4 Reasons to Play More (Tabletop) Games!
Sharing My Love of Board Games
I’m gonna let you in on a secret. I really enjoy playing games, any game will do really, but tabletop games are my particular favorite. Now, for those of you unfamiliar with what I might mean by ‘tabletop,’ a game of this type is anything from a card, to board, to role-playing (think Dungeons & Dragons) games. I’m here to encourage you to (hopefully) play more games in this genre and maybe debunk so misconceptions along the way, but first, I’m going to narrow the breadth of games a little bit. I’ll exclude from consideration your traditional family or party games like Monopoly or whatever charades spin-off exists now. I’m leaving games like these off for two reasons. The first is that they are already staples of pretty much every game collection and thus need no avocation, and second that they (in my opinion) aren't nearly as fun and engaging as some of the other games I’ll mention. With that, here are a few of my reasons to play more games, aside from the insane amount of fun you’ll have.
1. Forge Friendships
This may come as a surprise to those who consistently play Monopoly, but board games can actually build great friendships. Yeah, I know that competitive people (myself included) might take winning a little bit too far in some games, hey, I’m going to do my best to get ten victory points or get to the last space first, but these situations also form important bonds and create timeless memories. There are few better situations when you get to know someone better than when they can either buff themselves to victory or benefit the entire group. Board games of all kinds provide a setting without pressing real world consequences to get to know your friends in all sorts of stressful situations. After playing a few games of Settlers of Catan, it becomes pretty apparent how each player at the table deals with strategy and tough decisions. There are The Persuaders, The Lone Wolves, The Stockpilers, and The Freelancers to name a few. Persuaders are players who will haggle to the smallest detail to get everything they want from the other players at the table, maybe that one extra sheep or a few extra gold pieces. Lone Wolves prefer to create their own elaborate plans which will eventually lead them to victory without the pesky meddling of their opponents, and Stockpilers prefer to sit on vast piles of resources waiting until the last possible moment to unleash their wealth to swing the game in their favor. Freelancers prefer to take the game as an opportunity to hinder everyone else involved regardless of their own progress. I find playing games, especially board games, to act as a great insight into the personalities of all the players. Unfortunately, gaming gets a negative (and mostly undeserved) stereotype of lacking social interaction at all. While that stereotype exists, reality is quite the opposite with games providing a great opportunity for even the quietest among us to meet new people through common interests.
2.Expand Your Knowledge
As a general rule, we tend to distance ourselves from learning whenever we start playing games, and our brain stops thinking about all the important everyday things in favor of absorbing all sorts of information from memorizing obscure pieces of the history of a fictional land, to complex strategies for winning with a few well-played moves. This sort of activity often goes overlooked as a way to expand your knowledge and critical thinking, while it’s true that the exact rules or explanation don’t prove objectively useful, the learning which playing games provides goes to a deeper level. Tabletop games provide engagement to various facets of your mind, from critical thinking to creativity. Playing cooperative strategy games like Pandemic forces you to work with a team of varying skill to accomplish a common goal, something that’s seen as valuable in the workplace. Storytelling games like Betrayal at House on the Hill or Gloom, facilitate creative stories woven into gameplay. When playing games, you learn things without even thinking about it which is one of their greatest strengths.
3. Flex Your Creativity
I know, I already mentioned creativity in the last section, but I think it’s important enough to warrant its own section. Some people might wonder why games like Dungeons and Dragons exist with their exhaustive list of rules, and lack of tangible experience. To a person who has never played a roleplaying game or something similar, the concept of merely rolling dice and consulting a wordy book to determine the outcome of a particular event might seem foreign, and as a person who only began playing tabletop games three years ago, I can relate. The reason that these games are popular, and their best attribute, is their ability to allow anyone the freedom of creativity. Tabletop games cater to those who are creative in all types. Whether it’s a trap or puzzle which takes an innovative solution or a magnificently told story which justifies some aspect of the game, each individual can, and is encouraged to, step outside of themselves to express themselves in the fictional game world. I’ve seen many people who think of themselves as uncreative, completely shift their view after spending a little time in a roleplaying environment. It’s supremely fulfilling to have control over a fictional situation without fear of reproach.
4. Relieve Stress
Finally, and most importantly, tabletop games are just that: games. They provide a great opportunity to leave your life filled with work, bills, and a severe lack of dragons, to enter a world where you are the master of a dungeon designed to kill heroes (Boss Monster), a merchant in the city of splendors looking to gain power (Lords of Waterdeep), or brave adventurers escaping with treasures from an evil island(Forbidden Island). We all value a little time away from the worries of real life, and I’d encourage you to play more games next time you’d like to get away for a few hours.
In the words of Wil Wheaton: “play more games!”
Let me know some of your thoughts on the games I mentioned or your own favorites in the comments. I’m looking to begin a series reviewing board games, so let me know if there are any I should try.
As always feel free to follow me @headin_thecloud.
