BOARD GAMES - Bringing Minds Together

A board game is played on a pre-marked surface or board where the counters or pieces are moved or placed as per the set of rules. Some of the games are based purely on chance while some are based on strategy and combination of both to win the game.

Board games are of many varieties. The time required to master the game depends on the level of complexity and execution from one game to another game. Ig games like Checkers and chess originated from Greece and Europe the culture of playing board games became so global that in Nepal also people started playing their own manufactured game called Baaghchaal” Tiger and Goat”. Recently another board game Catan was introduced by US based Nepali citizens which everyone was hooked. Duo Manish and Kreeti made a separate set and called it “Settlers of Patan” with artifacts and local elements; thanks to them it has its own nationality. The very simple version which we all know is the tic-tac- toe. We have also played ludo, snake and ladders, monopoly and the game of chess during our lives. Thanks to re-invention many mind games on board have been invented like scrabble, backgammon, diplomacy with three or more players where players make deals with one another.

No doubt, these games require a certain amount of thinking and life skills. Monopoly and diplomacy teaches about expansion of capital and about negotiations, chess is about foresight and concentration. Cash flow is a game that teaches some general accounting principles like difference between what is assets and liabilities, how to create balance sheet, cash flow situation. Snakes and ladders teaches about cleverness and momentum and avoiding pit falls like placing into the snake zone and sliding down at the bottom till the tip of its tail. It also gives lessons of encouragement and virtues of winning and losing in a given condition. In monopoly how investments can help to grow your savings which are very analytical. The advantages of being analytical are solving complex problems, making well informed decisions, summarizing statistical facts, streamlining and execution process. Another game that often people are seen playing is Sudoku. It is purely a mind game on a grid with numbers the objective is to find the hidden number on each blank slot with correlation and it helps to practice your mathematical skills and useful when you are dealing with numbers. Chinese mahjong is another popular game which involves arranging two similar patterns until there is none left out to zero in and win the game. Now a day these board games are also found in apps and they can be played in your computer screen, tablets and phones. The first game made in Nepal is called Samrajya. The objective of game is to navigate meticulously so that all four kingdoms Kathmandu, Patan, Bhaktapur and Kirtipur is captured and the winner gets the crown. This is played with a help of roll of a dice. Around of 700 copies have been already sold out from Kazi studios and in this way the board games have found its place in Nepal and these games can be handed down from generations to generations and teaching and playing together with the family.

Board games have a market because most of the leisure period is spent playing cards or any sort of board games. It brings people closer and together they can use their mind and logic to play the game methodically and win in the end. It also boost your level of motivation, concentration span and encourages the joie di vivre and spontaneity.