Board Games are Back

ChineseCheckersboardGrowing up, I enjoyed playing board games, games you play with other people on a board, usually a hard piece of thick paper or wood with pictures, words, or drawings on it. I liked playing popular games like Monopoly, a board game where you travel from space to space on a square board with the goal of collecting, trading, and accumulating (adding) more and more properties or land. Also popular in our house was a game called Sorry!, a similar board game using dice (small squares you throw with dots on each of the six sides, from one to six).

But my favorite board game was always Chinese Checkers, a game where you move marbles (colored balls of glass or plastic) strategically (with a plan or purpose to win) across the board to your opponent’s (person you are trying to defeat in a game or battle) territory or area. (The game was actually invented (created) in Germany and got its name — Chinese Checkers — from a U.S. game-maker because of the pictures painted on the board.) My brother and sisters and I spent many hours trying to defeat (beat) each other.

But with the advent (invention and arrival) of video games, the popularity of board games waned (went down; decreased). Even in our house, when my mother brought home an early video game console (machine into which individual games can be placed for playing), we spent less time playing board games and more time trying to shoot aliens (beings from outer space). Today, over 60% of people in American homes play some form of video game, and over 50% own a game console, according to one report.

However, I also read an article recently that board games may be getting a second wind (becoming popular again), especially among the generation (people born in approximately the same years) called Millennials, who are now between the ages of 18 and 32.

They’re not playing the old games, but new board games that involve strategy, many using the same skills they may use in video games. Many meet in each other’s homes or at cafes to play. The appeal (what attracts them), they say, is being able to interact with other players and friends in a more relaxed, friendly, and social atmosphere. There’s still competition (efforts to win), but it’s more likely over a cup of coffee than a game console.

In fact, just last Saturday, I was at a cafe relaxing, reading, and drinking tea in the courtyard (enclosed outdoor area with no roof) where three large tables of people were gathered. Each table was had a different board game being played. One was clearly a trivia game (game asking short questions about facts), but I didn’t know what the others were. The players were very animated (showing excitement). Most of the players appeared to be Millenials, with a few older players.

Do you have any favorite board games, especially ones you still play?

– Lucy

Photo Credit:  Chinese Checkers board  from Wikipedia

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13 Responses to Board Games are Back

  1. Dan says:

    Hi Lucy

    I am afraid I do not! Of course, like you, I did that in the past.

    Besides working, most of my activities are carried out by myself alone. Why? I do not know! Things are just like that.

    If I want to play a board game, I am going to miss the raw material, which is: people and the game itself.

    Hey, do not get me wrong. I enjoy staying with people every once in a while. In fact, I am very curious about others in general.
    That’s one of the reasons I listen to tons of radio programs.

    It’s been many years now, since I last plaid a board game. I do not even know if I would enjoy that or find it boring.

    For the moment I think I am done. I am going to think over that during my graveyard shift and maybe write down something else tomorrow.

    Thank you Lucy and have a good day.

  2. Rina says:

    Hi! I suppose that my favorite game is backgammon. I like it, because, in my opinion, this game, more than other ones, help you to develop strategical and logical thinking. That’s why I’m convinced that this is ideal game for playing with children. Besides that, I think that backgammon is a very interesting game and it facilitates the comunication between players.

  3. Tania says:

    Hi, Dan! You have scared me saying about “your graveyard shift”.
    As graveyard means cemetery…but according to my dictionary
    graveyard shift means a work shift usually beginning at midnight and continuing through
    the early morning hours.

  4. Tania says:

    Hi! I am not a board game fan, and for video game at all.
    But I think we have access to all, all kinds of video games.
    There are a lot of locations for video games, maybe too many in my opinion.
    You can become addicted to video games, gambling, especially there where you hope to win money.
    Useless and a big loss for the new generation of children.
    There are real tragedies in some families where children are addicted to gambling.

  5. Tania says:

    Hi! Dear Emiliano, thank you for your nice poem “Silent Love”.
    And now it’s autumn… past autumn evenings in silence.

    “Years never counted lived together
    unimagined nights of lovers
    past autumn evenings in silence
    thousands not farseeing kisses.
    ………………………………………
    Don’t be excited, you have not noticed
    overflowing love be calm
    remains silent, quiet, ecstatic
    alone, happy, isolated.”

  6. Tania says:

    Hi! I think you are right, dear Emiliano.
    The most beautiful love is your own, happy, isolated, shared love.
    Just you and your love. Nobody else.

  7. Peter says:

    Hi Lucy
    My favorite board game is scramble.
    Scramble is a kind of board game that I preferably call it “word war ”
    In the game of scramble ,every competitor try to come up with a word starting with the last letter of the last word of their contender.
    Growing up , my favorite board game was monopoly. But , I grew out of it. Man ,it gets boring fast!!!
    I have no recollection of finishing the game even once
    Most of the time , players forfeit because they get bored out of their mind.

    You know it is a never ending game:)
    It could be days before you manage to suck up the money of all players , bankrupt them if u will.
    On the other hands , scramble is a fun game mostly played with grownups in which u challenge the intellect of your rivals. And it is good for expanding your vocabulary.
    It could get very challenging
    I always run out of words fast !!!
    U know , I m a sore looser
    So , nobody plays me anymore 🙁
    I have brainiac friend who is a true definition of a nerd. He holds a record. Never beat by anybody.
    He is a walking dictionary
    Perhaps , I should persuade Jeff to challenge him. He is a glory winner.
    Perhaps Jeff could put him in his place.
    By now

  8. Peter says:

    Hey,
    Scramble could be a never ending game too. If Jeff and Lucy play against each other. Man , imagine what a face-off it could be 🙂
    I bet they never run out of words ; oxford advanced dictionary does :))))

    It is so true

    I bet my button dollar on it

    Pete ,a chap from Ontario Canada

  9. Dan says:

    Good day me again

    I just wanted to add that I had never seen before the game pictured above called Chinese Checkers.

