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Week 1 (09-15.03) Board games

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http://www.scavengerhunt.chickenheart.net/2007_Oct/Images/ClipArt/Monopoly_Logo.bmp



Is there anyone here who did not play Monopoly (any version of it)? Or at least heard about it? Well, I'd presume the introduction of the game is unnecessary. Actually it contests chess on the ranking of the most popular board games. Can you imagine professional Monopoly players playing in ranked tournaments? Well, chess outclasses other board games as it is recognized by The International Olympic Committee as a sport (along with bridge which is a card game).

http://www.lifeofasteward.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/BoardGame.jpg
So what exactly constitutes a board game? One may think that the board itself is necessary - and that's a good point - some type of surface (a map, a piece holder, cheat sheets) is present in most of the games. There will also be some pieces like player markers, counters, cards or a game-specific tokens (Jenga). Dices are also present and most of the time they represent a luck factor. On top of that there must be a set of rules, winning conditions so that the game can actually be played (and won). Is that all? No. The most important thing for board games is having fun with them: imagination and company.


What is amazing, board games connect people that may have nothing in common at the first sight but they get to be fast friends over something as unimportant as a board game. But how do you actually start playing board games if you never did before (is it really possible)? It's enough if you just ask your friends whether someone can  play a board game with you - I guarantee 99.9% chance that there will be a board game geek out there just waiting to introduce you to the amazing adventure which is playing board games. And what if you're the unlucky 0.1%?Then you just go to any place connected to board games and say you're new. Be it a game-oriented shop, convention or a game club - the moment you step through the door you'll find yourself in a whole different world of fantasy, battles, strategy, politics, wits and alliances... or maybe you'll discover there something (or someone?) unique, waiting there just for you.

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02311/scr_2311213b.jpg
There are many different types of games. When it comes to categorizing them it gets really messy (Jenga is actually a tabletop game rather than a board game... but for someone who cares about fun, do the naming differences really matter?). There are board games that you can play alone, but they really flourish when you play them with someone. The amount of players needed to play specific game varies, but many games also feature different variants for different number of players. The time needed to play a game ranges from a few minutes, a few hours, up to days. But stay calm, it's only if you're really into the game. Most of the time a good board game session will last an hour, or a couple of hours if you have time to spare. There are many websites dedicated to board games like e.g. boardgamegeek.com where you can check reviews, top rankings and find other players in your vicinity.

Well, I hope I've presented you at least the tip of an iceberg of the board game world, so you can have fun exploring it on your own.

My questions to you will be:
Do you play board games and if yes, which ones?
If you don't - why? And do you think you may try after reading my presentation?

Comments

Unknown said…
I always liked playing board games. Of all kinds. I just like interacting and cooperating with others (or challeging) for the same goal. It's always been fun for me to focus just on the game and nothing else. It is pleasing and relaxing.

Unfortunately I didn't have many chances to play board games with others due to that I am even more computer games geek than board game geek. This is a different experience as you don't spend your time playing with others in the same room, but all the rest is quite similar. Also computer games make it sometimes more fun because they are more interactive and flexible. Though I wouldn't mind to switch for a day and istead of playing my lovely League, maybe go for Monopoly board with people.

Your presentation was very interesting and it made me remember how nice a feeling it is to play board games with others. I may end up playing one soon too!
9 March 2015 at 16:23
rf. said…
I believe you've made a very keen observation: although board games and computer game are somewhat similar, it's unmeasurably easier to play computer games rather than having to go out / plan time with other people. In my opinion the latter is so much more rewarding that it's always worth some planning and getting out of one's way in order to play board games with friends.
9 March 2015 at 20:11
Unknown said…
I like playing board games and I often do. Every Christmas I play board games with my family and we really like "Ticket to Ride" where you build train routes or and an older game called "Paintings" where you get famous paintings, artist and dates and you have to match them together. However same as Piotr I play computer games more often and I feel like I'm more into them.

