> or playing a multi-player videogame. These are nice, but require coordination and don't provide much opportunity for idle chat
People have shifted to the wrong kinds of games. You want a traditional turn-based game where most of everyone's time is spent waiting for the current player to finish their turn.
We tried some of those and they're OK. But they're still structured. What people really need is unstructured time together where our attention isn't fully consumed by something.
I'd say some co-op games work well if they are paced well - when you circle through levels where you can idly chat, levels where you have to intellectually cooperate (solve puzzles together and such), and something more dynamic (shooters/action levels/fighting bosses) that lets your mind switch back to the game entirely.
Also, tabletop games somehow create more intimate experience, IMO.
People have shifted to the wrong kinds of games. You want a traditional turn-based game where most of everyone's time is spent waiting for the current player to finish their turn.