Traditional Board Games Make the Move to Digital

Nothing is just fun and games. Mainly because playing games is no minor thing. The activity of playing games, and more specifically, board games, has long been recognised as one of the best ways of training the mind to solve a major crisis. Playing certain games expands people’s basic grasp on human nature as well as improving the very understanding of their own particular dynamic in the bigger group.

This may be because playing games can be very telling, especially to the person playing the game, about the person playing the game. In the age of self-exploration and a newfound desire to truly understand self, there has been a tremendous spike in interest in playing board games. Quite naturally, when the age of the Internet dawned, the traditional board games that we played as children, and even as young adults, have all been recreated online.

Missing The Good Old Days

People tend to stick to activities that remind them of the carefree nature of their childhood years. This is most probably the simplest explanation for why perfectly smart and well-rounded adults still find themselves inexplicably drawn to the almost too simple charms of things like Snakes and Ladders. The premise is a basic one: taking turns to roll a dice, players move their respective counters forward on the board according to the number of spaces allowed by the dice. If the counter lands on the bottom end of a ladder, the player may proceed up the ladder, often resulting in the counter landing up much further up on the game board. If, however, the counter lands on the head of a snake, this means trouble and the counter must then slide down the snake all the way to its tail, which will be situated on a lower, or worse, position on the board.

Not exactly nail-biting stuff, and yet we keep going back to the old familiars, time after time.

The Familiars

The truth is, games cover a range of human behaviour and come in every package imaginable. Monopoly, for instance, is a board game that has been around for a very long time. Even its origins reveal much about human nature. The game was developed during a time that was plagued by financial depression, resulting in one stock market crash. The game reflected the economy at the time; a time when the rich acquired more and more at the absolute expense of the very poor.

Quite befitting then that the “Mr Monopoly” that appears on the box is based on none other than J.P. Morgan.

Since its humble beginnings, Monopoly has been recreated a number of times, with colours and various elements being added along the way. It has obviously also made its way into the online arena, where the online industry is now making a profit off of people playing the old classic in the ether. It’s even made its way to the online casino sector, with slots and other games featuring the famous board, the hat, the dog and other instantly recognisable symbols.

Something To Do

The fact of the matter is that many people are looking for an affordable night in, instead of going out and spending hundreds of dollars on expensive entertainment. Board games are the ultimate breakaway and best of all; it’s cheap entertainment at its best.

Online companies are making a quick buck off of people willing to spend small amounts of cash on in-game currency and even useful virtual game items from other players. Payments are made via PayPal and other online currency market places. Online companies presenting old classic board games to players in imaginative new ways are making a small fortune, because in the end, it all adds up.

When Old Meets New

Whilst most people have a tendency to stick to what they know, nobody wants to feel like they are being left behind and so, however traditional they may have been raised to be, people want to experience that they are somehow moving forward into the future alongside the rest of digital mankind.

Playing traditional board games online is the perfect meeting in the middle. People now have the opportunity to stick to the games that they have known and loved ever since they were young children growing up, but combined with the sensation that they are indeed moving with the times.

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