Modern Board Games
Since the early days of board games, many have been released that have shaped the world of tabletop games and established themselves as modern classics. Others have become wildly popular within a short span of time. The exploration of new genres or twists on old ones have expanded to establish a variety of well-crafted games, guaranteeing an exciting experience for anyone.
The Future of Tabletop Games
With the advancement of technology and the creation of the internet, where do board games come in today? And how are they still relevant to entertainment when they compete against things like video games, Netflix, and social media?
Kickstarter has become a great resource for game designers to make games without the necessity of a big game company. Designers with well-developed ideas can crowd-fund their game by presenting their plan and offering milestones for donors. Many popular games have started on Kickstarter including Cards Against Humanity, Secret Hitler, and Dice Throne.
3D Printing
The rise in popularity and availability of personal in 3D printers allows game creators to produce pieces for their games in a much more cost effective way. It also allows D&D players to create and customize their own miniatures.
Digital Components
Board games and technology are not contradictory. In fact, they've already begun to combine to create new experiences in tabletop games. Some board games now come with a companion app to download along with the physical game. These can be helpful in moderating, timing, scoring, explaining, and even playing the board game, becoming just as necessary as any other piece packaged with the game.
Legacy Board Games
With the introduction of Legacy games, board games have begun to take a twist. Designed to force players to physically change the game permanently, Legacy games guarantee a new experience every time. Players might be instructed to write on cards, place stickers on the game board, or destroy components.
Dungeons & Dragons (D&D)
In the 1970s and 1980s another type of tabletop game caught on: Dungeons & Dragons. Started by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, D&D began as a way for them to personalize the battles of their fantasy war games. Eventually, it grew to become a massively popular fantasy roleplaying game, where players could personalize their heroes and search for treasure, battle deadly creatures, explore new worlds, and just generally immerse themselves in vivid stories.
Gen Con
In 1968, Gary Gygax organized a small war gaming convention called Gen Con, a play on the historical Geneva Convention Rules for Warfare. When D&D was released, the focus of the convention shifted to accomodate more roleplaying games. Held in Indianapolis, Indiana, it is the longest running and best attended convention for tabletop gaming in North America today, running for over 50 years. Its exhibit hall hosts hundreds of game manufacturers and publishers who not only sell their games directly to attendees but also demonstrate their games and premier new ones.
Early(ish) Board Games
For hundreds of years, board games have played a role in bringing people together through entertainment and friendly competition. Even only going back a century, there are tons games to look back on. Many people are familiar with the classic board games they grew up with. These games were among some of the most popular:
Credits:
Created with images by Christopher Paul High - "Board game in early evening sunlight. " • Ryan Wallace - "Dice Throne - Season 2 Battle Chest - Cursed Pirate" • Robert Coelho - "untitled image" • Clint Bustrillos - "untitled image" • Ryan Wallace - "Dice Throne - Season 2 Battle Chest - Gunslinger " • ZMorph Multitool 3D Printer - "ZMorph VX Multitool 3D Printer" • Jaciel Melnik - "The Green Meeples" • Clint Bustrillos - "untitled image" • Hunter James - "Facing east in downtown Indianapolis at around 7:30 AM. " • Christopher Paul High - "untitled image"