Video games are amazing. There’s no denying it. Many of us enjoy following franchises, characters, and developers as new games come out year after year. These games transport us to a new world where we can be anything: an assassin, a hero in a World War, a warrior from a world of fantasy, or even an Italian plumber. Being able to become someone new and do things we would never be able to in real life are part of what makes video games so inviting, addicting, and enjoyable. Even though throwing ourselves into these universes for entertainment can be beyond fun, sometimes it’s good to step back from the virtual world and take part in something physical, alive, and social: I’m talking about board games, of course.
Senet, one of the oldest board games of all time
Board games date back to even before 3500 BC. Nearly as long as we’ve been alive and interactive together as a race, we’ve wanted to play games together and have fun. The first games of mankind were very primal and simple, yet even this far back they still focused on competition and opposing your partner. Forwarding to the 20th and 21st century, board games still (for the most part) take on the idea of opposing teams battling against each other for a common goal of domination. Chess, Monopoly, Risk, Battleship, and Mastermind all require you to out maneuver and out think your opponent. Despite the competition aspect, board games have stayed such a popular medium of entertainment for thousands of years because of how they bring people together. There’s nothing more fun than sitting down with family and friends to share the same experience together in a fun and healthy way. Although the general idea of board games has stayed the same ever since 3500 BC, they continue to evolve, change, and adapt to the new times, making sure that they are always fresh and exciting.
We all remember playing board games with our families when we were very young. Our parents showed us classics like Checkers, Mouse Trap, and Guess Who? that helped entertain us without the need for a screen or going outside. Those family game nights where we all sat down, laughed, made some food, and had a great time were some of the best times of my life, mainly because they were few and far between.
