10 Games to Play During Load Shedding

I love videogames, and if you’re reading this article, I can only assume you do too! That, or you accidentally clicked on this post when Twitter does that thing where it refreshes suddenly and shifts everything down a bit. Look, I’ll be honest, I don’t care if you love video games or not. Odds are, you’re also super annoyed about this whole load shedding thing that we’ve got going on in South Africa.

Kinda sucks, I know. Yesterday I had to wait 3 hours to have a chicken schnitzel for supper, and that’s…well, it’s just a long time to wait for a schnitzel. Worst part is, is that in that time of need, I didn’t even have video games to distract me from the pain of an absent schnitzel. That’s why I found these ten games to play during load shedding and thought I’d share them with you!

Noughts and Crosses!

What initially seems to be simple and of limited strategic enjoyment, may turn out to be a far greater challenge than you initially thought. Prepare for hours upon hours of fun as you attempt to outwit yourself with devious red herrings and bluffs that’ll have your inner monologue searching for the truth. All you need is a pen, some paper and absolutely nothing better to do!

Just sit down and enjoy the strategic complexities of what some have called, “The Greatest Game of All Time!”. Probably. That’s not a quote, I’m just trying to sell you something here. Someone might have said that a long time ago, who knows.

Eye Spy!

Can you see things? Probably not, because everything is super dark because of load shedding! Wait, hang on. I just need…well, that kind of ruins that idea. Okay, well then go outside, I guess. The sun is up for half the day, so you can use that. And if it’s night then…dude, I don’t know, maybe the moon’s out? Look, just find something to look at and someone has to guess what it is.

Board Games!

There are so many board games! Do you want a perilous adventure filled with both snakes AND ladders? Try Snakes and Ladders! How about living out the fantasy of owning property and earning large amounts of money? Monopoly is the game for you! There’s even a game that lets you figure out which of your friends has secretly committed murder using an everyday household appliance in a lavish manor! That’s right, I’m talking about Uno!

Card Games!

I know that Uno is technically a card game, stop shouting.

Tazos!

Those weird little plastic things you got in chips when you were waaaay younger? Well, if you’re anything like me, you still have a massive collection of those lying around somewhere because we’re compulsive hoarders! Whip those bad boys out and play an assortment of great games like, “Can you FLIP this Tazo with another Tazo?”, “Can you HIT this Tazo with another Tazo?” or my personal favourite, “Can you calculate how much money you spent on crappy chips to get these stupid toys?”. The last one is sure to keep you entertained for hours!

The Quiet Game!

A favourite of my parents, we used to play this all the time when I was growing up! All you need to do is sit in a room and be as quiet as you possibly can. The quieter you are, the more points you get. Bonus points for not moving! I used to be amazing at this game. Every time we would play, my parents would pretend to sleep to trick me into thinking I was winning!

…I was a stupid kid.

Sports!

There are so many sports out there, just waiting for you to try them during load shedding! Football with friends! Or maybe rugby? Or…handball. Sure, that one too. Squash is pretty great, but you need lights for that one. Uhhhhh…swimming? Not really a game though, is it? I suppose it’s kinda that thing of all games are sports, but all sports are games? Maybe? Who knows, I’m talking out of my ass for this one, I don’t know anything about sport.

Walking!

Not really a game, but it’s super healthy and a good habit to get into. Try it out! Or don’t, I’m not a doctor.

That Ring Game…Thing!

You know that little hand-held thing filled with water where you have the push the buttons to push the rings onto the little cones? Dude, I spent ages fiddling with that thing and you can too if you just find one! Buy, like, 20 lucky packets or something. There must be at least one in those things. Fun!

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild!

Yeah, if you don’t have a Switch now would probably be a good time to invest.

Last Updated: February 15, 2019