Gamers are fighting the feeling of isolation brought on by social distancing the best way they know how - by getting online.

For decades, gamers were stereotyped as introverted loners. But in an era of social distancing, video games might be one of the best ways we have to connect with friends and loved ones.

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The latest "Animal Crossing" game was released on the Nintendo Switch just after social distancing started.

Even board games are going digital, with online tabletop platforms like Tabletop Simulator and Tabletopia allowing friends to come together over a few of their favorites.

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Elena Bertozzi is a game design professor at Quinnipiac University who says games have massive social and entertainment value, but they're also helping to stimulate your mind while your body is shut in.

"Any game is essentially a learning device, right? The first half-hour that you play a game you're understanding the rules, how you play with the rules, how you succeed, how you fail, how you win. And that's exactly what we need to train people to do for every kind of technology that exists," said Bertozzi.