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Who needs board games? Chromecast adds Monopoly, Risk, other multi-screen games

By Kris Wouk December 22, 2015

chromecast multi screen games holidays angry birds — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The coming holidays means (for some of us) a lot of down time, and while board games are a great way to spend time with friends and family, it’s easy to forget that they all end the same way. No, we’re not talking about the fight with Uncle Teddy about your hotels on Park Avenue (that’s inevitable). We mean the very end, when you look around and realize that someone has got to find the scattered pieces and put everything away — and that someone is probably you.

Fortunately, if you happen to have a Chromecast, you can forgo all the cleanup and lost pieces without having to give up on the fun. A bunch of family-friendly board game classics are now available with Chromecast support, including Monopoly Here & Now, Yahtzee Blitz, The Game of Life, Scrabble Blitz 2.0, and Risk, which take advantage of Chromecast’s multi-screen functionality so everyone can play along.

The multi-screen feature is essential for classic games where keeping your plan a secret is a key part of the strategy. To use the new feature, players can simply pull out their phone or tablet as an interactive controller, keeping their moves secret, while the whole gang can view the main action on the big screen.

chromecast-multi-screen-monopoly — Image used with permission by copyright holder

One prime example is the new game Monopoly Here & Now. When the game is started, each player can see their cards on their phone or tablet, while the other players see the board and player moves on the TV.

Not all the games added this week are board games, however. Angry Birds Friends is now Chromecast-enabled, combining the series’ well-established gameplay with weekly challenges and the ability to join leagues. Ubisoft’s Driver Speedboat Paradise also comes to the Chromecast this week, which combines speedboat racing with the world of the Driver franchise.

More games are adding support for the Chromecast all the time, so whether you’re looking for new games or even support from an old favorite, it’s worth keeping an eye on Google’s Chromecast apps page. All of the new games should be available with Chromecast support now or within the next few days.

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Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…

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