    It looks nice because of the hexagon in the middle and the marble around it looks like a star.

    I do not particularly like the piece of wood holding the marbles because it looks like my Cats’ food tray.

    You do not want to play that game with my female cat named Princess around.
    She is extremely curious and it is attracted by small colored objects looking like those marbles.

    We used to keep on the table a bowl of colored candies jest for her. When she was in the mood, would rich the candies grab one with her sweet paws and toss it around.
    We had candies everywhere.

    Now, my pour little princess without candies, gets on the counter and throws whatever she enjoy on the floor and plays with that.

    The other day, I was looking for my silicon made earplugs I am used to wearing for sleeping during the day, but I could not find those in the drawer of my night stand.
    I found those around on the floor. Guess who took those and played around with it?
    She is so funny!

    Thanks guys.

  10. emiliano says:

    Some years ago Cuca and me liked to play scrabble.
    Being near the sea in summer when some friends
    came home to be with us for ten or more days, we
    like to play the four together, it was very amusing.

    When my daughters were children all the family liked
    to play lot of board games.

    Even I taught how to play CHESS to all my three daughters, for me the
    most beautiful and incredible play that exists apart of GO a China´s play
    very popular among people from China. It is possible tha in China prefer to
    play GO instead CHESS.

    On the first years of being married, Cuca and me liked to play MONOPOLY.
    It was a gift I gave to Cuca because being a child she always asked for
    a MONOPOLY to the MAGIC KINGS (6th of january) and the MONOPOLY
    never comes.
    So, it was my first gift for her when we got married and started to live
    at home together.

    Nice feelings and good rememberes, thank you so much LUCY for that,
    you touch my heart just now.

    emiliano

    Thank you so much TANIA.

  11. Marcos says:

    Hi everyone
    I enjoyed playing war on board games, but I never play more since I was young. I don’t have a game console or played video game, it is not for me.

    Nice day everyone

  12. Matt says:

    Hi, I’m a 50 year old who enjoyed board games, then video games as a kid. I’ve recently been drawn back to playing a number of “New” board games and there are some really great games I have played that I’d like to recommend to your audience. They may like look them up and have a go!

    Carcassonne
    Smash Up
    Eight Minute Empire – Legends – a 20 minute game for 2-4 players
    Province – A Competitive Building Microgame for 2 Players
    City of Zombies – a board game that helps kids (and adults) improve their maths skills through play 30 mins 1-6 players age 5+
    Ascension – a very interesting idea, a Deckbuilding Game, where players start with a few cards and build up their “deck” of cards over the course of the game.

    Here in the UK we have specialist game shops popping up to service the growing interest, where you can “play before you buy”

  13. Peter says:

    Dan , it is brutal!
    Graveyard shift ?
    I hear you bro.
    I have been there.
    It is exhausting.
    Let me tell you a little story.
    when I first came here I had some money that I had saved for the rainy day. Well ,needless to say , it was just enough to make ends meet, enough to get by if u will , for a short period of time ,a bout if you will. Sadly , as it suggested , my account got dried all out fast due to my debauchery :)))
    Just joking:)
    I m trinkets at managing money.
    I run out of money within the first six month. No cash flow , what so ever.
    Yup !!! You are right my friend. It was as scary as it could get. Imagine , a lad in early 20s with no money and nothing to fall back on. I mean , I was all on my own. No family ,no friends , no extended family who I could turn to. So , what I did was :
    I grabbed a free local news paper. I flipped right to the want-add page and called the first want-add that poped out of page as I was cluelessly looking all over the page willynilly.
    I called the compony through a public pay phone with the last quarter had left in my pants pocket. Luckily , the call got through and some girl at the other end picked up and said: ” warren protected security compony how may I help you.” As I heard ” security ” I told to my self: ” I am damned!”
    I wanna mention sth here. All my life up to that glory moment that I called the security compony I had avoid any military , polic related jobs. U know , I m softy; not tough enough to pull such jobs off. I don’t have it in me. As I said I m a softy boy. No stamina to tough it out.
    However , against my better judgment , I did response. Long story short , one week after , I found myself in a security dress code with all the job-related gear dangling all around my belt.
    I successfully finished a two-week mandatory training and landed a night shift as I was a newbee , a roocky if you will. Getting a morning or evening shift , I needed to put in a few years to obtain the seniority requirement.
    Back to the story ,
    Man , I would put in 8 hours from 12 Am to 8 Am Monday through Friday. And on Sundays , I would work as a roving patrolling the premises.
    I had no life. It was all work and no play.as a result , I burnt out soon.
    Still , I would push through. I had no choice. But , after one year and half ,a window of opportunity opened. I got admission to a local community college. I know , I know , you are wondering how in earth I , being as stupid as I am ,managed to get admission at a college. I know the fact that I m as dumb as a bag of door knobs.
    Well ,it was a pure stone fluke ,I must say.
    The year ,I sat to the college proficiency/entrance exam ,there weren’t enough applicants to fill up all the college seats in the marketing program. The sitting capacity, student capacity if you will, was 30 and there had been just 14 people that had applied. Naturally , we got all accepted regardless the test result.
    Well, it turned the tables for me. I was ecstatic over the news. I quit the damn job on the spot ,and went off to years of hard study and humiliation at college.

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