Why board games in the 21st century? That’s like the 19th century, right? I have a Wii, a PSP, a broadband internet connection, and an iPhone. What else do you need?
Well here are some reasons why I would say you need to play more board games:
They will surprise you – If you’ve only played Monopoly, Risk or Scrabble, a real treat awaits you when you launch some of the new games that are available these days. Games are more specialized, more strategic, and often less connected by sheer luck. If you liked Monopoly and the construction look, give Carcassonne a try. If you like war games, there are tons like Battlelore and Memoir ’44. And Scrabble, how about the Bananagrams?
Socialization – Most board games need more than one person. The vast majority require at least one more person. And the good thing is that that other person is not in the middle of the world. Plus, there are tons of award-winning games that are best played with 3 or more. That means, well, a kind of social life!
It is not in that machine – After 8 hours at work, the last thing I want to do is sit and play on the computer for another 5 hours. And it’s just because I’ve already had tendonitis (sit up straight, take breaks, and read and practice all the good ergonomics you can. No, seriously). But because I don’t want to deal with that monitor either.
Nothing stays the same – Every game you play changes because the players and the scenarios change. Every time you take it out, there is something new. The luck of the draw will change how you play the game and how your opponents do it. Very different from a computer game or, worse, a movie.
All this randomness ensures that each game is new, giving players a new experience in a similar environment. While the rules may be the same, it is the changing board and the dice rolls that make the game interesting.
Portability – Even if everything seems to get smaller and smaller, well, except my waist, all those electronic toys are still very dependent on their batteries. Portable board games like Citadels or Blokus will continue to entertain long after the batteries in your other toys have run out.
cost – Now, this is probably the most important thing for many of us. A single board game like Citadels or Odin’s Ravens is within the $ 20 range, less than the price of a single CD or console game. Long after you’ve gotten bored of listening to the album, you will enjoy these games.
So those are my reasons for playing board games. What are yours?