Why Digital Board Games?
I know there are people out there who see digital board games and are kind of put off by the whole concept. I totally see their argument. Board games were meant to be a social and fun experience letting families and friends spend time together while battling for bragging rights. Today, more than ever, this type of bonding seems to be increasingly interrupted be overly active schedules, and the constant barrage of ringtones or text messages which draws people away. So, why is this board game junkie all about digital board games? From where I sit… digital board games mean freedom.
Board Game Memories
In the 80s, long before iPods, I spent many weekends with my grandmother… a fellow board game junkie. My days were filled with Clue, Sorry, Uno, Checkers, Go Fish, Boggle, Dominoes, and many more. I loved the thrill of competition, I loved strategizing, and mostly just hanging out with my grandmother. There was one thing I didn’t like however, especially as my muscles became weaker. This was the spotlighting board games shined on me due to my dependence on others. I couldn’t spread out hands of cards. My grandmother always fanned my cards out, then put them in my hand. On my turn I would say “3rd card from my left” and my grandmother would gently remove that card and play it. For Dominoes, she would help stand up the ones I chose then I would knock over the ones I wanted to play using a pencil.
Digital Board Game Transition
While my 8 year old self was okay with the setup, I grew into an early twenty year old adult who was more self conscious around friends. Casino trips I avoided table games. I was an excellent poker player yes, but couldn’t reach to see what I was dealt. Same for pretty much any table game they had. So, I retreated to video poker. I dated a few (okay they were all) geeks who loved Magic: The Gathering. I knew it was all about cards and that meant I avoided it. I stuck with battling them on the digital front instead.
Greatest Board Game to Exist
Last year my loves collided when Blizzard announced my most favorite board game ever being themed to well, my digital life… World of Warcraft Monopoly! At this point in life, Monopoly is hard with so much muscle loss. You can’t say no or shy away from World of Warcraft Monopoly though. I had some guildies over, setup the game, and away we went. My brother sat by me and for a few hours it was a lot of him rolling for me, him moving for me, and me not knowing for sure if I wanted to buy property. Why? Because I wasn’t always sure if there was enough money in my stack to cover it. Even with all that the game was fun. Thankfully, at 34 years old I had outgrown the self consciousness and played with guildies even though I knew how much help I would need.
Hearthstone: the Board Game!
Now that you have a general idea of what a tabletop board game can be for me, maybe you can understand my overwhelming joy when I discover digital board games. This year I was accepted into the Hearthstone Beta. Welcome to the first Trading Card Game type game I ever played. I can click to build deck perfection. I can mouse over cards to see what they do. I can play with my friends. I alone! No “play second card on the left.” No not being able to reach a table or pickup cards. No having my brother sit by me and move things. It’s amazing how fun a game can be, and what a different experience it is when you are on your own.
Digital Board Game Developers
Game devs listen closely. The reason I play ANY board game is to play and bond with friends. Digital is no different. Hasbro I don’t want to see this:
“Note: Multi-player is hot-seat multi-player only. Online multi-player is not supported.”
I was soooooo happy when Monopoly, Scrabble, Life, ect. showed up on Steam. Before they arrived I saw digital board games have little to no multiplayer. Multiplayer is the REASON to play these games. You can’t bond with an opponent that’s not real. There’s no bragging rights there. There’s no memories made. Board games in a digital format can and should provide this. Our World of Warcraft guild is proof. During the Cataclysm expansion we raided on Saturday nights, then we headed to OMGPop (RIP) to play Pictionary…errr…Draw My Thing. We played for hours on Ventrilo, laughing and joking about our drawing skills. It wasn’t just guildies I bonded with there. They also had a cleverly renamed Connect 4 that my mother and I would play. Or Battleship with my brother… while in the same room talking and laughing just like it was on a tabletop.
Eternal Praise!
So kudos to Blizzard for getting me loving card games with friends. Thank you Days of Wonder for giving me freedom AND my friends by having REAL multiplayer in Ticket to Ride. Thank you OMGPop for giving me good memories of playing with friends and family completely independent. Digital games are freedom for me. Freedom to move my own tokens, draw my own cards, and roll my own dice. Actions that are done without thought by others are given to me for the first time. Do I lose the social experience by sitting with simply mouse in hand? Absolutely not!
Not only can tell me about your accessibility opinions in the comments below, but you can find more of mine at our Opinion column!
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