It is inarguable that board and tabletop games have been experiencing a massive resurgence over the last decade. From Settlers of Catan to Magic the Gathering, tabletop games have been gaining popularity for quite some time now.

In 2019, Zachary Horton, an assistant professor at the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, began teaching one of the first college-level classes focusing on board games. Horton suggests that the rise of board games is somehow tied to the rise of social media. He suggests that the contrast between the ultra high tech of our everyday lives and the analog or low-tech of the board game world depicts a sort of rebellion against the isolating trends of social media. “People crave that social connection — which makes this genre completely different than video games,” said Horton.

Ashley Priore, a student at Dietrich, suggests that inclusivity is part of what has attracted so many newcomers to board games. “The board game, be it Monopoly or Chess, represents something that everyone can take part in.”

Hobby Games

Hobby games differ slightly from board games in that there is generally a cooperative component. They involve aspects of more typical board games but typically involve a shared goal that the players work towards together. Dungeon and Dragons, Shadowrun, or Pathfinder, are good examples of hobby games; there isn’t necessarily a singular goal, but all the players are more allies than competitors.

Horton claims that Hobby Games (such as those supported through Kickstarter) have the honor of being one of the fastest-growing types of games. Polygon claims that over $176 million were pledged to tabletop games in 2019. For perspective, video games only received $16 million through Kickstarter that same year.

Conclusion

In a world that is increasingly isolating. Separate from each other and yet interconnected, board games have been a way to return to simpler times, if but for a moment. The tangible nature of tabletop games seems to provide a reprieve from our increasingly digital world, and this is part of what makes them so attractive to newer audiences. Games that involve physical boards, pieces, and physically present players, provide a more social experience than video games.