According to encyclopedia a board game is a game in which players use counters or pieces to place them and move them on a board following a set of rules. Every board game has a goal that the player aims to achieve. There are games for one player, games that players play against each other and those where players have to cooperate to achieve specific goal.
Agricola is a fantastic game and it also can by played by one person - if someone wants to practice.
In Pandemic players have to cooperate to protect our world.
History
Most of us don’t probably realize the fact that the first board game discovered by archeologists came from about 3500 BC. It was called Senet and was played by the ancient Egyptians. The game itself has not been found but it has been pictured in a fresco. That fresco from Merknera’s tomb illustrates game similar to chess, game that we all know very well (at least we should).
Throughout ages many of ancient nations were inventing board games and using them as a way of entertainment. All the greatest ancient civilizations, such as Mesopotamia, Greece, China and India, had their own board games:
ex: game know as Go was invented in China in about 400 BC and it is very popular nowadays.
Game which we know today as chess origins from Indian Chaturanga which was played in India since about VI century. The most popular game in the world is Monopoly. Interesting is the fact that this year this game has its 80th birthday.
But even famous Monopoly isn’t very original - it is based on, or at least inspired by, earlier game known as The Landlord’s Game. Click HERE if you want to see a video about a game I hate.
Categories of board games
There are many ways to categorize board games. One of them, and according to me, the most reasonable, is to divide games to those that don’t require thinking and those that do. By saying that I mean games based on luck, ex: games where you throw a dice, and games which require strategy and diplomacy.
Games that depends on luck are most likely dedicated to children, because they usually have a simple set of rules and do not require making decisions. More advanced set of rules is characteristic for games based on strategy. Those are definitely more involving games and learning the set of rules sometimes can take even a few hours.
We can also categorize games in the fallowing way:
- German-style (my favorite category) - ex. The Settlers of Catan
- Roll-and-move - ex. The Monopoly
- 2-player games - ex. Checkers
- Multiplayer games - ex. Blokus
- Word games - ex. Scrabble
- Dexterity games - ex. Twister
Monopoly - Elvis edition :)
Checkers
Blokus
Scrabble
TwisterMost of games involve both luck and strategy, but the diplomacy is the characteristic of German-style games.
We can distinguish board games not only by their categories (types) but also by their styles. By saying that I mean that theme and narration of the game can either based on reality or it can be totally abstract (ex: checkers). There are historical, educational, family or futuristic board games.
World games vs games in Poland
There is a website (www.boardgamegeek.com) dedicated to board games players where we can find Top100 games in the world according to internauts. Top5 is:
- Puerto Rico
- Agricola
- Twilight Struggle
- Through the Ages: A Story of Civilization
- Power Grid (Wysokie napięcie)
Not all of them are popular in Poland. Still the most popular game in poland is Monopoly, Scrabble, Wysokie napięcie (Power Grid - #5 - we build energetic web), Osadnicy z Katanu (Settlers from Catan - #46 - we colonize the Catan Island) and Neuroshima Hex (battles in postnuclear reality - this game was invented by Michał Oracz)
UPDATE! I just noticed that the game designed by our compatriot, Michał Oracz, jumped into 100 place on TOP100 :) Neuroshima Hex is one of my favorite games.
If you would like to try some board games and play online, visit the following link:
www.yourturnmyturn.com/
Playing board games is not the cheapest hobby in the world. If you are not sure about buying some game you can find many information about it online and sometime its online version, ex: go and visit www.blokus.fr/online-game/ where you can play for free Blokus. You don’t even have to register yourself - just click “Play as a guest”, but I can ensure you that playing board games online is less involving than competing with your friends in real life.
Questions
- Do you remember board games that you used to play in your childhood?
- Do you have your favorite board game?
- Have you ever played any of the games that I mentioned or that are in the Top100 at www.boardgamegeek.com?
- Do you think that board games are now less popular than in our childhood?
