Lunchtime Discussion: Board Games
That's right, games not on a screenPublished 19/03/2010 at 12:00.
By Kris L [raen].
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Last night was games night. The games available consisted of a little Modern Warfare 2, a terribly painful DVD game of which I will speak no more, and the more noble pursuit of Uno Extreme. I wasn’t really aware that you could apply the same label to a variation of Uno and sky diving, but apparently so. Every time I play any kind of board game I suddenly remember that board games are actually really enjoyable, although I pretty much instantly forget this once the game is complete.
Sadly less successful than actual board games are those video game implementations of board games that license holders try and palm off every now and again. For a starter they’re simply not as fun as their real world counterparts. There’s something very simple and familiar about sitting around a table with family, friends and other people you want to beat, and board games work well in this situation.
It’s the way that they’re designed to be played so of course they work well. Sadly when the games are transitioned to a virtual format no real effort seems to be made in actually changing any of the game’s mechanics to suit the new way of playing the game, which pretty much means they fail pretty quickly for me.
It just seems a little silly to turn board games into video games. It doesn’t work the other way does it? There’s no version of Call of Duty that you can sit around a table and play, it just wouldn’t work very well. There’s no way to move Mario and Luigi around a board by rolling dice is there? Even if there already is, I feel fairly confident in saying that they aren’t very good versions of those titles.
So as I’m still tired from a very lengthy game of Uno Extreme I’ll keep this brief. What are your thoughts on board games in general? Do they poorly transition into a video game format? Would you rather they just stayed as physical games?
Next time on Lunchtime Discussions: We journey into the future for a whole week! That’s right it’s theme week. Are you excited? I’m excited. Anyway it’s tough if you’re not, I’m still writing them.
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cc_star | 19/03/2010 12:01
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Board games are awesome – I’m really enjoying playing loads with my daughter – a key advantage of them over modern day console gaming is local multi-player 100% of the time…. and that makes everything at least a thousand times better
bunimomike | 19/03/2010 12:08
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Agreed. I meet up with friends once in a while to play proper games (read: Pass the Bomb, Scruples, etc). Ok, not all “board” games but the interaction is second to none. It really does trump console gaming and is hard to compete with. However, not so easy to arrange and there’s the downer. Personally, all board games will probably work well online if done well and sold cheaply. Surely the major real-world cost is materials, etc. Banging digital versions out should be sooo cheaply done.
cc_star | 19/03/2010 12:20
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Online? but then you lose the key reason as to why they are fun.
Yes, its part the game’s mechanics, but its definitely mainly the face to face interaction.
This is a huge reason behind the Wii’s enormous success, when it comes down to it you can have all the expensive HD graphics in the world, but if you can’t have the laugh you can in Wii Bowling its not going to have as broad an appeal as it could have.
bunimomike | 19/03/2010 12:33
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Yeh, thought that after I’d posted it. Fundamental flaw right there. Ignore everything I said. Now and in the future. :D
dirtyhabit | 19/03/2010 12:19
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I always look at video games as my evolutionary leap from board games, I used to play a lot of board games when I was younger, (Scrabble, Cranium being particular favourites)I still play some board games, but its more of a family affair now.
When my missus/parents question my gaming I always refer to when I used to play board games throughout my childhood/teens and see it as an extension of that.
shields_t | 19/03/2010 12:21
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I might start using that one too ;-)
Ducer15 | 19/03/2010 12:47
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Agreed on all counts. Face to face multi-player beats online every time.
shields_t | 19/03/2010 12:20
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I find it’s easier to round up the people living in my house for board games rather than a round of local multiplayer PS3 gaming.
Personal favourites are the LEGO Creationary game and a game called Knowing me, Knowing you which doesn’t have anything to do with Steve Coogan and has questions based on how well you know your mates.
The other advantage of Board Games is that they only get better with alcohol, whereas my ability to use the Playstation is severely detrimented by the consumption of alcohol!
kevatron400 | 19/03/2010 12:43
Don't call him Kevatron400.
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What is this lego game of which you speak? It sounds like awesomeness incarnate!
shields_t | 19/03/2010 13:55
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It is pretty sweet, I think it’s just called Creationary, the concept is kind of LEGO Pictionary.
