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It was a common sight for some of us growing up to see people playing random board games on their porch. From Monopoly, Chess, and Scrabble to Ludo, board games have fascinated generations that came before this digital age. With the rise of video games, it may seem like board games have become a thing of the past. but is this a real issue? Do people still play video games in this digital age?
Looking at it from the surface, it seems that the board game market is going through a rapid decline. It seems that video games are now at the forefront of gaming entertainment. As a matter of fact, we now have a whole generation that has no idea about board games. Multi-million dollar companies like Sony, Activision, Konami, Nintendo, and the rest are at the forefront of digital entertainment, raking in huge profits year after year.
Although it may not seem like it at first glance, board games are still very much alive even with the high presence of digital entertainment in these modern times. Market statistics show that board games are still alive and people are still playing them. And the good thing is that board games have gone digital too! Whether you have a smartphone or a crappy computer with a slow dual-core processor and only 2 gigabytes or RAM, as long as you have an Internet connection, you can play almost any board game you decades ago.
Although it is easy to understand that these games are best played on physical tables, they can also be enjoyed in digital formats. But yes, I agree that the one-on-one human interaction element cannot be recreated with digital board games. However, since this is the new normal and everything is being digitized, we have listed below some board games that you might want to try on your phone or your computer.
Ludo
In the part of the world where I grew up, Ludo is still the most popular board game, and I was excited when I found out that it had been digitized. This is a strategy game that can be played by two to four players. One die roll determines how far each player’s four tokens travel on the board. Although there is some luck involved as moves depend on die rolls, a lot of strategic and calculated moves are required to win. If you have a smartphone, a search in the App Store or the Play Store will show various Ludo games available for Android and iOS devices. If you prefer to play on a computer, however, you can play this Ludo game for free.
Snakes and scales
This is another classic board game that some of us loved as kids growing up in the 90’s before we were introduced to video games. Snakes and scales is played on a board with numbered squares in a grid arrangement. On the board, various ladders and snakes are shown, each connecting two different board squares. The aim of the game is to move one’s game piece from the start (bottom square) to the finish (top square), using ladders for help but snakes for hindrance.
Chess
Obviously, the most popular board game in the world is not going anywhere anytime soon. Chess’ player base is still stronger than ever. With tournaments running into millions of dollars in prizes, chess remains the most played board game in the world. And with multiple ways to play it on digital screens now, you can play it even if you don’t have the physical board.
Again, like most board games, you can find chess on any mobile app store. And if you’re on a computer, it’s a staple on gaming websites that offer free classic board games.
Other board games you should check out
Do you want to take a break from regular video games or do you just want to revisit those board games you played years ago? In addition to the board games listed above, there are several other classic games that are just as worthy of your time. Checkers, Minesweeper, Guess, Who, Dominoes, Reversi, Backgammon, and Etch-a-Sketch are just a few others you might want to try. You can find most of these on mobile app stores or just run a simple Google search.