Article by Tricia Jones
If anybody asked you what the top all time board games were there is a good chance that you would guess at least 3 of them. Even with a multitude of board games competing in the toy stores there are still a select few that everybody has heard of and many of us have played.
Not only kids are fascinated by board games and the intriguing styles, colours, designs and gameplay, many adults enjoy board games making them a real family activity. The variation in the way these games are played is truly massive. So much imagination has gone into many of the games that they are really unique.
Board games are really games for indoors, but it can be great fun when you find outdoor versions of these games to play. The best can easily compete with video games for fun and entertainment. Some board games have been adapted to be able to be played on computers and gaming consoles, but they can’t beat the fun of playing the original games.
Following are the top 5 board games that are popular worldwide. How many of them did you include in your top five?
1. Monopoly
Monopoly has been a strong family favourite and amongst all age groups for decades. The Guiness Book of Records said that Monopoly was the most played game in the world in 1999 and this board game is still top of the buyers list years on and that includes many special editions and variations.
Here are the basic rules: One of the players is named as the banker, that player is in charge of all of the money. Players pick their gaming pieces and at the throw of the dice have to move them around a square board edged with properties. If nobody else owns the property a player lands on that player can buy the property, or if somebody else owns it they have to pay rent to that player.
Amongst the properties there are plots that let you choose cards that may hold good or bad scenarios for you. You can even be sent to jail. and that is one of the properties that will slow you down in your quest to become a property tycoon. The game can take hours to play and the winner is the player with the most property and money at the end.
2. Scrabble
Scrabble is another board game with a massive following. As with Monopoly you will see many variations of this game on the market. There are adult and child versions and the biggest benefit of this game apart from the fun is that you and your kids can improve your spelling and vocabulary whilst playing the game.
To play the game you place letter tiles on a grid to form words connected to each other. The letter tiles have points and the grid has certain multipliers that help toward winning the game with the most points. It can be a contest between people of how powerful their vocabulary is and that builds the more you play.
3. Chess
One of the oldest classics, this game has had a long history and consistent following. Your moves on a chess board are down to a number of rules for each of the pieces but the strategies that can be used to play are numerous and complex. You essentially play your pieces against an opponent and they are either black or white. Your pieces can move towards the opponents and the aim of the game is to take their pieces out. The different pieces have different powers of movement and passing from pawns to queens. Chess involves thinking of possible moves that can be made and planning ahead and is a very intellectual pursuit. A good game will probably last for hours if each player is proficient.
4. Checkers or Draughts
Using the same or similar to the chess board but with simpler pieces and movement. The pieces can jump over and take the opponents pieces and the winner is the person left with a piece on the board. This game will end in a stalemate if both players are good and do not make any mistakes. A big following and a simple game to master this is a popular family game that often helps children learn to strategize.
5. Trivial Pursuit
The youngest of the most popular board games, it was created in 1979. Trivial Pursuit caught on really quickly and has remained a firm favourite. Essentially testing your ability to answer general knowledge questions on a range of subjects this board game is an active and a social one.
This is a great game for parties and can be played by several single players or several teams. Educationally, Trivial Pursuit can help to increase your general knowledge and if you have a good memory for facts it could be a good game for you to excel at apart from being fun.
I’ve got all of those games in my home have you? I still love playing them but there are also lots of new skill games to check out. You can find details of all of these board games and more at the skill games site. Just click on top board games.