Board Games Are Back!

Whether bringing people together or being the cause of family rifts (and even in extreme cases, divorce), games like Monopoly or Cluedo have been creating fun and feuds for decades. Recently, however, people haven’t just been dusting off their gaming boards for Christmas, but just like the old days, they’re being played all year round. Not just the classics either, but new, distinctive board games are being constantly released, in a resurgence of a classic pastime.

Why Board Games?

So why are board games enjoying a comeback? David Partlett, a leading writer on board games, believes there are a variety of reasons: “More people are finding games preferable as a social activity rather than a solitary pursuit. There’s also the fact that there are more good games around. The days when board games were just ‘roll dice, go there, do that’ are long past; the rise of so-called German-style games has expanded people’s horizons.”
And it’s these German-style games that are at the helm of the board game rejuvenation. Emphasising strategy and cunning - and usually working best with more than two players – these games create a very social atmosphere, and in some cases require players to work together rather than against each other.

Technology has also helped the revitalisation of board games. Tablets and phone apps feature electronic versions of classics such as Monopoly and Scrabble, leading to people digging out the original board versions or buying them anew. Websites such as www.boardgamegeek.com offer board game fans the chance to chat about games, read reviews and rate a huge array of over 66,000 games.

The Rise Of The Board Game Cafe

This has led to new markets jumping on the board game bandwagon. John Morgan is the owner of Thirsty Meeples, the UK’s first ever board game café. Situated in Oxford city centre, for a small cover charge people can come and choose from over 1,500 games to play, even being able to purchase their favourites. You’re free to stay as long as you want, have a bite to eat, chat to the friendly gamers, or get one of the special staff (called Game Gurus), to teach you how to play the games.

John believes the variety he offers keeps people coming back: “With the amount of games we have, you can enjoy your favourite or find something new. What’s great about playing here is you can sit around a table with your friends in a café experience, and enjoy a new kind of social interaction.”

The term ‘Meeple’ - which the café is named after - refers to a gaming mash-up term meaning ‘meeting people’. John feels this perfectly reflects his aspiration of bringing people together. He also believes the success of the café is down to his team of ‘Game Gurus’: “they greet people and take their orders, but most importantly help them choose games and explain how to play them.”

Ticket to Ride and Settlers of Catan are two of the most popular games at the café, and show how the newer, so-called German style games, are starting to rival the older classics. Settlers of Catan involves trading and acquiring resources, while Ticket to Ride is based around train tickets and connecting cities via train tracks. However different they may sound to classic board games, they still both involve the main elements that make a game work: tactics, tension, luck and most of all, fun.

A Bloated Market?

But in the age of the ever-growing video games industry, how can the humble board game compete? Grand Theft Auto 5, an action fuelled and violent video game made $800,000 on its first day of release, showing just how large the market for video games has become. According to John, there’s room for both in the modern world: “We get some customers who are massive video gamers, but also come here to play board games for a different experience; they can easily exist side by side." It’s hard to argue with this when you see how busy the café is.

Board games seem to have shed their geeky factor and now appeal to everyone from children to adults. Simon Hartnell is one of the cafes Game Gurus and thinks this is another factor in their resurgence: “These days games are seen as popular with the masses. Back in the day it was nerdy to play games, not just board games but also computer games. Now it’s much more accepted as a valid pastime.”

More board game café’s are now sprouting up over the U.K, and there are already many in America, showing this is not just a passing fad. In a world full of technology and increasing solitude, the board game is a welcome return that’s hopefully here to stay.

For more information on board games or to find out more about the UK’s first board game café, visit www.thirstymeeples.co.uk.