Time to roll the dice

Game Fever

Video games may have overshadowed board games in recent years — but today, board games have bounced back to being a popular trend.

Classic board games like chess, Ludo, Snakes and Ladders, Monopoly and Scrabble are entertaining and still very much considered to be the perfect home entertainment choices.  Though there are some who love the feel of joysticks, keyboards and headphones while playing with virtual friends online, others enjoy the benefit of communicating and playing with each other while sitting across a table, taking turns to roll the dice.

The fun of the game begins when your friends and you roll the dice and hold your breath till you see the number appear. It always turns out to be more than just a game — it’s all about the excitement and laughter.

“I love to play board games, especially Snakes and Ladders. It’s so much fun and also very interesting to know who will win at the end of each game. These games can be the perfect choice for a get-together activity,” says Ramya Sridhar, a professional. 

Things have changed quite a bit in the dot-com era and now, many board games like Scrabble can be played on the internet. But despite the reinvention of board games online, there are still many takers for a traditional round of chess or Monopoly. Some consider board games to be a refreshing change.

“I usually play board games when I want to do something different or when I’m playing with children. Otherwise, I’m a sports person and I mostly enjoy games like badminton and table tennis,” says Harshini, a college student.

Young adults play games like chess and Scrabble only when they are in the mood to put on their thinking caps. It’s not just about interacting with other players but also about competition. Games like chess have become more than just a pastime. 

With tight schedules that involve working in front of computer screens throughout the day, some say board games are a wise choice to take ones mind off responsibilities and relax.

“I used to play chess very often when I was in college and I even took part in many inter-collegiate chess competitions. These days, I’m very busy with my family and work.

 Given a chance, I would love to play it again,” says Parimal Sumeet, a professional.Jeeturam, a toy store owner, says board games had lost their importance for a while but are in demand again. Recently, he has sold  many of these board games. Children and youngsters come in to buy them literally every day.

“We always had young children coming to our store to buy these games. Chess is one game we always had demand for. Apart from that, ‘Uno’ used to sell like hot cakes for a while but now we have many youngsters purchasing ‘Scrabble’ and ‘Taboo’,” he says.