Squalje | 19/03/2010 14:36
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Alcohol is indeed a useful catalyst for our board game sessions. Jenga is the current favourite in our house at the moment.
djhsecondnature | 19/03/2010 12:26
Kicking It
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UNO Extreme is a great game!
Raen | 19/03/2010 12:40
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Heh I never intended to slag of UNO Extreme and the highly racist machine ;)
TSBonyman | 19/03/2010 12:28
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Board games are fine but lacking in single player modes :)
I guess with games like chess people like to hone their mastery of the actual game so a digital version is handy and some board games can translate well into a console party game.
As kids, board games often ended in arguments in our house but board games were often dragged out at college parties and it’s all about the real-time engagement with others which you will never get online.
Ducer15 | 19/03/2010 12:49
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Actually a few do have single player options. Lord of the Rings is one that comes to mind. However it totally defeats the point in playing a board game in my mind.
Jimster71 | 19/03/2010 17:57
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The old Games Workshop game, “Chainsaw Warrior”, was single player only.
YOURMUMANDME | 19/03/2010 12:35
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Ooooh, I love board games but I hardly get the chance to play them anymore . My fav has to be TALISMAN ! Whoo hoo ! It’s awesome and I’m not even that much of a geek …..serious !
shields_t | 19/03/2010 12:45
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Blimey, I haven’t played Talisman since I owned a BBC Micro!
theberzerka | 19/03/2010 12:58
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i have talisman and all the expansion packs i love that game and the joy of board games are you can play for hours without worrying that the board will overheat and burst into flames. Also the distinct lack of eye sting/strain is always welcome
Jimster71 | 19/03/2010 17:58
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I used to have talisman but sold it all on ebay to pay for my original xbox!
retro_ | 19/03/2010 12:45
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As a kid growing up in the 70′s, the best board game by a country mile was ESCAPE FROM COLDITZ, a game single game could easily last 24 hours or more. Original Parker versions go for huge money on Ebay nowadays.
Ducer15 | 19/03/2010 12:54
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I quite like the odd board game (does owning 91 sound a lot?) and every month or so meet with a local group for an afternoon of gaming. Great fun imho. Anyone that wants to try the more interesting crop of Euro Game, that rarely if ever use dice to decide movement and keep all players involved and interested could do worse than to buy the following gateway games.
1. Carcassonne
2. Ticket to Ride Europe (yeah its about trains but don’t let that put you off)
3. The Settlers of Catan.
There are load more and you can find out about them on http://www.boardgamegeek.com. In the UK my preferred online retailer is http://www.iguk.co.uk
Jimster71 | 19/03/2010 17:59
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Carcassonne and Settlers of Catan are both available as Xbox Live Arcade games. Both good fun in that format.
Sitron_NO | 19/03/2010 12:57
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If you want a good tip on a great multiplayer, fun and easy(!) boardgame, then buy “Formula D”. Is sounds a bit dull, but it is really great fun. And it has several advantages:
- Up to 10 players and still the same game (unlike Buzz)
- Adjust number of laps to how much time you got to play
- To sets of rule: Easy and advanced, so anyone can play, not just boardgame-masters.
- You can upgrade by buying more tracks.
Read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_D_%28board_game%29
Ducer15 | 19/03/2010 13:06
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Played that one. Not bad. You can get extra boards to represent different race tracks. Normally double sided I think.
Gastos84 | 19/03/2010 12:57
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Board games are awesome. I will never forget playing Ludo or Yahtzee with my Grandad. He was a dreadful cheat but it was so much fun.
Board games don’t work virtually because of the different ways people play. Some cheat, some get really aggressive and some just take it all on the chin. I shudder to think of the number of ‘incidents’ that have been caused at the hands of Monopoly or The Game of Life.
Games like Mouse Trap also have a physical thing to react to. How many people played mouse trap in antcipation of that ball rolling down the slide, catapulting the diver into his bucket and ultimately ensnaring your poor old mouse? It just wouldn’t be the same in a virtual world.
Also, there is something extremely gratifying about watching someone in the lead get right toward the end of Snakes and Ladders only to fall foul of the largest snake on the board. This is the moment when you stand up, point and shout IN YOUR FACE!
Ducer15 | 19/03/2010 12:57
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To get back to the original question. No computerised version are not worth having. They lose the social aspect straight away, or at least most of it.