Tabletop gaming is more accessible than ever, and there’s something delightful about crowding around a table with friends to hoot and holler over the fates of fictional elves, Lovecraftian detectives, or embattled Space Marines. There’s definitely a summer camp feel to the camaraderie and adventure, although the trials and tribulations of a pen-and-paper session tend to be a little more ambitious than roasting s’mores and singing songs around the campfire.

Running one of these games can be intimidating, and with the COVID-19 pandemic, many groups have moved online. There are advantages and disadvantages to this approach — it’s easier to rustle up a group, but harder to engage. Though with a few handy-dandy tools, it’s easier to set up an online tabletop group than you might think.

Platforms of choice

There are a few ways to go about setting up your game, but Discord is a surprisingly adequate organizational tool

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If you are new to the Nintendo Switch or you don’t have one of the exclusive titles listed below, you’ll be able to score a free 1 year subscription to Switch Online for free thanks to GameStop. They’ve paired a collection of popular Nintendo Switch exclusives with a 12 month membership to the service. What’s more, three of the five eligible games are on sale to begin with. These titles include the following:

For those unfamiliar with the service, Nintendo Switch Online is the only way for Switch owners to play most online Switch games. This includes all first-party games, including Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Splatoon 2, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, as well as most third-party games. The service also

Enlarge / Evolve‘s unique 4v1 battling is now back online—and while access is limited, we still count this as a victory for game history preservation.

2K Games / Turtle Rock

From a preservation standpoint, the modern shift to “always-online” video games has been a disaster. We’ve seen it repeatedly: A developer stops “supporting” an online game, and then the rug is pulled out from fans who might try to hack their way into playing the game among friends, leaving all access in tatters.

In the case of the four-on-one online shooter Evolvehowever, the reverse has been true—and in a surprise twist, this 2K-published, Turtle Rock-developed game has been given more life this week than in the four years since its support was shut down.