This content was created by Xtra’s branded content team alongside Atlas SEO, separate from Xtra’s editorial staff.
Whether you’re planning a quick vacation or are traveling across several continents, it’s crucial to pencil in a bit of downtime. What better way to relax and unwind than trying out a few new games? The internet is awash with new gaming ideas, and given that mobile apps and platforms are now the main route for those looking to bolster their gaming library, let’s have a look at some of the titles that have captured the imagination of gamers so far this year.
Social casino gaming
Although traditional online casinos have taken over the iGaming landscape, primarily via the medium of mobile apps, social casino games are proving to be a hit for a different type of gaming audience. If you’re looking to build your knowledge of casino gaming, or you simply want to play a few slot games without worrying about losing your money, then social casinos could be the middle ground you’ve been looking for.
Social casinos, or sweepstakes as they are also known, champion the idea of using site-specific currencies or tokens, usually gold coins or something of that ilk, so that gamers can check out casino games without having to worry about the financial loss that usually comes with playing at a traditional casino. Social casino sites like Pulsz often incentivize those gamers looking to choose their platforms over the more dominant, traditional versions. They will provide a multitude of gold coins and in-game currencies you can use when you sign up. The guys at www.wsn.com, have created a list of 9 best alternatives to Pulsz casino, check it out on the above link.
If you are looking for the casino experience, whether via slot gaming or learning poker rules, but you don’t want to put yourself in an environment where you could lose cash, then social casinos are there to provide an avenue for you to play. In addition, as you do not make real money wagers, they do not have to jump through the same sort of legislative hoops as some traditional casinos. They are proving to be extremely popular in countries or jurisdictions where traditional casinos are not allowed to operate.
Chess and checkers
Few traditional board games have transitioned online as smoothly as chess and checkers. Chess dates back thousands of years and was one of the first traditional games to emerge as a game that showcased exactly what the internet and digital gaming had in store.
When chess world champion Garry Kasparovlost a game to supercomputer Deep Blue in 1996, this global news event highlighted just how mesmerizing and advanced computing technology was becoming.
Chess is a game that is so universal you don’t need just to play it online – there are chess or board game cafes dotted around the world, but if you do want to play online, there are hundreds of websites or apps where you can play. You can either face off against other players from around the world or test your might against a supercomputer, depending on how advanced you’d like to go.
Word games
It’s not just chess that has adapted to the internet and mobile gaming – a string of other games has moved from the traditional land-based platforms where they began, to 21st-century digital adaptations. Scrabble, Wordle and Hangman are just a few examples of word games that thousands of people enjoy online.
Although Hangman and Scrabble have existed for a long time, Wordle’s recent meteoric rise has placed it right alongside these two classic games as one of the top online games to try when traveling. Most importantly, you can find plenty of free websites and mobile apps to play these games. They also offer an avenue to keep your mind sharp, rather than just zoning out and playing a more traditional game – such as versions of console games you can find online that you can play on your mobile device.
Wordle might not be experiencing the dizzying heights and fame it did at the end of 2021 and early 2022. However, there’s still a vast number of people playing it on the NY Times website, after they acquired the game from the creator for a six-figure sum at the beginning of January 2022.
Final thoughts
Although there is a growing demand for people wanting to watch TV and film on their travels, especially now that we can download dozens of films or TV shows to our mobile devices, there’s also plenty of room for games and other forms of entertainment that keep our minds active and occupied.
We appreciate the games we have touched on today, but they might not be the newest games you can find. However, given that they have stood the test of time and continue to find an audience, we’d say that it’s worth checking them out, especially if you haven’t played them before.
Traveling can be an arduous slog, and it can take a lot out of you. It’s important to find time to relax, but if your itinerary is jam-packed with ideas and adventures, taking an hour or so out of your day to play a few games and try out something new will help you take the edge off – especially if you have had a lot to cram into one day.
Why you can trust Xtra