  In early 2020, the virus SARS-CoV-2 evolved into a new pandemic, forcing
governments worldwide to establish social distancing measures. Consequently,
people had to switch to online media, such as social networks or
videotelephony, to keep in touch with friends and family. In this context,
online games, combining entertainment with social interactions, also
experienced a notable growth. In our work, we focused on the potential of games
as a replacement for social contacts in the COVID-19 crisis. Our online survey
results indicate that the value of games for social needs depends on individual
gaming habits. Participants playing mostly multiplayer games increased their
playtime and mentioned social play as a key motivator. Contrarily, non-players
were not motivated to add games as communication channels. We deduce that such
crises mainly catalyze existing gaming habits.
