Okay, so you know how you really like to play games with your friends? Maybe you like to play tag or hide-and-seek or board games like Monopoly or Candyland.
Well, a play-by-mail game is like playing a game with your friends, but instead of playing in person or over the internet, you play through the mail!
Here's how it works: You and your friends start by picking a game you want to play. It could be anything - a board game like chess or checkers, a role-playing game like Dungeons & Dragons, or even a game that you make up yourselves!
Then, each of you takes turns making your moves and sending them to the other players through the mail. For example, if you're playing chess, you might write down the move you want to make (like "move the pawn two spaces forward") on a piece of paper and send it to your friend. Then, your friend will write down their move and send it back to you. This keeps going back and forth until the game is finished.
It might take a long time to play a play-by-mail game, because you have to wait for each other to send your moves through the mail. But it can be really fun to take your time and think carefully about each move, and it's a great way to stay in touch with friends who live far away.