Growing up, games were always a treasured part of my family gatherings and get togethers with friends. My immediate family of my brothers, mother and myself frequently enjoyed many board games including monopoly and chess. I have a fond memory of an afternoon spent with a retired board game called Stop Thief! and some Aerosmith playing on the turntable (yes, vinyl!). And we always looked forward to holiday gatherings when we would have a big crowd around the table ( 2 leafs inserted) to play cards, bingo, or whatever new game someone suggested we try. Add in some drinks and snacks, and perhaps some penny gambling, and it was a perfect afternoon. The Thanksgiving day would fly by as we talked, laughed, strategized, and gloated or pouted, depending on the outcome. This didn’t change as I got older. My close group of friends enjoyed nothing more than an evening at home with some chocolate chip cookies and a some 45, a local card game. Sometimes these games went into the early hours of the morning. Happy times.
I still cannot resist a good board game. If I see something that looks interesting or hear people talking about a game they’ve enjoyed, I immediately want to buy it and start playing. Thinking back to those holidays as a youngster, I realize that not everyone sat around that table playing games. I had a couple of uncles and cousins who did not join in. They were content to sit in the living room watching a Christmas special or some football. I always wondered how they could prefer that to a rousing game of pokeno! These days the players are slightly different but we still have a mixture of game lovers and non-lovers. While games are best when everyone joins in, we’ve learned to let people choose the entertainment that most makes them happy.
You will believe me when I tell you that I have a lot of board games. And many of them we don’t use any more. So I recently rummaged through the basement and decided to sell an assortment of board games on Facebook marketplace. If you’ve ever used Facebook Marketplace to sell something, you know it is very easy and convenient, but can also be a little frustrating. People will message you asking if your item is still available, and then you tell them it is, and they disappear, never to be heard from again. Or worse, they schedule a time to come and pick up the item, and then don’t show.
But it is convenient, and a good way to get a couple of bucks for those items you don’t use any more, and in all likelihood would either end up in a collection bin, or the trash. Most of the games I selected for sale were in near new condition. I put about 6 or 7 out there and offered them for $3 each. They probably go for about $20 each new. I then waited for the inevitable questions: Is this still available? Will you take $1? Are any pieces missing?
So I waited. And I waited. Crickets. Usually when a listing first goes on, it sees quite a bit of activity. You can watch the “views” and respond to any messages. Frequently I find that if it doesn’t sell in about a week, it likely never will. In most cases I have been able to sell most of my listings. In this instance, not a single inquiry.
So it got me wondering. Does anyone play board games anymore?
Turns out, the answer is yes. Pandemic and supply issues aside, board games over the past 10 years have had a modest increase and are expected to continue to increase in the coming years. Although new games continue to come out every year, the longstanding classics are still best sellers. You probably won’t be surprised to see any of these names on the top 10 best selling games of all time:
- Chess
- Checkers
- Backgammon
- Monopoly
- Scrabble
- Clue
- Trivial Pursuit
- Battleship
- Candyland
- The Game of Life
In 2020 topping the list was a mixture of classic, and new:
- Connect Four
- Monopoly
- Codenames
- Spontuneous
These days, I try to be very selective about which games I buy, as we don’t play as often and so new additions must be compelling! Simple is best, with few instructions and pieces. If we have any hope of roping in the usual non-players, we don’t want to lose them with complicated rules. And since we have youngsters who like to play, we don’t usually opt for games with more mature subject matter. Recently we’ve tried Exploding Kittens and Left, Center, Right, two card games with minimal equipment (just cards, and dice), and easy to follow instructions. With larger crowds, trivia games and apples to apples are family favorites.
The benefits of gathering around a table with a board game are numerous. Most importantly, it’s fun, and usually is accompanied by laughter and feelings of happiness. In addition, you are spending quality time interacting with loved ones and stimulating those relationships. Often, a new player enters the fold as our kids bring home a new friend. Playing a board game together is a great way to get to know them better. Often during game playing you will learn something new, and your brain gets lots of exercise while you plot and strategize. You will even practice your patience as you wait for your turn, or for the perfect time to spring your attack!
As we enter the holiday season, I am looking forward to this crucial element of our celebrations and I will be strategizing about which games to place on the table, taking into account my house guests: ages, level of game adoration, likelihood of laughter. Whichever game and player combinations emerge, the game portion of our holiday get togethers is certain to add more smiles to my memory bank. So if you haven’t played a board game in a while, dust off those cardboard boxes and reintroduce this great family pasttime to your holiday parties. I suspect you won’t be disappointed!
F Words that are not 4 Letters 