What comes to your mind when I say “board games?” Maybe something like Clue, Risk, or the dreaded Monopoly. These are the games that Americans of my generation grew up with.
But that only scratches the surface of the current state of board games. For the past 5-10 years, a little sub-culture of gamers has been popped up, in conjunction with the rise of “Eurogames,” like Settlers of Catan, which tend to have relatively short playtimes, simple economy-style mechanics, and emphasize strategy a little more than luck or chance.
I am not a competitive person, and I won’t say that I enjoy all board games (I am TERRIBLE at bluffing games and intimidated by heavy strategy/wargames). But there are such a variety of fun games out there, it is easy to find something you like to play with your spouse, grandmother, or a group of friends.
Today is International Tabletop Day, and I’d encourage you to check out some of my favorite tabletop games: Ticket to Ride, Pandemic, Dominion, Mysterium, Splendor, Codenames, and 7 Wonders. They have all different fun themes, and some are for groups, some are cooperative, some are card-drafting, etc. Something for everyone!
If you want more info about different board games, check out Jaysen’s Now It’s Your Turn series on his blog for detailed descriptions with some humor.
If you want to find a meet-up in your area for Tabletop Day, go to Geek and Sundry’s Community Event locator. If you’re in Northeast Ohio, the Board Gamers of Greater Akron (BOGA) meet at the Quirk Cultural Center in Cuyahoga Falls. Board gamers tend to be very friendly people, so go meet some and have some fun!
Jedi by Knight 