10 Classic Games You Can Play Online To Test Your Abilities Against AI

There’s something uniquely enjoyable about the classic games beloved by many for decades or even centuries. Played using physical game boards or decks of cards, these games have stood the test of time and are loved for their seemingly simple rules but incredibly complex actual play. Before the rise of the digital era, people would have to find partners to play against, but thanks to AI, we can now play these classic games whenever and wherever we wish.

No matter your game of choice, you’re sure to find plenty of places to play it online. Testing your abilities against AI can be the ultimate challenge, and there are some games where AI has yet to be beaten by a human player. You can also select the level of difficulty when playing against AI, giving you more control over the process and helping you improve your abilities over time.

Chess

Chess is one of the classic and timeless games enjoyed by players across the globe for centuries. Each player has 16 pieces, and each piece has a set of rules to follow when being moved. There are thousands of strategies to utilise when playing chess, and even the most successful of players may only know a fraction of what there is to understand about the game. Playing against AI can be a great taster for new players and an excellent way for more experienced players to challenge themselves and grow in their abilities.

Solitaire

Solitaire, or patience as it is sometimes known, is a single-player game traditionally played using a deck of playing cards. The aim of the game is to play a deck of cards in a particular order, following set rules to get them into that order. The concept is deceptively simple, but the actual play can become increasingly complex. Playing online against AI can have many benefits, including the ease of shuffling and the ability to use hints when you’re stuck in a tricky part of the game.

Scrabble

Scrabble is typically played in groups of two or more, but Scrabble fans will be happy to learn that finding players is no longer an obstacle to playing this spelling game. The goal of Scrabble is to find words from a number of tiles, with different letters being assigned points based on how challenging they can be to fit into a word. There are many AI Scrabble options to choose from, ranging from the classic game itself to newer iterations like Word With Friends.

Pool

If you’re someone that’s always found by the pool table when visiting your favourite bar or pub, digital pool could be the perfect option for you. You can play online by yourself, against others or against an AI opponent. While online pool might never be able to fully live up to the real-life experience, it can be a great way to get a better understanding of angles and moves to make to help you ace your next in-person game.

Noughts And Crosses

Noughts and crosses is a simple game beloved by adults and kids across the world. Part of its enduring popularity is the ease with which the game can be played – the board requires two sets of lines to create a nine-box playing set. The first player to reach a row of their marker wins. Despite the game’s simplicity, it can give players a valuable lesson in strategy and forward thinking. Some modern digital versions include multiple playing boxes to increase the challenge and exercise your mind.

Poker

Poker is one of the most popular casino games around, with millions of global players trying their hands at becoming the next James Bond every day. Poker can be great fun to play with friends, but if you want to go to the next level with your skills, playing against a computer can be a great option. It is always best to play carefully if you’re playing for money, whether against a human or a computer. To find out more, you can learn how to play poker using Play Live’s excellent guide.

Draughts

Draughts, or checkers as it is sometimes known, is often considered a more player-friendly stepping stone into chess. The rules are much simpler, and there are only two types of pieces on the board. Players win by jumping their counters over the other player’s moving in one direction until they reach the other side of the board, at which point the piece becomes crowned and able to move in both directions. Playing against AI can be invaluable to learn more about the rules of this game which, while less complex than chess, can still be a challenge to master.

Sudoku

Sudoku is a popular numbers-based game where players fill boxes with numbers that must not repeat in a line or box. The game used to be a paper-and-pen-based activity, but it can now be played in many forms online, with games generated by AI. You can start with simpler games of up to six numbers before moving on to more challenging options.

Crosswords

Crosswords are no longer confined to the final pages of a newspaper, with players able to access hundreds of crosswords online on a massive range of topics. These are great games to keep your mind active and sharp, and AI-generated puzzles allow you to test your knowledge at a skill level to suit you.

Mah-Jong

Mah-jong is a multiplayer game that involves players moving tiles around a board. The tiles come in a number of suits, and the players move their pieces around a board until a winning hand is played. It is similar to poker but with a much larger number of hands and combinations to play. Because of its challenging set-up and the number of players needed, mah-jong is perfect for playing online against AI.

Conclusion

Playing games online is no new thing, but the benefits of doing so are often underrated. Playing online can be a great way to relax and unwind, as well as help you to improve your skills and understanding of strategy. Playing against AI can be an excellent way to really stretch yourself without having to find new players and can be a perfect way to keep your skills sharp between real-life games.