Lately I had a chance to play a really cool and simple game called "X-com". It is based on a really well known computer game. In the board game you cooperate with other players and play against the computer or a phone (there is an app) which controls the moves of enemies on the board. It's pretty cool .
10 March 2015 at 11:11
Unknown said…

When I was a child I loved to play board games. My favorite game was called "clude". In this game you have to find out who kill somebody as well as where and what did he use to commit the crime.
The least favorite game for me was Monopoly because I wasn't an entrepreneurial. I remember when my brother used to buy the most expensive street and build a hotel on it. Whenever I put my pawn on his street I have to pay him a really big fee which made me bankrupt really fast :D
Now when I'm at University I rarely play board games, sometimes at meeting and at parties.
11 March 2015 at 08:29
pc-s12432 said…
The Monopoly was my favorite game. To be honest i remember the Polish clone of that game called: FORTUNA (http://mojecudownelata.pl/tresc/1014,Fortuna). If somebody would ask me why i liked this game so much, the answer is simple: because i was winning almost everytime. I was a master of trade, exchange, also had some luck of course. OK!!! I was cheating sometimes... :-)) Great fun!
11 March 2015 at 10:08
Unknown said…
I really liked playing board games like Monopoly and Scrabble. I think board games are a great way to spend quality time with friends or family.
Unfortutately, now I don't play board games as often as I used to. I think development of computers and mobile phones makes them unnecessary.
13 March 2015 at 10:18
Unknown said…
In Warsaw, more and more people are starting to play board games. A lot of people don't want to stay at home and play computer games,but they want to go outside and play with friends. More and more often I see people who play such games in cafes. Many cafes provides such games.

http://metro.gazeta.pl/Wydarzenia/1,138421,16739011,Gdzie_w_Warszawie_pograc_w_gry_planszowe__8_adresow.html

I think it's better than sitting at home
13 March 2015 at 18:56
Robert Bartoszewski-Kujawa said…
I remember that as a child I always liked to play games, almost any kinds of games in fact - be it board games, card games, video games (on gameboy, consoles, computer). All of it used to be so much fun. As an adult I don't have much time to do play so I pick computer games because I can just click one button and get started. Finding people to play games with is not so easy anymore because everyone is busy. Maybe I will find time to go to a board games club or something... some day...
14 March 2015 at 20:29
Unknown said…
Yeah I love board games! My absolute favourite one is Tabu <3 I really looove this game, I only regret that I already know almost all keywords by heart :( :P

Few months ago my bf introduced to me really cool game called "Kolejka". This is a game, that is kind of reminder of old, PRL times. Rules are quite simple – at the beginning of the game you get a card that says what kind of things you have to buy, and the game is about standing in queue and praying for luck :D Because many other players needs stuff from shops, and they can be empty for weeks ;) Really cool game, I really feel sorry for people, who didn't need this game to experience this frustrating and time-wasting nonsense ;)

I recently bought a game called "pędzące żółwie" and it's awesome as well ;D It is hard to explain, but it's very easy. There are always 5 turtles (no matter if there are only 2 or 5 players) and the main thing is that at the beginning you draw a card to know which turtle out of 5 you are, and during a game you take cards that allows you to move ANY turtle - it means you can go forward/backward any turtle you want to – your own, or somebody's else :) Funny :D

Have you ever played any of these?
14 March 2015 at 22:33
Unknown said…
I really like play different board games. I do it over family meetings - I must say my family members are great companions. Competition, making strategy, little shot of adrenaline makes game worth to win. Some players behave so serious playing Monopoly for example, but we should remember: this is just a game, it's for fun :)
Personally, I'm scrabble maniac, generally, word games is my strenght. I'm also a big fan of "Dixit" game. It's pretty illustrated card game for everyone with imagination. Recently I played also iKnow - this one is kind of thematical quizz, very funny and interesting thing.
14 March 2015 at 23:26
Unknown said…
When I was younger I was a total board games' freak. I used to play Monopoly not only for hours, but for the whole days! Then the adulthood came by and I've totally forgotten about this kind of activity. One day, I've met with my friends in small caffe with board games all over the place. We finally ended up playing them to the late night hours and if the caffe hadn't been closing, we would have probably been playing all along the night. Since then I've bought almost every edition of 'Talisman' ('Magia i miecz' in Polish) and I arrange 'board games' evenings' :D That's really cool, because it's a great way to copete with each other and build relationships, also relax in other way than spending hours in front of the screen.
14 March 2015 at 23:50
Unknown said…
Do you play board games and if yes, which ones?
If you don't - why? And do you think you may try after reading my presentation?

