Angela Harris

Classic Board Games Never Go Out of Style

Board games are making a comeback. Video games may have impressive graphics, the internet has friends to be added, but there's something irresistible about a bunch of people gathered around a table with an old-fashioned board game.

My kids enjoy board games even more than I do. The youngest is sixteen. They get together with their friends about once a month and have an all-night board game event. It's the only time they don't hear complaints from me about the noise. I'll take the rumble of laughter and clatter of dice over a blaring stereo any day.

I got to thinking about how many childhood memories I have that center around a board game. Many boring days were turned into fun afternoons after Monopoly, Scrabble, or some similar board game was pulled out of a drawer.

One winter there was a blizzard that snowed everyone in. My grandparents were visiting for the holidays. If we hadn't owned Aggravation and Clue board games, I don't think all of us would have made it out alive.

Most families have favourite board games that they keep handy. Some board games can be found in almost everyone's home. The following is a list of classic board games. If you don't own them, you should. You never know when the next blizzard may come. (Or at least a power outage.)

Monopoly- Of course, the Monopoly board game has to be at the top of the list. I don't believe I've ever met a person who hasn't tried to build their micro real estate empire via the Monopoly board. Besides, Monopoly is the best-selling board game of all time. It is distributed in 26 languages. Monopoly is also one of those games that adults enjoy as much as kids.

Scrabble- Scrabble is a personal favourite board game of mine. Any bibliophile will enjoy playing Scrabble. Although it is designed for older kids through adult ages, the rules can be altered to make it easier for younger kids to play. This classic word-building board game should carry a warning sticker, however. There have been many Scrabble arguments in our household over a word's authenticity. Just be sure to have an excellent dictionary.

Risk- The classic game of world domination has to be included in a list of best classic board games. Risk seems easy, but winning Risk requires strategic planning. Risk originated in France in 1959. Today there are several versions of the popular board game including Lord of the Rings Risk and Star Wars Risk.

Clue- If you haven't a clue about the board game of the same name, you must have been born yesterday. Clue is a mystery board game. The winner has to figure out the murder mystery first by going to rooms on the board and asking questions of other players. Clue is another fun board game that spans across all ages.
Chess- Chess is the oldest game in the world. Chess is often called the game of kings because it was a favourite game of the royalty for hundreds of years. The object of Chess is to capture the opponent's king. Chess is a game of strategy that requires focus and concentration. Chess is more suited to adults and older children.

Checkers- Checkers, or Draughts, is a classic board game. This deceivingly simple board game requires strategic planning. It is easy enough for young children to learn, but can still be challenging for adults. To win, one must capture the opponent's pieces by jumping over them. All of the enemy's checkers must be caught or he must be unable to move.

Life- The game of Life is just fun. Will you be rich, famous, or end up in the poor house? Spin the wheel, move, and draw your cards. That's pretty much all there is to it. But you must decide on life's decisions as they arise. This game requires no skills. It's a fun game for different ages to play together all at once. If the traditional Lifeboard game doesn't interest you, try Star Wars, The Simpsons, or Pirates of the Caribbean Life games.

Sorry!- Sorry! is another true classic board game. Parker Brothers started distributing Sorry! in the 1930s. They still own the board game today. Sorry! is a strategy game in which the winner must get all of their playing pieces to their home base first. Sorry! is fun for young kids and adults.

Backgammon- Backgammon is a strategy game for two players with a bit of luck built into the game. The winner must be the first to remove all of his playing pieces from the board. Dice are rolled to determine moves. Games similar to Backgammon are thought to have existed since ancient times. Young children can learn the rules of Backgammon easily, but Backgammon can be a challenging game even for adults.

Battleship- "Who Sank My Battleship?" is one of the most recognized television commercial phrases ever. The Battleship game itself is also very popular. Can you find all of your opponent's ships before he finds and destroys yours?

So there you have it- a list of the all-time best board games. I would wager that most of these board games are stashed away somewhere in your home. Why not dig one out and have a game night? You may even have fun

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As seen in the October Issue of Main Street Magazine.
Printed in Canada, ISSN: 1920-4299 by Rain Enterprises

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