Playing games is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. Games, in all their forms, are a great source of entertainment, and they also provide some much-needed exercise for the brain. Board games have been played for a long time, with the oldest known board games dating back thousands of years and with others having been developed in more recent times. Whatever the board game one chooses to play, it is well known that this category of games has been popular among people of all age groups across cultures and communities around the world.
Even though board games are typically seen to be more popular among the younger people in modern society, to say that people of advanced age do not play board games would be factually incorrect. Many people in their middle and senior years play a variety of board games as a means of recreation or for socialising with their family members, friends, neighbours, acquaintances, and colleagues. In today’s world, it is possible to play one’s favorite board games on one’s mobile phones, tablets, and computers in an online format in addition to their traditional, physical forms.
Here are some of the most popular board games today:
1. Chess
No list of board games can ever be complete without talking about chess – the iconic game that is widely regarded as the ultimate game of strategy. Chess is one of the world’s oldest invented board games, and to this day, it remains a benchmark when it comes to strategic thinking. Its relevance in today’s modern world as a game that sharpens logical reasoning and enhances creativity and innovative decision-making makes it all the more popular.
2. Snakes and Ladders
Known to be one of the most popular board games for children, Snakes and Ladders is a game in which players, through dice rolls, have to get from the starting point to the finishing point by taking advantage of ladders and avoiding snakes. All one needs is a Snakes and Ladders download link to get started. The game is well-loved for its simplicity and easy-to-follow rules and is undoubtedly a family favorite. Snakes and Ladders also has a variant called Chutes and Ladders, which is played in the same format.
3. Scrabble
Scrabble is a board game that involves building words through the use of tiles that bear an alphabet on them and placing them in such a way that they help to maximise the total score for the word being made. Since its launch in the early 1930s, Scrabble has grown to become a favorite for millions of people in various countries around the world, and it has found a special place among wordsmiths of all ages.
4. Catan
Launched in the year 1995, Catan is a game that turns every player into a settler in a new and unexplored land. The game has the tagline “Trade, Build, Settle”, and this is a very accurate description of how one is to play the game. Each player has to acquire land and build their own settlements through trading activities and the accumulation of resources for the same. The player with the most superior settlement at the end of the game is the winner. Three to four people can play Catan, and its online version is just as popular as the classic physical version.
5. Stratego
Just as its name suggests, Stratego is a strategy board game that is played on a board of squares in a 10×10 arrangement. Stratego is a game for two players, and each player controls 40 game pieces, with each piece representing an individual officer and soldier rank in a player’s army, a bomb, or the side’s respective flag. The objective of the game is to capture the flag of the opponent’s side or to capture so many of the opponent’s pieces that they are unable to make any more moves. Stratego is well-loved for its straightforward rules and simple gameplay. The game is popular among children and appeals to adults as well.
6. Monopoly
Monopoly is a board game that can be played by a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 8 players. This game is centered around the purchase and sale of real estate, as well as developing properties (such as houses and hotels) across the board, with the objective of earning money and increasing one’s wealth. The player who has the highest amount of money at the end of the game is the winner. Monopoly is great fun to play with friends and family and is a perfect representation of the importance of financial management.
7. Ludo
A timeless classic, Ludo is a board game that traces its roots to the ancient Indian game of ‘Pachisi’. Ludo can be played by a minimum of two and a maximum of four players. The game gets its name from the Latin word ‘ludo’, which translates to ‘I play’, and is well known for its uncomplicated rules. Playing Ludo involves players racing their respective colored tokens from the starting point to the finishing point, with the objective of the game being to get all of their tokens to the finishing point before their opponents.
These are just some of the numerous board games that are thriving in today’s technologically advanced world. Even as more and more games go digital, one cannot deny that there is an unbeatable thrill when it comes to playing one’s favorite board games in person with one’s family and friends.