I LOVE BOARD GAMES!!!
Really, I really love them. I didn't play them for a liong period of my life, but I started 2 years ago and I don't regret!

One of my favourites is in the first of your pictures here.
I like Munchkin, Carcassonne, The Settlers of Catan and 7 Wonders. Board games is a really interesting way to spend time with a big or snall company, I think It could be interesting for every one, you just forget about mobilephones, internet, social networks and so on, you are like a child. I advice everyone such kind of time spending!
15 March 2015 at 00:09
Cezary Góralski said…
I really like to play board games I think that it's really good way of spending time, especially if you can play with friends. When I was younger I used to play almost every day, but currently I don't have time to play. Board games helped me with developing skills like concentration, strategic thinking, analyzing and many others. One of my favorite board game is "monopoly" mentioned in this article. I really like it, because thanks to monopoly I learned how to manage money and I think that it's one of the most important skills in our times. I also liked to play chess.
15 March 2015 at 11:08
Unknown said…
I really like board games and I play them whenever I have an opportunity. Though, sadly that means it doesn't happen as often as I would like to. When I was I kid I loved playing Monopoly with my family. I like Scrabble - not only it's fun, but also a very smart game. Apart from that I had a chance to play Talisman and Arkham Horror. They're both amazing and I always look forward to playing them with friends.
15 March 2015 at 13:28
Patrycja Marciniak said…
Ah, fellow Arkham Horror lover! :D That game is just amazing!
15 March 2015 at 13:54
Patrycja Marciniak said…
I really like board games, both 'funny' ones and 'serious' ones. My favourites are Arkham Horror, Munchkin, Saboteur, Game of Thrones, Tabu, Cluedo, Scrabble, Rummikub...

