Add your friend’s Skype contact name then click on their name from your contacts list before clicking the camera button in the upper right corner to start the video call.

To share what’s on your screen, hover your mouse in the video and click the icon that looks like two stacked squares on the bottom right of the video call screen and click the “Share screen” button. You will be prompted to click “Start sharing” on a button at the bottom of the screen one more time. You and your group will be able to see each other’s videos at the top of the shared screen.

Google Hangouts. If you have Gmail, that means you already have a Google account you can use to set up hangouts for free. Go to hangouts.google.com and click “Start a new hangout.” You can invite other people by their Gmail addresses or by emailing them a link. You can set it up as a voice or video hangout. Up to 25 people can join a video hangout and up to 150 people can join the voice-only version.

To share your screen once the hangout has begun, hover your mouse in the call and click the three vertical dots on the upper-right hand side of the screen and click “Share screen.”

Unlike on Skype, if you are sharing your screen in Google Hangouts, other participants will not be able to see video of your face at the same time, so this option is less preferable if you want to be in on the “It's just like game night in real life” feeling.

Zoom. Zoom allows free one-on-one video meetings for as long as you want or for three or more people for up to 40 minutes with their free plan. The next tier at US$14.99 a month lets you set up video calls for up to 100 participants and for up to 24 hours.

Download the Zoom application at zoom.us, open it from your desktop and click “Launch meeting.” Click “Invite participants” and either email them or add them from your Zoom contacts. After everyone has joined, you can share your screen by clicking the green “Share screen” button in the bottom centre of the video. Participants will be able to see your face in a windowed video and you'll be able to see theirs.

What to do

Dinner party/happy hour

This one is pretty straightforward. Everyone joins the videoconference and then eats or drinks.

Karaoke

All your favourite karaoke haunts are closed, but that does not mean the singing has to stop. Gather your friends for some karaoke through Google Hangouts or Skype.

Movie night

Social distancing does not mean you have to watch Netflix and chill alone. The streaming service has a Google Chrome extension called Netflix Party where friends can watch films together and share their reactions through a chat room. All you need is Google Chrome browser, an extension and a Netflix account. You can do the same on Facebook.

Book club

Pick a book to read with loved ones and video call each other to chat about it. If your library is closed, you should still be able get e-books online if you have a library card. If your group does not have the attention span for a whole book – or if you want to get together sooner – you can all decide to read the same long-form article.

Game night idea: analogue board games

If you and your friends have a copy of the same board game on your shelf at home, you can all set it up and just move the pieces at the same time. Think of it as the modern version of chess by mail. (This would also work if you and a friend both have a chessboard.) This is easiest with games that only require dice rolls. Something where you would all have to dig the same unique card out of a pile to keep things moving will be too slow.

Something like Cards Against Humanity or Apples to Apples could work too if you all have it. One player would hold up the prompt card, and everyone would pick an answer card from their hand. Then players would hold up their answers to the camera for the judge to decide. You lose the anonymity of the regular version of these games, but we just have to make adjustments.

With word games like Scattergories, only one person needs to own the game. Everyone else just needs a pen and paper. The host can share their screen with the categories listed somewhere like a Google Doc. The host rolls the dice to decide the letter, opens the categories screen so everyone can see them, sets the timer and then you’re off.

Game night idea: app games

It's 2012 all over again. Words With Friends, Draw Something and other app games are still kicking around and just waiting for you to challenge someone. You can be on a video call from your computer and playing together on your phones at the same time.

Game night idea: social games

If you and your friends are already into Overwatch and Fortnite, you do not need us to tell you what to do. If you and your friend both have a Nintendo Switch, you can get classics such as Mario Kart and play together.

If you want to play with a group, the Jackbox Party Pack is a crowd pleaser perfectly suited to social isolation. Six versions of the Jackbox Party Pack have been released, each with a different variety of trivia, drawing and word games. The packs are US$12.49 to US$29.99 and available on multiple platforms including Steam, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV. If you are on a computer, Steam is probably the easiest way to go, and its free to download. (You still have to pay for Jackbox though.)

Everyone plays using their phone as a controller, so you can all be in the same room or on opposite sides of the planet. Some favourites include Fibbage, where you try to fool other players by filling in the blanks on noteworthy news stories; Quiplash, where you compete head-to-head to come up with the funniest answers; and Trivia Murder Party, which is like if the classic “You Don't Know Jack” trivia game was hosted by the guy from Saw. The sophistication level and occasional adult humour of most of the Jackbox games make them suited to an older crowd – teenagers and up.

Game night idea: table top role-playing games

There has truly never been a better time to get into role-playing games, such as Dungeons and Dragons. The game master needs a copy of the rules (the makers of D&D offer a short version for free online) and a rough understanding of the basics. Other players only need a pencil, paper and dice.