, one should expect the unexpected. Here, you and the buds must compete against each other to get through obstacle courses and be the sole winner. The twist? The levels are built entirely by the players one block at a time, making things 100x more competitive as you try to knock others off their game to get the final flag.

Image credit: Steam

Annoying each other aside, the adorable animal characters and cartoony graphics will at least lighten the mood a little. 

Available on:

• Steam: S$14.50
• Nintendo Switch: USD14.99 ($20.59)
• PlayStation 4: S$16.10
• Xbox One: S$19.90

3. Surgeon Simulator 2

Ah, Surgeon Simulator 2. The game for all the people who never ended up becoming doctors despite mummy’s wishes. Fans of the original game can now enjoy playing it in multiplayer mode, just in case the first version wasn’t already stressful enough.

The plot takes players to the mysterious Bossa Labs Medical Facility where you and your fellow surgeons must complete all sorts of operations. Story mode will have you guys uncovering hidden secrets of the place, while Competitive mode will put your scalpel skills to the ultimate test. Players can also build their own levels and sets in Creation mode.

Not your typical operating theatre.
Image credit: Surgeon Simulator 2

Now, this is no brain surgery, but the controls are notoriously difficult to manoeuvre, making this game earn a spot on the list. You might not be making mum proud, but at least you’re free enough to play games with your friends, right?

Available on:

• Steam: S$18.50
• Xbox One: S$29.25

4. Conduct TOGETHER!

Train otakus, your time to shine has come. Live your train conductor dreams with Conduct TOGETHER!, which lets you play with up to 4 friends. While you won’t be on the same “team”, everyone must work together to ensure their trains don’t collide when navigating the tracks. 

Image credit: Ladies Gamers

The aim is to get through every map in one piece with no crashes. Levelling up will also let you collect all sorts of international trains, like the Shinkansen. With everyone in charge of controlling one aspect of the game, communication is key. Translation: get ready for lotsa shouting, swearing, and explosions.

Available on:

• Nintendo Switch: USD1.99 (~S$2.70)

5. Human: Fall Flat

Human: Fall Flat is a physics-based co-op that’ll bring you through themed levels of puzzles to solve with your buds. The aim is to escape together – alas, if it were easy, it wouldn’t be on this list. Expect to flail around majorly as you attempt to control a bunch of “floppy” characters who will have you…falling flat. 

Every puzzle level has a different theme.
Image credit: Curve Games

Once you finally get a grip, pass each level by moving obstacles or whizzing across ziplines to get to the end. Each puzzle has multiple solutions with up to 8 players allowed, making it a fun game to keep going back to with different friends.

Available on:

• Steam: S$18.50
• Nintendo Switch: USD19.99 (~S$26.90)
• PlayStation 4: S$20.30
• Xbox One: S$25.90

6. Joggernauts

The rules of Joggernauts are simple; so simple that there are only 2 buttons you gotta press. But don’t let the no-frills of it all fool you, because it takes precise co-op skills for you and your friends to be able to get through each level. 

Play with up to 4 characters.
Image credit: Steam

To clear levels, you’ll have to press buttons at the same time to switch characters whenever the game tells you to do so. Miss it and find yourselves back at square 1 – it’s easy to fumble, so make sure you’re paying attention lest you cause the entire gang to fail.

If you’re worried about the game tearing your friendships apart, make use of its difficulty sliders where you can adjust how fast, slow, and challenging each level is. With Joggernauts’ adorable graphics and customisable gameplay, we can see this being a fun party game for all ages.

Available on:

• Steam: S$14.50
• Nintendo Switch: USD14.99 (~S$20.70)

7. What The Golf?

Is it golf? Yes. Is it also everything other than golf? Also yes. Prepare to yell at each other with What The Golf?, which is yet another physics-based game that’ll have you flailing (and failing) each round. There are over 500 levels to get through, with up to 2 players each round.

Image credit: Steam

Your objective is to have a hole-in-one – more like one thousand – or with as few shots as possible. But that’s as much as the golf aspect of the game goes – it also markets itself as a comedy game, so players can expect silly jokes and characters as they progress through the levels. 

Available on:

• Steam: S$18.50
• Epic Games: S$18.99
• Nintendo Switch: USD19.99 (~S$26.90)

Free demo available.

8. Tools Up!

If Overcooked and Moving Out had a baby, it would be Tools Up!. This is a co-op game that’ll have you playing as home renovators tasked to do ~FuN~ stuff together like painting walls and laying carpets. Work as a team to ensure y’all follow each round’s blueprint requirements to a T – and of course, there’ll be a time limit and obstacles like messy rooms.

Hey, this counts as spring cleaning amirite?
Image credit: PlayStation

Up to 4 players are allowed, with different modes including Party Mode, where you can pick any level you like. 

Available on:

• Steam: S$18.50
• Nintendo Switch: USD19.99 (~S$26.90)
• PlayStation 4 (US store): USD19.99  (~S$26.90)
• Xbox One/Series X/S: S$29.25

Free demo available.

9. Catastronauts

It’s fast, it’s furious, it’s Catastronauts. As all these games go, you and the crew must band together to stop your spaceship from getting destroyed by the enemy. Players have compared the game to Overcooked in terms of its overall style and gameplay, though many have stated that Catastronauts is extra challenging thanks to more co-op features.

The game maps are pretty similar to Overcooked, except you’ll be working on tasks like repairing parts of the ship and extinguishing fires instead of cooking.
Image credit: Steam

2-4 players can join in the fun – you may be working as a team, but no guarantees you’ll still be friends afterwards. Oop.

Available on:

• Steam: S$15
• Nintendo Switch: USD16.99 (~S$26.90)
• PlayStation 4 (US store): USD15.99  (~S$21.20)
• Xbox One/Series X/S (US store): USD15.99  (~S$21.20)

10. Unrailed!

With blocky characters and building galore, Unrailed! is a game that may appeal to the Minecraft lovers amongst us. This construction game requires everyone to build railroads together by gathering resources like wood and iron. Sounds easy, right?

Image credit: Xbox

Wrong. There’ll be a train chugging along the whole time, and your main aim is to prevent it from derailing. That means seamless co-op building while thwarting obstacles like stubborn animals, spooky creatures, and terrain changes that may send your train crashing. 

Plus, this is one game you can rope in the younger kids to join thanks to its quick gameplay and uncomplicated graphics.

Available on:

• Steam: S$19
• Epic Games: S$19
• PlayStation 4: S$28.16
• Xbox One/Series X/S: S$18.75

Fun multiplayer games to play with friends

HTHTs? Nah. Friendships aren’t ever truly tested without a good chaotic co-op or two, so rally the gang and put your bonds to the test. With so many games available across platforms, there’ll be something to play the next time a party rolls around.

More fun games to play:

• Free cooking games
• Free online games to play with friends
• Best Steam games under $1.99
• Free Steam games
• Free horror games

Cover image adapted from: Steam, Nintendo Life, Surgeon Simulator 2, Pocket Gamer

The post 10 Chaotic Multiplayer Games Like Overcooked Only The Strongest Of Friendships Can Tahan appeared first on TheSmartLocal - Singapore's Leading Travel and Lifestyle Portal.