History of Boardgames

Board games, as defined by the name itself, are games based on boards. Players use boards as a platform and with the aid of other equipments such as dice, timers, and other pieces that would enhance the game. Others would be as intricate as monopoly, where dices and pieces only make up a small part of the game. In addition to this, some games would be a simple as a marker and a dice such as the game of luck in snakes and ladders.

Basically, board games are divided into three types of games: luck, strategy, and knowledge. Board games based on luck are usually controlled by dice. The winner is usually determined by the one who can luckily roll the desired number on the dice. Games of strategy on the other hand are a game of wits, skills, and logic. People who excel in this type of game really excel, and a game of chance will not change their skills in any way. There are also games that require the player to be knowledgeable on certain topics like quizmasters and scrabble. There are also board games that do not require only luck but also strategy in all aspects of the game. A classic example of this is monopoly, where a dice is rolled and players try to create an empire within the board.

However, the very first board game in recorded history is a game of chance called Senet. The game was recorded to have been played as early as 3500BC. The game was played by the Egyptian royalty as they were engraved in their tombs documenting their interest in this specific board game. The specific rules and game play of Senet is debatable today, but it is certain that Senet is a game of chance. Documents were also found stating the interest of the locals in board games, but it is believed that commoners simply didn't have enough time and resources to sit down and enjoy them.

It was only during the 20th century that board games started to be known by everyone, even though they were created even before the birth of Christ. It was after World War II that people became more interested in the board games that were available at that time. The rise of board game was due to the rising middle class. People starting to have more time of their own, and they started to look for games that would not require them to sweat.

People saw the rise in interest of these board games, and competitions for some of these games begin to grow. This was especially true for games of skill. Chess during the post war era was at its hype worldwide, and many of the world champions of the game were Russians. It was only through Bobby Fischer that the United States experienced the first and only world champion in chess, and this didn't occur until the 1970s.

The popularity of board games still continues with the help of the internet and computers. Software was developed to give casual players some games with the help of artificial intelligence. People also go online to look for other players from the other side of the world to play a great game online.

You might also be interested in these articles:

• Collecting Board Games
• Starting a Board Game Collection
• History of Board Games
• Economics and the History of Board Games
• Board Game Tournaments in History
• Benefits of Board Games