Nowadays spending any uninterrupted time with your family can be quite impossible given the different schedules everyone has. However, even during weekends or when everyone is at home, how often do we see the parents on their laptops or watching something on TV, while the kids are on their phones or gaming on a console in a different room? While no one can argue about the benefits of technology, families have begun to grow quite distant because of it. This is even more apparent now that most of us are together at home. So instead, why not take this opportunity to pull out those old board games collecting dust on top of your closet and get your family and friends together for a fun-filled board game evening.
So why pick up Board Gaming?
There are several benefits to playing board games. For one, good old-fashioned board games can prove to be a welcome change of pace that brings the whole family together. In fact, I don’t doubt for most of you above the age of 30, some of your fondest childhood memories would be of playing board games with your family on weekends.
Playing board games is also a very social activity, one that that goes even beyond just your immediate family and friends. The industry has also been experiencing a resurgence of sorts in recent years and shows no sign of slowing. As a result, more and more people are getting into the hobby. The same is true for Oman, with several gaming groups cropping up across the country.
There are also several health benefits associated with board games, especially in children. For starters, they can be very relaxing, which in turn reduces stress. At the same time, they are also excellent learning tools. It helps develop concentration, fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, logic and reasoning, Memory formation and cognitive skills, together with improving critical thinking and boosting spatial reasoning. But best of all, they are fun!
Where to play?
For casual players, just about any dining table will do. Some places and clubs even host board game nights, which can be a great outing for the entire family to enjoy and meet other like-minded individuals. So, keep an eye out for them. For those who are more dedicated or host regular meetups with friend and family, and if you have room to spare, you may even be interested in building your own dedicated board game room. You can even purchase or build a dedicated board game table if you are so inclined. Most of these even come with built in dice and token trays, cupholders, and more.
What games to pick up?
For the more casual among us, there are the all-time greats such as Monopoly, Scrabble, Risk, Jenga, Snakes and ladders, Cluedo, and more. Should you be willing to experiment, there are games such as Pandemic, Ticket to Ride, Betrayal at House on the Hill, Mysterium, Scythe, and countless others. These games have more complex rulesets but are generally easy to pick up and are immensely more fun to play.
For those of you who wish to take their board games to the next level, however, you can try your hand at some fantasy roleplaying games. These games have significantly more complex rulesets and will require some level of commitment from all players. But the level of fun and replayability they offer is unmatched.
These come in multiple forms, including comprehensive boxed games such as Gloomhaven, Mice & Mystics, Descent and more. Or if imagination and creativity is more your thing, you could try your hand at more open-ended rulesets such as Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder; and just create your own world and adventure.