In The Last Article…
We talked about how long board games have been around and how the modern board gaming era is growing in popularity. In fact, it showed that there are on average between 3,500 and 5,000 new board games released every year! If you missed it, you can read part 1 here.
I also talked about three reasons you should play board games. Here in part two of this article, I will discuss three more reasons you should play board games.
Educational Value
There are many games that are designed to be educational. I would say that the vast majority of kids’ board games are a way to teach them different things, like math, science, language, etc.
However, there are many board games for adults that can be very educational. For example, I’d say it’s nearly impossible to finish a game of Wingspan without learning a couple of things about birds. The game isn’t designed to teach. It’s just a fun and strategic game with birds as the theme, but as a side note, you’re gonna learn some cool stuff as well as have a blast.
Trekking the World - Explore the world...for points!
I mentioned in part one of this article that board games can be mentally stimulating. Not only that, you can learn new skills and concepts in a fun and engaging way. Many social deduction games are excellent at strengthening your logic skills. Escape room games also teach you to solve puzzles and think in a logical and strategic way.
Re-Playability
You can play a board game repeatedly, each time giving the players a fresh experience. Sure, there are some games, legacy games for example, that are meant to be played once and once only. Most board games, however, offer a new and rich experience each time you play them.
You can also buy expansions for many board games. Expansions are sets of additional cards, rules, etc., that are added to your game to add more players, add more options, add more play styles, etc.
Many games come with different roles that you can play, each one giving you a different style of play. For example, in the board game, Pandemic, you will play the game much differently if you are playing the role of the quarantine specialist than if you were playing as the pilot. Different roles give you different ways to play the same game.
Mission: Red Planet - Stake you claim on Mars, before your opponents do!
Accessibility
It doesn’t matter if you are a casual gamer, an experienced gamer, or completely new to the hobby. There are games, often called gateway games, that are used to introduce new players to different board game concepts. Many times, when a new gamer learns a certain game mechanic, their eyes light up! They are so used to thinking games are just rolling the dice and moving your token on a board the number of spaces the dice rolled. When people see the vastly different ways game mechanics work in modern board games, they see how much fun it can be to play them.
Board games come in a wide variety of themes and mechanics to suit many preferences. Want to be a superhero? There are tons of board games where you can do that. Want to build a city? Race Indy cars? Play baseball with cyborgs? Battle the Galactic Empire as a Jedi Knight? Lead the Galactic Empire to victory? Connect train stations across several maps? Cure a worldwide pandemic? Explore national parks? Travel through time? Build settlements on Mars? Catch Jack the Ripper? Brew beer? Survive on a desert island? Survive on a sinking island? These things and many, MANY more themes await you in the board gaming hobby.
In Down Force, it doesn't matter if your car wins, as long as the one you bet on does!
Conclusion
There are many more reasons you should play board games. I’ve only scratched the surface with this article.
I would like to encourage you to look at what’s available to you. There will be more posts on Deltarat reviewing board games. The posts will talk about why I think they’re fun and who I think they’re for.
Look at what’s out there. Find something you think looks fun. Go on YouTube and watch videos of people teaching you to play some games. The modern board game hobby is not what you think. We are far beyond games like Monopoly and Clue. Don’t get me wrong. I have many happy memories playing those old games like that, but there’s just nothing like playing modern board games.
Gather some friends. Get some snacks. Play a board game. Thank me later.
