Gaming is one of the most expansive and accessible hobbies available. People have played games for millennia, both together and with other people. We’re currently enjoying a gaming renaissance, both in the realm of video games and tabletop games. While video games are a fantastic way of entertaining yourself and immersing in different stories, this post will focus more heavily on tabletop games, specifically board games.
For most of us, board games are our first introduction to gaming. Simple board games are great for children and family games nights, and there’s a huge variety of board games to enjoy either alone or with other people.
But what if you can’t find the same spark for board games that you used to enjoy? Here are some ways to help you fall back in love with this type of game.
Find Like-Minded Friends
Depending on the game, most of the fun comes from the people you play with. As mentioned before, you can play some board games alone or with just one other person. Some of these games are a great way to pass the time and can work as brain-teasers. Solitaire is a classic example of this, as it’s a simple card game that’s easy to set up and fun to play.
However, many board games are much better when played with a group of people. In this case, the hard part comes from finding people to play with. Speak to some of your friends and family who might be interested and arrange a games night. Even if someone doesn’t already love board games, you might just convert them.
Another option is to seek out people to play with by joining local gaming groups and checking social media for people who might be interested in creating a group. From here, you can arrange gaming sessions and sink your teeth into some great board games.
Explore New Games
Speaking of great board games, you should keep your eyes open for new and interesting board games to explore. While the classics can’t be denied, board games are different now. Even if you find it hard to enjoy something like Monopoly, Ludo, or even Risk, you can look into a huge variety of new board games and see if something interests you.
As mentioned before, there’s something of a renaissance going on with board games, and this means that game-makers are using their creativity to the full to create different types of games. This includes some modern classics like Pandemic or Settlers of Catan, which are both unique and require a very different playstyle and ruleset.
Some games can go on for hours and require complex strategic thinking to get ahead. Others only last less than half an hour, but are loads of fun. You can also enjoy some beautifully designed game boards, cards, and pieces.
Play Classics in a New Way
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with classic board games. Often, they are simple to set up, and depending on the game, might require you to play around with different strategies to succeed.
One of the best examples of this has to be chess. Chess is a seemingly simple 2-player game that requires you to battle your opponent and defeat their king. But when it’s played at higher levels, this simple game turns into a tense battlefield with different tactics and strategies being pitted against each other.
Chess can be played traditionally, using a chess board. Some boards have beautiful designs, just to add another level of fun to the game. Or you can play chess online, either with a computer opponent or with other people. Chess is a great example of how you can enjoy a classic game because it’s also enjoyed a boom in popularity lately.
But this is just one classic game that can be enjoyed in a new way. Monopoly has seen dozens of recent iterations to switch out how to play, and many board games can now be enjoyed virtually, either against a computer or other people.
Give It Time
Falling back in love with something is rarely an instant process. So give yourself time to explore new options. Maybe one of these techniques will work, or maybe all of them will work. The trick is to think about why it matters.
Board games have been around throughout most of human history and, thanks to innovators and gamers, will hopefully be around for thousands of years to come. You might as well enjoy them.