The year is 2022. Technology was not as advanced as it is now 20 years ago. At the time, playing high-end online games on the Xbox, PlayStation or Steam was simply not possible.
So, what exactly did we do? We played games on the dinner table with our families to past the time. Here are a few that will bring back memories for some of the older generation.
1) Snake and Ladders
Snake and Ladders is a board game that sits very close to my heart. Originating from Indian dice-board games, a fact I didn’t even know of till I made this article, the ladders represented virtues such as generosity, faith, and humility, while the snakes represented vices such as lust, anger and theft.
The game was believed to teach the younger generation of the effects of good deeds and bad deeds. Furthermore, the number of ladders is usually lesser than the number of snakes as a reminder that a path of good is much more difficult to tread than a path of sins. The gameplay is simple where players will take turns to role a dice to move their pieces and the first player that reaches the highest space on the board, 100, wins the game or as per the past “attains salvation”.
2) Monopoly
Now we can’t forget about Monopoly which is probably the board games of all board games. The satisfaction of owning a whole lane and charging your friend and family a whole lot of money for being unlucky enough to land on your property can be immensely fun.
For those who do not know, the game was intended to be an educational tool to illustrate the negative aspects of concentrating land in private monopolies and how it can adversely affect others. As each player travels along the board to buy property, they would have to pay bills and rent along the way. Upgrade your property as you play and become the wealthiest player and thus forcing other players into bankruptcy.
3) Connect 4
Connect 4 is another simple classic game that actually requires lots of strategical thinking to win. This game is a tremendous amount of fun and can be played by the whole family – young and old. Slightly similar to Tic-Tac-Toe, players take turns to insert coloured discs into a suspended rack and must connect 4 pieces horizontally, vertically or diagonally to win.
The game is believed to have been solved as detailed here with 9 strategies. This means that the first person to play can always win if they know the appropriate plays. Controlling the middle of the rack, according to the solution, makes victory easier but let’s not spoil the simple fun for the family.
4) Jenga
Jenga is another childhood favorite of mine. The name jenga is derived from kujenga, a Swahili word which means ‘to build’ and the bricks or pieces are usually made of wood. The gameplay is simple where one has to remove a brick from the bottom and place it on the top with only one hand.
For those who study or intend to study construction, this is a good beginner’s guide to learn about structural integrity without going too much into details. Players would take turns to stack the blocks upwards and the person who topples the set loses the game.
5) Carrom Board
Carrom is one of India’s most popular games, and can be said to be similar to pool or snooker in terms of gameplay. The board is usually decorated with a design that consists of two lines (also known as foul lines) running diagonally across the board.
Two distinct pieces of the game includes a queen and a striker (usually made of hard plastic). The queen piece will be surrounded by 18 other pieces (also known as carrom men) in 2 different colours, with 9 for each player in a 1v1 game. The aim of the game is to sink as many pieces into the side netted pockets to gain points and win the game.
Here are some nostalgic tabletop games from the 2000s. How many of these are you still playing today?
This article was brought to you by Raj who is currently fleeing the battle~
–
