When Pandemic hit the market, cooperative games were few and far between. As they’ve grown in popularity, I’ve wondered why it’s taken so long for them to catch on. I’ve also wondered why until recently we’ve considered games and competition to be synonymous.

Given the conditions we now find ourselves in, it’s no surprise that a game named Pandemic is popular. I’ve seen social media posts where people worry that playing it, or watching a disaster movie like “Contagion,” is morbid and perhaps socially unacceptable. To me, such activity is a natural way to cope with our new reality. It gives people a chance to confront their fears, make sense of the situation and perhaps even feel somewhat in control as they defiantly attempt to defeat the big bad themselves.

But I can’t shake the ugly feeling that comes with knowing the game tends to do better when it resembles current events, when real people are suffering.

My hope is that Pandemic can provide a model for us in this time of crisis. We don’t all have to be globe-trotting heroes to do our part. We each have special skills and should use them to make the city and statewide lockdowns safer and easier to bear. We need to communicate effectively, reach out to our friends and loved ones — as well as ensure that whatever we share on social media is based on facts.

We need to cooperate, look after our older neighbors and find ways to work from home wherever possible. And we need to coordinate and share ideas for keeping the kids entertained, for helping others obtain hard-to-get supplies and for supporting health care workers on the front lines. It’s going to take serious collective action and sacrifice to slow the spread of the virus. It’s heartening to see organizations, individuals and some government leaders step up.

Yet it’s clear that, not unlike that disastrous game I played early in my marriage with Donna, we’re not all working together. Hoarding and price gouging have no place in a crisis. Nor do the us-against-them strategies used by some of our leaders, blaming other countries and political parties, or mischaracterizing the dangers of the disease.

Board games have comparatively low stakes, but I’ve learned they have much to teach us: We all need to play to our strengths, balance short-term threats against long-term goals and make sacrifices for the common good. If we can communicate, coordinate and cooperate effectively we might better overcome this uncaring, relentless and frightening opponent.