When you can’t get out to a bar for any reason. Perhaps your local haunt hasn’t reopened yet, or maybe you’re just in a position where staying home is the best choice for you right now, either way, you might be missing some of your favorite parts of the bar experience.
Entertainment at a bar runs the gamut from people watching, live music, and games. While it can be difficult to recreate people watching from home, the internet has made it possible to have the same amount of fun with bar games at home. If you’re looking for a fun way to pass the time, it might be time to try your hand and some online bar games.
With many possible options for online gaming, you can have a fun experience playing the games you love from the comfort of your own home. Whether you play for fun or you enjoy a little wager here and there is up to you, but here are five of the best bar game experiences you can find online.
Table of Contents
1. Pool
Cue sports in person require a special amount of skill certainly, but online it’s a whole different game. Whether you opt to challenge a friend or play against a leveled AI competitor. Once you develop your skills with a specific online pool game there are even tournaments you can enter, for a social aspect to the online game world that you may not be expecting.
While the challenge of pool online is different from holding an actual cue in your hand, that doesn’t mean that the adjustment to online pool games will be easy. There is a certain finesse any video game requires and that holds true with online pool. However, many people find themselves increasingly appreciating the chance to play pool from their computer.
Playing pool online can be great practice for when you can get back to a bar setting. Because the game of pool is all about angles and geometry, having a chance to practice online and visualize a pool table from straight above can help you form a better understanding of the game while you’re at home.
Taking the time to improve your knowledge of what angles work and which will earn you a foul (when your opponent’s ball is hit first) or a scratch (when the cue ball goes into a pocket) which can offer you some strategic know-how as you move forward with the game. Any time you can practice, you can improve and online games are an excellent way to get some extra time in.
2. Cards
Who doesn’t love playing card games like Spider Solitaire or Joker Poker? Most people enjoy a card game for the entertainment value that it provides, but did you know that playing card games is a great way to keep your mind sharp as well?
When you can keep your mind focused and active, your brain’s ability to concentrate is boosted. Being able to maintain focus is a key aspect to brain health and playing cards is a great way to boost that good brain activity online.
When you play card games online you join a community of card players who have all experienced the fun of cards the easy way. No longer will you have to worry about the missing 4 of hearts in your favorite deck, online card games are always well stocked and easily shuffled, perfect for those who fancy a quick game.
But the online card games can be played for hours at a time without losing stamina. Many individuals who have lost the dexterity to play cards in person have enjoyed switching to the online format, with the simple click of a button they can wager more in their poker game or challenge themselves with a tricky hand of solitaire.
3. Board Games
While not a traditional bar game that comes to mind, there are many restaurants and bars that offer more traditional board game experiences. If you are someone who takes delight in finding that perfect Scrabble word but has misplaced some of the letter tiles in your game, never fear, you can play board games online.
From word games to strategy games you are sure to find a board game online that you will enjoy playing. Engaging in board games, either in person or virtual, can help a mind practice its cognitive skills like problem-solving and decision making. If you’re looking for a way to pass the time or find entertainment at home, an online board game is an excellent idea.
Another perk of playing a board game right from your computer or smartphone is that you won’t have to worry about the placement of pieces or even keeping track of who’s turn it is. Busting stress and boredom is easy when you turn to a board game online.
4. Darts
One of the most straightforward bar games: darts. A game where you literally want to throw the sharp dart straight forward in order to score more points than your opponents, or just to try and top your best score. Whether you play alone or against someone, darts is a fun game of skill.
There are many options for playing darts online, it just depends on what you’re looking for. From fully automated challenges just for fun that isn’t much like real darts, to even playing darts at home via your webcam with an opponent or a live coach, if you’re looking for action in darts, going online can be a lot of fun.
There can be a learning curve with the virtual darts, learning when to best let go of the dart and aiming it towards the board correctly, however, if you don’t have a home dartboard, playing online can be a fun and entertaining substitute for being in the bar.
5. Pub Trivia
For all you brainiacs and trivia buffs out there, pub trivia doesn’t stop at the pub. In fact, you don’t need to be in a bar at all in order to play! While you may not be able to take home a big prize or earn yourself some snacks or a beverage for playing, don’t let that brain full of facts go to waste when you can play from the couch. (Which is comfier than a bar stool anyway!)
Just like in an in-person event, many online pub trivia games are live, the host or quizmaster will read the questions (or post) the questions in real-time. This means that some online trivia is scheduled in advance and can’t be played at your leisure. Some games require you to type in your answer and some are more automated.
If you’re looking to get the gang together online that is also an option from different sites, though there may be a fee associated with planning your own private game. Whether you win or lose, expanding your knowledge in games of trivia can be a lot of fun. Available as an app or on your desktop, there are theme-specific trivia games or broad trivia games as well.
Conclusion
Playing bar games can be a great way to have fun and brush up on your gaming skills at the same time. Whether you are new to the world of online entertainment or you have a favorite game you play frequently, there are always other online game opportunities to bring the bar to life at home. Happy playing!