I think a good idea to find an interesting game is to go to one of the cafes that provides board games, like Oskar Rosolowski mentioned. You can try them out there before you decide to buy anything.
15 March 2015 at 14:00
Patrycja Marciniak said…
Natalia, there are mobile apps and sites with new sets of Taboo keywords :) I also know the 'basic' set by heart, so I try to use the new ones to have more fun :)
15 March 2015 at 14:02
rf. said…
'Ticket to Ride' is pretty fun. I took a photo of the board after my first game because it looked amazing.
Have you been to Paradox Cafe in Warsaw? They play ALOT of X-com there... :)
15 March 2015 at 14:14
rf. said…
Yeah, hobbies are a privilege and playing board games can be quite time-consuming. And isn't the game you mentioned called 'Cludeo'? When was the last time you played it? :)
15 March 2015 at 14:17
rf. said…
Yeah, I've played Fortuna. As a matter of fact I own a very old copy that I've got from my older sister :)
15 March 2015 at 14:20
rf. said…
Unnecessary? I wouldn't go that far. Do you get to spend quality time with friends or family thanks to mobile phones or computers? :)
15 March 2015 at 14:21
rf. said…
Do you have any evidence to support your claim that more people are playing board games? From my experience it's exactly the opposite... due to the rapid development of technologies like pc and mobile gaming board games are losing ground... although I'm really happy for you if your close environment is choosing board games over digital ones.
15 March 2015 at 14:23
rf. said…
If you find some free time feel free to ask, I'd gladly play some board games with you :) or suggest a place or two where you can meet new players :)
15 March 2015 at 14:27
rf. said…
I've played all three games you mentioned and all of them are great. I believe that you may also like 'Bang' or 'Fasolki', give them a try if you get a chance.
15 March 2015 at 14:30
rf. said…
After your recommendation there is nothing left for me to do except trying this 'iKnow' game. Dixit is great but if you play it often with the same players it loses some of its original fun.
15 March 2015 at 14:32
rf. said…
I've heard about Talisman but didn't play it yet. What cafe are you talking about? :)
15 March 2015 at 14:33
rf. said…
You should try 'Glory to Rome' , 'Race for the Galaxy' or maybe even 'Civilization' (takes a while to play) if you like 7 Wonders. I have them and based on the ones you mentioned I'm pretty confident you'd like em too.
15 March 2015 at 14:37
rf. said…
I've played chess professionally for a while. I've met many amazing people and have great memories of that time.
And monopoly actually teaches you to invest hard, cooperate and reap the benefits. It doesn't usually work this way in real life ;)
15 March 2015 at 14:39
rf. said…
Do you play Scrabble in Polish or English or both or any other language? :>
15 March 2015 at 14:46
rf. said…
With a group of friends we've managed to print and play a 9-player version of Game of Thrones. Sooo worth it.
15 March 2015 at 14:49
Julia Osiak said…
I like board games but I wouldn't call myself a huge fan. I have a couple of favorites but I don't usually have a chance to try any new ones. I tend to stick with the classics: Monopoly, Scrabble, Cluedo, The Settlers of Catan. I guess the biggest problem is setting up the time that would be convenient for the entire group since everyone seems to always be in a hurry nowadays.
15 March 2015 at 16:55
rf. said…
That's only if you stick to some group. If you want to play board games just for fun there will always be someone wanting to play. And if you want to play with your close friends... well, you spend time together anyway, so maybe you prefer to do other things than playing board games together :)
15 March 2015 at 18:10
Unknown said…
I really like board games. I play games regularly with my friends. For me it is a wary good reason to meat and spend time together. Clasic game like monopolly and scrable I played when i was a kid. Now i prefer something like carcasonne, munchkin, Ticket to ride - this game allow for diversity meting with friends. Personally i like easy games with do not have too many rules.
15 March 2015 at 18:28
Anonymous said…
I sometimes play chess, once even I entered a tournament, I was 12yo by then. When I was a kid I played Mensch ärgere dich nicht(Chińczyk) and many others minor board games. I had a set of 12 board games at the time. I tried Monopoly 2 or 3 times in my life.