1. Eurobiznes -> cheaper version of Monopoly :)
ReplyDelete2. Eurobiznes :))
3. Checkers, scrabble, Monopoly
4. Yes - I think that board games are less popular than few years ago. The reason are computer games - for me the best one (even better than Eurobiznes) are Need for Speed and GTA series.
Of course eurobiznes :) I very often play scrabble. It's obvious that board games are less popular due to computer games and many other entertainments.
ReplyDelete1. Eurobiznes
ReplyDelete2. My favourite one is game called "Osadnicy" but I like games like "Descent" and "Munchkin" too
3. Yep I found few at www.boardgamegeek.com that I played in the past
4. I agree with Darek
1. Yes: "Fortuna" (something like "Monopoly" but in Warsaw before World's War II), ludo and checkers.
ReplyDelete2. I love simple and smart mathematic game "Hej, to moja ryba", "The Settlers of Catan" and "Carcasonne". And chess. And "The Vikings". Much too many favorite games ;-)
3. Too many to mention, I like board games :-)
4. I think so and I agree guys above.
I used to play chess, checkers and fortuna in the past. Recently I play scrabble from time to time. Fortuna (Monopoly) is my fav and I agree that board games are less popular but when you look at kurnik.pl you can see that there quite a few players there.
ReplyDeleteI played monopoly in childhood.. Recently I was invited for a Magia I Miecz evening. I had a great time and was surprised that it was such a fun. Of course they are less popular than back then, come on most kids play computer games now. I like that there are people still playing them and that this is a growing market. First edition Magia I Miecz is worth quite a lot.
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ReplyDelete1. I used to play Monopoly, Chinczyk and Fortuna:)
ReplyDelete2. I think that my favorite board game is still Monopoly.
3. Scrabble and Monopoly.
4. I also agree that nowadays board games are less popular than computer ones. But I believe that people will still play in traditional way, having fun and competing with their friends in real life.
1.Checkers, Eurobusiness, Chess
ReplyDelete2.Scrabble and my No.1 - Puerto Rico
3. Yes i played and from time to time i play in Puerto Rico - in my opinion best economy and strategy board game. Rules are complicated but once you'll start and find out what's going on you won't stop playing (you should have at least 4 friends in a game).
4. Yes of course since computers have occupied our houses. Board games were good when we didn't had so much electronic stuff around us. Right now we will rather take pad from PS3 than Monopoly.. I trully recommend Puerto Rico it's not cheap but brings a lot of satisfaction and it's a good alternative to video games.
1. Monopoly, Checker, Chess, Chinczyk, Magia i Miecz, Magiczny Miecz, ...
ReplyDelete2. Uhm, it is hard to pick one. Perphaps Blood Bowl, but this is not pure boardgame.
3. Yes, e.g. Power Grid ("Wysokie Napiecie")
4. I agree that boardgames are less popular than computer games, but nowadays boardgames are very popular. They are more popular than wargaming, RPGs and card games.
the only board game that i actually played a lot is "Magiczny Miecz". i still love it, this game is just amazing.
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ReplyDeleteI used to play "Chinczyk", "Scrable" and "Monopoly", that were my favourite games.
ReplyDeleteBut now you can play Monopolu on computer :)
If you have no partner to play, you can even play with computer :)
When I was a child I used to play „Magia i Miecz”… yes, I spend many days. I had the main board - my friends extra appendixes.
ReplyDeleteMany of them… I’m really keen on board games.
Only Internet is needed. If you have an access you can have thousands of PC games just for free.
For the board game you have to pay and they could be quite expensive.
>Do you remember board games that you used to play in your childhood?
ReplyDelete"Magia i Miecz" with my neighbourhood who was addicted to this game ... :) and of course Eurobiznes :P
>Do you have your favorite board game?
Yes Eurobiznes was quite fun
>Have you ever played any of the games that I mentioned or that are in the Top100 at www.boardgamegeek.com?
No :(
>Do you think that board games are now less popular than in our childhood?
No I think many people play those kinds of games but it is like in our childhood niche