2 CommentsSometimes paying attention in class feels nearly impossible without something to fidget with. Sometimes paying attention is not the goal at all. Either way, here are our favorite games to play during that never-ending Zoom lecture.
Here are some of my favorite games to play during Zoom class, when I just can’t stare at another Google Slides presentation or I’ll scream. I decided to only include games that you can play on the computer instead of your phone, so you never actually have to look away from the screen (meaning you still look like you’re fully paying attention). I’m also especially a fan of games with no noise because I still like to listen to the lecture while my eyes and hands are distracted.
Snake is great because it’s built into Google and has no ads or outdated and complicated interfaces. Simply Google “snake” and it should be the first thing to come up. If you don’t want sound effects, make sure to hit the volume button in the upper right corner before you start playing.
How to play:
Use your up, down, left, and right keys to move the snake around and eat the apples on the screen. The snake gets longer with each apple you eat, and it gets harder and harder not to run into yourself or a wall.
Similar to Snake, Pac-Man is built into Google, so it’s super easy to find and won’t slow down your computer at all. It’s a little harder to play than Snake because the game window is pretty small on Google, but it’s still fun. Google “Play PAC-MAN” and it should come right up. Pac-Man in general is also just a great option if you’d like to use a different website.
How to Play:
Move your Pac-Man around the maze, eating dots as you go, and avoid getting caught by one of the ghosts chasing you around the screen.
Sudoku is great to play during class because it’s really engaging and will certainly keep your mind busy. It takes a little more brain power than something like Snake, but once you start a puzzle, it’s hard to stop. The website linked above has options for Easy, Medium, Hard, and Expert, and you can turn on a setting that tells you immediately whether or not your answers are correct.
How to Play:
Figure out which number belongs in each box. Numbers can’t repeat in any horizontal or vertical line, and there cannot be more than one of the same number in any box.
Basket slide is a pretty simple game that you can play with one hand and doesn’t take much focus. It’s also not timed, and you can’t die, making it’s a nice option if you might need to stop playing for a few minutes to take notes or participate in class.
How to Play:
Slide the basket and ball around the screen, trying to get the ball above the basket so that you can drop it in. It’s kind of hard to explain, but it’s really simple once you see the actual game.
I don’t love the user interface of this one, but it is fun if you like Candy Crush-style games. Jewel Pop is a nice alternative to playing Candy Crush on your phone if you don’t want to look away from the screen, and it’s not timed, so you can take breaks easily.
How to Play:
Use your mouse to swap jewels around, making rows of three or more. You only have a certain number of moves to reach the target score for each level.
Fill Maze is super simple and it took until about level 30 before there were really any challenges (and it was still really mindless even at that point), but it’s pretty satisfying and can occupy your hand and provide a pretty good fidgeting tool. There will be some sound effects that you can’t turn off until you start playing the game, so I don’t recommend opening the game with your microphone on.
How to Play:
Move the ball around the maze using your up, down, left, and right keys to fill the whole thing with color.
This game takes a decent amount of focus and can either be really satisfying or really frustrating, depending on whether you’re actually good at it.
How to Play:
Stack the blocks on top of each other by clicking the screen when the newest block is directly above your stack. Any part of the block that’s hanging over the edge will get cut off, making your target space smaller and smaller. This is another game that’s difficult to explain, but it’s pretty simple once you’re actually playing.
2048 is super simple but can definitely take some thought and focus if you want to strategize. There are also a ton of different versions of the game, but the one linked above is the original and most simple. This one is also good because it has no sound and isn’t timed.
How to Play:
Use your left, right, up, and down keys to move the number tiles around the screen in order to combine tiles of the same number, which will add them. The goal is to combine all of the tiles until they add to 2048.
Comment below your favorite games to play during class!
Sudoku via Wikimedia Commons
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