As we are nearing the holiday season, we begin to think of spending more time with family and friends. After spending the entire year with our favorite gadgets, this is the time to take an oath of shoving all electronic gadgets aside and get back to the old-school practice of playing board or table games. It is that much-needed break that you’ve long been waiting for. Regardless of the type of game you prefer playing, you’re surely going to enjoy this break and follow this site.
As per data from Google Trends, the phrases ‘board game’ and ‘table game’ were highly searched in the year 2024 than any of the previous months since 2004. The data however excluded the Christmas run-up when people are busier in buying presents and thinking of unique ways of spending time with relatives.
The hike in search volume of the phrase ‘table games’ doubled since February when majority of the countries went into lockdown for containing the spread of Coronavirus. When people had nothing to do, board games came as a saviour. In fact, board games are certainly the best way of spending quality time with friends and family.
Therefore, table games have been famous since a long time now. According to CasinoRobots.com where you can play free table games, players have shown an uncanny interest in table and board games during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Let’s check out the names of the most popular table games that gained momentum across the world.
1. MANCALA
Mancala is a game that had originated from Southern India but it is also believed that this kind of table game also originated from Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia. In order to play Mancala, you need 2 players and both of them have to keep one pebble on each hole till all the pebbles are within the base holes. The player with the highest number of pebbles of base hole wins the game. Mancala is Bao, Wari and Adi in African regions.
2. SENET
By now you must have been familiar with the Game of Life, but have you heard about the game of afterlife? This game, named Senet is probably the oldest example of board games and players believe that this game recreates the same journey that is taken by the spirit through the underworld. Previously, Senet was used as a method of communication with the dead. The rules of the game have evolved over time utilizing a ruleset that was originally developed by game historians.
3. CHINESE CHECKERS
Although this game has been named Chinese Checkers yet it has got no link with this Asian super-country. In fact, there is very little evidence on the country from where Chinese Checkers originated. However, there are many who believe that it has a German origin. Irrespective of where this game originated from, it is certainly one of the most famous table games that you’ll get across the world. The main objective of this game is to transfer your pegs to the opponent player. The player who gets all pegs is the winner of the game.
4. GO
Go is certainly one of the world’s most ancient table games that originated in the land of China around 4000 years ago. In this game there are two players where each player owns a set of chips that are white and black in color. By making your colored chips primarily dominant on your board, you can gain as much territory as you want and hence win the game. If you wish to pin down the opponent player, you have to trap his chip by surrounding all his chips from various sides. When the opponent player loses his chips, you become the winner of the game.
5. BACKGAMMON
This is yet another ancient board game that is believed to have originated from the region called Mesopotamia, which is present day Iraq. Backgammon is a game that not only survived through several centuries but with time, it even became one of the most famous table games across the world. This game is revered for its capability of honing the decision-making and strategic skills of the player. It also happens to be a game of luck and hence extremely entertaining.
6. CHESS
You can never complete an article on the list of table games without including Chess. This proves how popular a board game it is across the globe. Chess is certainly one of the most famous and common board games that originated from the Eastern India. You have to know that the original Chess game that was played previously didn’t include bishops and knights. Then, the game used elephant, adviser, chariot, horse and food soldier.
7. RISK
If you have watched the short film in French called The Red Balloon, you’d know how the director, Albert Lamorisse unravelled the board game Risk on France and also on the world. This game was actually introduced in 1957 with the name La Conquete du Monde. This is called the Game of Global Domination and it mainly includes a combat and warfare strategy.
8. CHUTES AND LADDERS
Chutes and Ladders are much older than what you may have ever perceived. Before it was published in Bradley in 1943, it was an Indian Board game that came nearly in 200 BC. This game is of sheer luck and originally it was played to teach players moral lessons. You have to just spin a spinner and move towards the allotted spaces. Ladders move you higher on the board and chutes drop you down to lower numbers.
9. PICTIONARY
This is a super simple game and this game mainly boils down to the players having to draw a picture. Just as you play dumb charade, this is charades with drawings rather than with actions. The board here is the pivotal tool of the game and what matters is whether the opponent players are able to guess what you’re trying to show. This is a great time-pass game.
10. OTHELLO
We have already mentioned few old games like Chess, Backgammon, Checkers and Go but Othello is not one of them. Although it originated late in 1883, it feels like this could also have been an ancient game. The game is replete with unique strategies, everything packed in a well-planned manner.
