Hello there! If you are reading this, there is a good chance that this article was sent to you by one of your friends, a friend that probably refers to themselves as a board gamer.
Now that might sound strange to you, you might be thinking, “How can someone have an entire hobby just centered around playing Monopoly or Battleship?” Well Sir and/or Madam, that’s one of the many false preconceptions that lots of people have toward board games!
This is probably why you have been directed to this article, you’ve been told that your friend loves board games and you’re just not quite sure what to think of that.
Well I’m here to help you!
Let’s go over some common misunderstandings and questions you may have about board games.
There are games other than Monopoly?
Yes there are!
In fact there are countless numbers of board games being released from all corners of the globe on a weekly basis. These games are also incredibly diverse! While not all of them are good, a good bunch of them are! A lot of them could even be described as masterpieces.
When I say diverse I really mean diverse, there is a game for everyone!
Maybe you are a person who doesn’t like to be competitive, you may like a storytelling game like Tales of The Arabian Nights. This game is all about creating stories and adventuring in the world of Sinbad and Aladdin. The only reason there even is a winner in this game is to signify an ending!
Maybe you are more interested in talking to your friends and don’t want to be staring at a board all night. There are so many games about generating dialog! You might enjoy the Resistance, a game about figuring out which of your friends is a spy out to get you! You might find that you even like RPGs, which are just games about sitting around a table and setting out on adventures through your own imagination!
Aren’t board games just for kids and bored adults?
No not at all! That’s like asking if movies, video games, or even books are for kids and bored adults! There are so many great board games that are so incredibly diverse that at this point it is just like any other medium of entertainment. Saying that you don’t like board games is like saying that you don’t like movies. While you may not like a particular movie or set of movies, the medium is way too big to cover with one generalization.
Let’s look at Captain Sonar, a game that was released in 2016. Two teams of four (or less) sit across from each other with a divider separating them. Everyone takes the role of a different crew member on a submarine vessel as the two teams try to outsmart each other and destroy the opposing submarine in real time! I don’t know about you but that definitely does not seem like a game for kids, or even further for people that are bored.
What is the point?
After all of that, there may be one other thing that’s keeping you from the world of tabletop games. You may be wondering what their purpose is in the first place. Why do people play games? What benefit do they have? Will you get anything out of it?
I think the simplest answer is that [board games create moments](/articles/pandemic-legacy-the-future-of-board-gaming/). They create experiences and stories and adventures that you get to go on without leaving the comfort of your home. They create memories of defeating dragons and saving the world. Life is made up of moments and when you spend time with your friends engulfed in a great game, you create a moment that you will never forget. You create a bond with your friends, a new story to tell, and you leave excited about everything that just happened along with what is yet to come! Board games are more than a challenge you take on with your friends or a competition against them, they are whatever you want them to be! That is an opportunity too great to pass up.
Closing
We are in the golden age of board gaming, and it is truly a wonderful world worth joining! Maybe you’ve had a couple bad experiences or maybe you still don’t find yourself very interested in any of this. Before you tune out, try giving it one last shot. Do a little digging and search around for a game that sounds interesting to you. If nothing else, I promise you this, there is a game out there for everyone!
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