What Board Games Teach Us About Life

Have you been playing more board games the last few months?

Today's blog post is based on a podcast from The Art of Manliness:

Board games have long been a source of social activity and family entertainment. But my guest today makes the case that board games can be more than just a way to while away the time, and can also offer insights about relationships, decision making, and the changing currents of culture. His name is Jonathan Kay and he’s a co-author of the book Your Move: What Board Games Teach Us About Life. We begin our conversation discussing the board game renaissance that has taken place in the past twenty years and how today’s board games are much more nuanced, complex, and arguably more fun than the classic games you probably played as a kid. Jonathan and I then discuss how the evolution of the board game Life can give us insights into our culture’s changing ideas of virtue and how board games often reflect the attitudes of a given time. We then discuss what cooperative games like Pandemic tell us about how to handle overbearing people and how the game Dead of Winter highlights the way private interests often conflict with group interests. Jonathan then shares why Monopoly is such a divisive game and whether board games can teach resilience. At the end of the show, Jonathan gives his personal recommendations for board games to check out that are way better than the chutes and ladders type games you played growing up.

Here are the highlights of the show:

• The board game renaissance of the last couple decades and how they’re different from the games of the mid-20th century
• The surprising WWII legacy and response of modern board games
• How board games explore and inculcate a culture’s values
• Games and negotiating
• What the game Pandemic can teach us right now in the midst of a real pandemic
• What games teach us about group dynamics
• The rise of cooperative games
• Why does Monopoly cause such strong opinions? What are its inherent flaws?
• The real life lessons that board games can teach even adults

Some of these games sound interesting, however the game Pandemic is especially timely right now. Pandemic is a cooperative game...where you work together to stop pandemics. I think I might buy this game...you only need two to four players and about 45 minutes of time.

Jonathan recommends a game called Splendor if you want to get started with a modern style game.

Interesting days

Today - No Dirty Dishes Day, Museum Day and Visit Your Relatives Day

Tomorrow - May Ray Day

Next Monday - Tap Dance Day, Towel Day, Wine Day and Geek Pride Day

Week long celebrations:

May 25 - May 31: Map Reading Week

May 25 - Jun 5: Italian Beef Week

June 18 - International Picnic Day, Go Fishing Day, Clean Your Aquarium Day, Splurge Day, International Panic Day, Dump The Pump Day and International Sushi Day