To be honest, I just don't have time to play board games. I have too much work that there no time for sleep. I'll might start to play them again in few years.
15 March 2015 at 18:35
rf. said…
If you like munchkin you may try 'iGranie z Gruzem', has somewhat similar feel (at least to me) :)
15 March 2015 at 18:37
rf. said…
If you're overworking yourself now don't expect that in the future you'll have more free time. And you should remember that without good night sleep you won't be as effective during the day - you need to take care of yourself :)
15 March 2015 at 18:39
Marcin Lyzwa said…
When I was a kid I used to play not only board games but also typical card games. At the beginning I wanted to write that today I don't play board games but after a second I realized that I play this kind of games every Christmas, Easter, etc. Moreover I own few of board games. My favourite are Scrabble, Monopoly, Farmer or Taboo. But generally speaking I prefer cards.
15 March 2015 at 19:50
Mateusz Frycie said…
In my opinion playing board games is a great way to spend time with your friends, especially in winter or autumn time. My mates and I love to play Taboo or Monopoly, Twister, Jenga. We laugh, we argue, we shout, but most of all we bond and get to know each other better and better.
15 March 2015 at 20:14
Unknown said…
Board games are the ones that it's not embarrassing to play, even when we're adult. I've always loved playing Monopoly, although I've been taking it way too serious. Till now, almost every family meeting ends up with us playing it, no matter that there's no single kid in my family any more :D
I've seen above that someone has mentioned 'Talisman' - I'm totally obssesed with that game! It's totally engrossing and once you start playing, you'll for sure totally love it. The rules are quite complicated so I'm not going to introduce them here but anyway I would recommend everyone to try it, as it doesn't really seem to be that exciting, that it really is.
15 March 2015 at 20:28
rf. said…
Do you play Texas Hold'em? :)
15 March 2015 at 20:38
rf. said…
I'm not sure if you can count Twister as a board game, but nonetheless... having good time with friends - you're doing it right! :)
15 March 2015 at 20:41
MartaSB said…
I totally agree! Games mentioned by rf. are really great. I highly recommend them :)
15 March 2015 at 20:46
rf. said…
If you're playing Monopoly together it means that there is still a part of little kid in every one of you and that's a great thing I believe! :)
15 March 2015 at 20:47
MartaSB said…
I love board games! I can't wait to find some free weekend to meet with friends for some GoT or Civilization session. I also like Race for the Galaxy, Glory to Rome, Manila and Settlers of Catan :)
15 March 2015 at 21:09
Unknown said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
15 March 2015 at 21:50
Unknown said…
Of course I like board games. When I was a kid, I used to play Monopoly, Cluedo, Chińczyk and many, not popular board games. When it comes to Monopoly I enjoy short sessions. But sometimes the game seems to last forever and then makes me bored. That’s why I like games which gameplay does not exceed 30 minutes. For example on my previous workplace we had “Pędzące żółwie”. I’s such a good game, especially when you play it during a short coffee break. I’ve been looking for a game that is easy and enjoyable recently. But there are plenty of board games to choose from… It’s really tough decision.
15 March 2015 at 21:51
Michal Kulesza said…
I love "less-board" board games like JungleSpeed and Yenga.

When I was a kid I loved to play Monopoly and Grzybobranie. I would like to also try 'Ojciec Mateusz - tajemnicze zagadki Sandomierza': http://www.rebel.pl/product.php/1,1523/29053/Ojciec-Mateusz-tajemnicze-zagadki-Sandomierza.html
15 March 2015 at 22:15
Unknown said…
Oh, yeah, I've played Civilization it's really cool!
Thanks for your recommendations, guys :)
15 March 2015 at 22:56
Kamil Fijałkowski said…
I’ve played board games few times and lust one was the most interesting. My friend invited me for art exhibition. After looking it when I wanted go home she stopped and said that there is some surprise for me. We went to some weird cafe and in front of entrance some guy greeted her and introduced his self for me. We’ve taken place in the end of cafe and some new guy joined us. I could not realized what is going on. It turned out that those 2 guys organize the table games meeting just to have fun and find new friends. After explaining the rules we have 2 hours of playing simple but funny games. I’ve made new friends, actually they were French and I practiced my English as well.
To sum up – table games is nice opportunity for meet someone and have a fun.
15 March 2015 at 23:08
Unknown said…
I play board games a lot. All kind of them. From simple and well known ones like Monopoly, through mid-complex (Ticket to Ride), card games (Magic: The Gathering) up to really complex and time consuming games such as Twilight Imperium (here's a photo from beginning of my last session: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4536220/ang/ti.jpg).

I really recommend playing board games to everybody in any age. It's a remarkable experience.
15 March 2015 at 23:08
Unknown said…
Of course I also like board games. My favorite is Monopoly, Scrabble and Yenga. As a child I often played with my siblings and friends in board games, however, nowadays I haven't too many opportunities to spend time in such a way.
15 March 2015 at 23:10
Unknown said…
I played board games a few years ago. Mainly I choose monopoly or scrabble. It gave me a lot of fun, because I played these games with my friends. Company is the most important thing to spend good time. Now I choosing another way to spend my free time/time with friends. We are watching some films, eating, dancing. Maybe I will make a suggestion to play board game.
15 March 2015 at 23:57
StevenHWicker said…
Your website is very beautiful or Articles. I love it thank you for sharing for everyone. Board Games
9 January 2021 at 16:09
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