Gaming is an incredibly vast medium – so vast that it can present itself in a staggering array of formats. If you’re coming in as someone who enjoys video games, you might already be used to the vastness of this medium, given that there are innumerable genres and styles of games in that format alone.
However, if you’re turning your attention towards tabletop or board games, you might be lost as to where to begin. You might even feel these are too different for you to get to grips with – but it may be worth keeping at it; you might find that these have something to offer that’s entirely unique to their format.
Dungeons & Dragons
To many people, this might be considered the deep end. There are an intimidating number of rules, statistics, and terms that you have to get used to before you’re fluent in D&D, and while that’s not to say that it can’t be fun before that, it can mean that you spend a lot more time getting to grips with something than some people are comfortable with. So, why would this ever be a good entry point? Well, with the popularity of Baldur’s Gate 3, the classic role-playing game (RPG) genre of video games has been under greater focus. Many classics like the prior Baldur’s Gate, Knights of the Old Republic, and Planescape: Torment have all utilized direct D&D rules outright. Others, like Pillars of Eternity and Divinity, have made their own rules but still follow an incredibly similar format. Any fans of these games would likely be able to transfer over to the tabletop game with minimal difficulties and might find it quite an alluring prospect if they have a group ready to play with.
Fans of other very popular fantasy games like Skyrim or The Witcher 3 might find themselves easily jumping on board with this game as well. Even if the rules aren’t familiar, the basic language of role-playing and getting immersed in a world where your choices matter might be one that you already speak fluently.
The Sports Segue
Regardless of which kinds of games you find yourself drawn to, regardless of which console you ultimately play on, famous sports games like FIFA or even Rocket League are smash hits within the industry. Not everyone is going to be a fan of these kinds of games, but if you are, you might find that you have a lot of room to work with. Your first thought might be playing a sport itself, which can be a great form of exercise and a healthy hobby to have. However, many people might consider sports so far removed from the umbrella of gaming as to be a distinct thing entirely, but the middle ground does exist, and that might be one that you’re interested in exploring.
Cornhole boards, such as those found at https://www.cornholeworldwide.com/products/cornhole-boards/flag-cornhole-boards/country-flag-cornhole-games/american-flag-cornhole-game/ are a prime example of this. While the level of activity involved might be much higher than what most people would expect of a board game, the whole experience is localized enough to make it more appealing to people who would be less interested in full-blown sports. That being said, just because you’re interested in sports games, that doesn’t mean that you’re immediately going to be interested in playing the actual sports themselves. If you’re more interested in managerial games that adopt a more strategic approach, you might be interested in a board game that is similarly calculating and slow-paced. Still, it gives you a wealth of directions to explore.
Party Games and Direct Inspirations
If you like to play games with your friends, you might be familiar with party games like Jackbox and Mario Party that have very direct inspirations from board games like Monopoly. Even Monopoly itself has a number of digitized versions that you might be more familiar with than the original board game itself. This raises the question: if you’ve already played something very similar to this game but in the format you prefer, what does the original have to offer?
The answer to that might be more tied to the format of board games in general, just as how video games have their unique advantages that you’ve been enjoying up to this point. Monopoly, for example, is famous for inciting a level of involvement from players that can border on the hostile, but when it’s all in good fun, this speaks to the level of social interaction that can be encouraged by these activities.
