Mention playing a board game and someone in the group usually says they’d rather walk over hot coals than endure what they remember as an exercise in aggravating, mind numbing futility. This is almost always because the only board game experiences that you probably remember are those tortuous marathons of frustration that were provided to you in your youth by games like Candy Land and Sorry.

Let us not forget the game that ruined tabletop gaming for more people than any other – Monopoly. Has anyone ever actually finished a game of Monopoly? Sure, you’ve quit to avoid descending into the depths of some sort of horrific Lovecraftian insanity but that’s not the really the same thing as playing to completion now, is it?

I have good news friends. Board games are back and they are awesome! To be quite honest, it’s never been as good as it is now. We’ve entered a sort of “golden age of gaming” over the last few years. Your geek friends have known about this and been quietly enjoying it. Now, as Geek Culture teeters on the precipice of mainstream it’s literally becoming “a thing”.

Enter Wil Wheaton the de facto Lord of the Geeks and champion of tabletop gaming. Last year Wheaton teamed up with the creator of Geek & Sundry, Felicia Day, to launch a YouTube show appropriately titled Tabletop. Each show is about 30 minutes long and usually features a different game that is played by Wheaton and three friends – who just happen to be internet or television celebs with at least a small geek streak. The shows start with Wheaton explaining the basics of the featured game, then focus on the game play and interaction. At the end of the show, the winners are awarded a temporary trophy with their names on a piece of masking tape. It’s an entertaining look at what tabletop gaming can be and I highly recommend you check it out.

This show has been wildly popular and interestingly lead to a partnership between Geek & Sundry and Target. Games featured on the show were also featured in Target stores and highlighted with G & S stickers on the packaging to help consumers remember which games had been featured. The best part of this was that games that were formerly very low visibility outside of geek culture suddenly got a big boost and lots of exposure, bringing even more people into the scene.

Unlike those games you’ve had for years that are probably collecting dust in the back of some dark closet, boardgames today have a lot more to offer than the games you remember. They tend to be heavily themed, much more creative and have high quality art and components. The fact is that now more than ever there is a huge variety of boardgames for players of all interests and skill levels. Want some light gaming as a warm up to other events or games that are accessible to players of any skill level? How about Get Bit! (Amazon Link)? Want something new gamer friendly but with a little deeper strategy? Try The Settlers of Catan (Amazon Link)
Something than you can play with your kids that won’t make them feel rotten because they’re not as competitive? Try a cooperative game like Forbidden Island (Amazon Link).

Let’s not forget that games are also good for you. Games provide a lot more than just an hour or two of entertainment. Games help you learn, they exercise your cognitive and problem solving skills. For young kids they can help with counting, shape and color recognition. They can teach how to behave when you’re in a losing position. They teach you how to work with others to achieve a common goal. If you’re playing games with your spouse against other people they can help you learn teamwork skills.

Games are fundamentally social and teach you how to interact with other people in face to face situations. Playing games will inevitably lead to learning things you didn’t know about the people you are gaming with. Playing games with your kids is a great way to spend time together and teach them some valuable skills at the same time without it being an overt “let me tell you something” moment.

Where can you find these games? First, ask your friends. The obvious choice here would be that geeky person you work with or know through some other association but the fact is that games aren’t just for geeks anymore and it’s probably flying just under your radar so ask around. Next up, find out if there’s a “Friendly Local Game Store” in the area. There probably is and this will likely be the place where you can browse a selection of games that you won’t typically find in a department store. You’ll also be able to ask the staff and other players for advice and opinions. The people that frequent game stores tend to be pretty friendly and enthusiastic about games and will likely be happy to talk to you or possibly even let you sit in on a game. Another benefit to the FLGS is that some of them will have an extensive game library and play space where you can try games out before you buy them.

If neither of those are working for you, try Meetup.com. Meetup is a website where people organize to, you guessed it…meet up to do all sorts of activities. It’s likely that you’ll find either a gaming group or some other social group that has an occasional game night. In my area there are a couple of groups that meet for Role Playing Games, a weekly board games Meetup and a social club Meetup with hundreds of members that holds a monthly board game night at different venues.

Lastly, remember Geek & Sundry and Wil Wheaton? They’ve got big plans for board gaming and they’re kicking it all off this month with “International Tabletop Day” on Saturday March 30th. This event is all about meeting people, making new friends and playing games. It is taking place worldwide and there are tons of places holding events. At last count there were over 2000 registered events in multiple countries. Chances are there is something at a public venue reasonably close to you or a smaller event being held by friends. You can get all of the details here and it includes maps and event details. This would be a great way for you to break in to board games. Take the time to check it out and see if there are events in your area!

It really is the golden age of gaming and I can’t think of a better time for you to get involved, learn about some new games and have some great experiences. In the coming weeks I’ll be bringing you more information about games via news and reviews so check back and see what’s going on. In the meantime, play more games!

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