Back to board games!

Going Online

In today’s time, with all the high-tech video games and other conveniences, one wonders whether board games are a thing of the past? Have they become outdated? The answer is no.

Though board games are stacked in one’s cupboard gathering dust, they have taken a new shape in the online world. Many of the popular board games like Snakes and Ladders, Ludo, Scrabble and others have an online version, which are finding many takers.

Govindraju, owner of a toy store, explains that board games have almost gone out of fashion. Children come in for play stations or video games, which are far more attractively packaged.

 “Some games like Snakes and Ladders or Monopoly are still popular but once they reach the age of 12 or so, they lose interest and go in for other electronic games,” he adds.
Susmita, a student, says that playing these games online is a great way to unwind and far more convenient. “Nobody has the time or patience to get together to play board games. Now there are online games designed for just one player. So it makes it far more convenient to play it whenever you can,” she adds.

Stuti, a brand manager, agrees that people don’t have the time to play such games. “So much has changed. I remember playing games like Gobble, Monopoly and Mastermind with my family for hours together. We used to fight and quarrel for points and unknowingly learn so many things. But now if I ask any of my friends to come for a game of Scrabble, they will only give me looks. That’s where online versions of these games, which are on social networking sites like Facebook, come in handy,” she says.

One thing all these game enthusiasts agree is that there is nothing like the real game. Feeling the pawn or the dice in your hand has its own charm. Tony, a working professional, recollects his college days being filled with board game competitions. A popular one being Scrabble competitions.

Hours together would be spent over the jumbled letters to become the winner. It helps in improving one’s vocabulary. “With online versions, one doesn’t know if there is any cheating or not. For the sake of competition, the online games are helpful but one must remember that games like these are of no use if you can’t meet the person one is playing with. The entire point of a board game is to interact and have fun along the way. The two ingredients are missing of late, thanks to their online counterparts,” he says.