In this digital age, many people have forgotten simpler ways to have fun. Time to put down the phone and see real 3d action with your family and friends! Just a few decades ago, people still used a board, some cards, plastic characters and dices to have fun with friends and families. As kids, we learn through play. We feed our imaginations by way of games and countless hours of innocent fun. This doesn’t have to stop as we enter adulthood however, in fact, the older we get the more important it is that we keep the motors of our imaginations running and engage in interactive play and social activities. Of course, no one expects you to prance around in dress-up clothing (unless you want to) and relive childhood frolicking. It takes a simple board game to keep our minds revitalized and our dispositions in high spirits. Studies have also shown to that playing board games or cards games can help with depression.
Board Games Make You Smart
Yup, you know the saying “reading makes you smarter”, well, so does a simple round of your favorite board game! Playing games helps you to really stretch those brain cells as you build puzzles, solve problems, memorize movements and get your creative juices flowing.
Prepare for some big words here. When you play a board or card game you stimulate the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of your brain, these are the parts of your body which are responsible for complex thought and memory formation. This means that while you are entertaining yourself through a fun activity, you’re also strengthening your memory and building onto your logical thinking. Strong mind – strong body right!?
Take playing Chess for example… Want to learn how to use the help of many to achieve results in life? Insert Chess here.. the skills you obtain help you use moves in life so you can win!
Another very popular board game is Risk (remember the Seinfeld episode Titled “The Label Maker” where Kramer and Newman battled over the game) and it’s a relatively simple strategy game about world domination. Due to its simplicity, Risk is widely popular among casual gamers. However, Risk can still become drawn out and long, requiring more than one day to complete a single game session. It is not uncommon for the two remaining players to battle it out until late at night, while the eliminated players watch TV, play with their smartphone and finally go home. There are obviously other war strategy games that we can choose and they could actually be Risk on steroids. Board games should be good enough for people who want to micromanage their lives properly. In the digital era, many people find it much more practical to play video games, especially those that have game rules similar to board games, even so; we should be aware that board games can bring us enjoyments that are not typically available in their digital counterparts.
Board games are extremely social and cool.
And they aren’t social in a ‘like this post’ sort of social. Board games are face-to-face. Board game nights are becoming part of a lot of nerds’ routines. Who doesn’t want to get together with friends?
Well, add a few snacks and a couple games like Dead of Winter, Auztralia, or Suburbia to a Friday evening and your social life just got a +1 mana boost.
Board games are analog in a digital world.
We live in a digital world, both at work and school, but at home as well. Board games offer an often welcome analog experience. Three dimensional in play… Board games offer an olfactory experience and are highly tactile and it’s often surprisingly satisfying just to hold and fiddle with the little pieces or miniatures that fill board games like Chess. Speaking of Chess… check out the Great American Payer line of offerings from Bobby Fischer Chess. at Wild Bill’s HobbyTown locations we have ample supply!
Board games are collectible.
Sure, you have the obvious, such as collectible card games like Magic: The Gathering. But boxed board games are becoming highly collectible items, with a lot of nerds building up huge libraries of board games, trying to get the best of each category. Currently we have limited editions of Monopoly, Scrabble and Risk that will be family heirlooms someday.
Board games are beautiful.
The quality of board games has risen considerably from the old Parker Brothers games. Board games typically have professional art work and graphic design, that often holds up better than most other media. Look at Catan, Magic The Gathering, Mysterium, and Codenames picture card game with there simple black and white art deco style drawings.
Modern board games are cool.
Not to pile on poor ‘ole Monopoly, but many people are surprised by the depth of play of modern board games. The best board games of today are incredibly engaging and sophisticated. In short, they are cool.
These aren’t your granddad’s games where you drop a checker into a slot in order to get four in a row. No, there is strategy and skill involved, with many of today’s games having a depth that you could play years and not truly master it.
The board gaming community is welcoming.
Not many niches feel welcoming and inclusive nowadays, but board gaming typically bucks this trend. There is a style of game for everyone, and a level of competition where just about anyone can jump aboard.
Unlike a lot of other industries, the board game community is a friendly place. It is friendly in terms of social aspect, in terms of being kind to one other, in terms of inviting new people to the table, and in terms of being welcoming to other people.
The board game community is becoming better supported.
Not only does Wild Bill’s HobbyTown locations in the DFW area carry all sorts of awesome games, but there are cool networks popping up online. almost all of our employees play multiple games and have tried many of them out. We may not be 100% versed in every game, but you can sure to be ask any of us about what’s popular!
Digressing back… Games are back and better than ever! We even started a Friday Game night using Magic the Gathering!