With the current global situation, many find themselves sitting at home with plenty of extra time on their hands. Instead of wallowing about though, there’s a wonderful way to spend your time – catching up on your backlog of games! Both old and new, there is an excellent selection of both social games you can play online with friends and single-player experiences which have an abundance of quests and story to last for hours on end. Here are some of the games we highly recommend to keep yourself occupied during this unprecedented time!

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the perfect multiplayer game to play with friends during this indefinite quarantine. It’s not only social, but you can play with friends from all over the world, not to mention it’s the best Mario Kart game to date. Despite being a quasi-port of the Wii U version, it’s superior in almost every way and there are so many unlockables if you’re playing single player. Online play is stellar and in a time when so many people are isolated, it’s a perfect way to connect with people and enjoy time with your friends!

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Animal Crossing: New Horizons released this month on the Nintendo Switch and is already a smash hit. It’s not only an addictive sandbox game with a multitude of things to do and unlimited replay value, but it also has a wonderful multiplayer aspect to it as well. You can invite friends to visit your Island and vice versa and has a wonderful social aspect to it. While we may be couped up in our homes, Animal Crossing: New Horizons gives us the ability to socially connect with friends online, allowing people to feel a little less lonely, even if it is virtually.

Super Mario World

Courtesy of Nintendo World Report

While Super Mario World is more of a retro game, it is still one of, if not the, best Super Mario game to date, despite its age. While it doesn’t have online capabilities, there is an option for local multiplayer. There are so many levels and secrets crammed into this 30-year-old game, it’s hard to imagine it’s this old. Each world is unique, the gameplay is superb, and it is by far the best 2D Mario game to ever be released. Even if you’ve already played it, replaying it and reliving past memories during this quarantine is a guaranteed magical experience. While most will be playing modern-day games, many older games will be overlooked, but Super Mario World is a must-play if you have plenty of time to kill.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

While we have been critical of Breath of the Wild in the past, there is no mistake: this is a fantastic game. We simply don’t believe it’s the masterpiece people make it out to be, but that’s okay. The game is packed with so much content, from four dungeons, 120 shrines abundant with puzzles, and endless exploration. This doesn’t even take into account the multitude of sidequests and Korok Seeds in the game either. There is simply so much to do and if you have a lot of time on your hands, this is the perfect game to play with so much material. Breath of the Wild may be slightly overrated, but it’s still a wonderful game abundant with exploration to the point where you can play for hours on end and not even realize it. If you’re stuck at home, this is the perfect game to pick up and play.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Xenoblade Chronicles 2, much like Breath of the Wild, is a massive game with so much to do. From collecting all the blades, a massive amount of sidequests, an incredible story, an enticing world, and endearing characters, this game is a must-play. What makes it the perfect quarantine game though is the fact that, like Zelda, there is so much to do. I haven’t completed everything yet and I’ve logged over 200 hours in the game! It’s a game that’s a lot of fun and even the sidequests don’t feel like a chore and have some pretty hefty rewards. It’s one of, if not the best game on the Nintendo Switch in our opinion and is the perfect game to play if you’re stuck at home with nothing to do.

Pokemon Sword and Shield

Pokemon Sword and Shield, to put it bluntly, are some of the most fun games on the Nintendo Switch. You can play it casually, or you can take a more hardcore approach with breading, etc. The puzzles in each gym can be slightly difficult and catching ‘them all’ is beyond addicting. The story is the best in the Pokemon series, by far, and the characters are the best in the franchise to date. There is also a social aspect to the game where you can trade with friends and battle, adding yet another layer of social interaction, even if it’s remote. This makes it ideal if being quarantined, just like Animal Crossing and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

In a time where social interaction is so important, despite social distancing, these games give a variety of single-player experiences and social aspects to enjoy with friends, which is so pertinent given the current circumstances.