Board Games and the Mobile Gaming Revolution

Board Games and the Mobile Gaming Revolution

Something has happened to your favorite board games.

The next time you’re sitting on a bus, waiting in a doctor’s office or dining in at a restaurant, take a look around. What you’re sure to find is a sight that was once reserved for the pages of science-fiction, but has become more and more common in recent years: men, women and children of all ages staring intently into a brightly-lit screen and tapping incessantly on its surface.

Welcome to the world of mobile gaming.

According to a study published by Geekaphone , 37% of iPhone and 84% of tablet owners play mobile games on a daily basis. Factor in all of the other iOS devices, Android devices and mobile gaming platforms, and you have millions of people playing games on the go every day. And, unlike the days of Game Boys and Game Gears, these mobile gamers aren’t playing by themselves, they’re playing with a network of millions of players that spans the entire globe.

Some of the most popular mobile games should look familiar to fans of traditional board games and tabletop games. Games like Words With Friends, Hanging With Friends and Draw Something have transformed Scrabble, Hangman and Pictionary, respectively, into mobile, social and digital versions of their analog selves. Now, board game night has been extended indefinitely on your mobile gaming platform of choice, whether you like it or not.

I admit that I am enamored with these types of mobile games. I love the challenge of coming up with a word when my tiles are “E,” “E,” E,” “I,” “U,” “K” and “Z” and drawing a Galapagos tortoise with a color pallet that consists of nothing but red, yellow, blue and black. I also love the fact that I can put my English degree to use by crushing my friends in Scrabble on a daily basis, yet there is something traditional board games possess that their mobile gaming counterparts lack.

There used to be something special about sitting down with a group of loved ones and a stack of board games for a friendly night competition. There was something special about keeping track of your Scrabble score with a pencil (and catching anyone bold enough to fudge their numbers). There was something special about slowly drawing each body part as your opponent’s guesses dwindled and their hangman began to appear. And, of course, there was (and is) something special about drawing with a pencil that drawing on a touch screen just can’t match.

Mobile gaming may be on the rise, but that doesn’t mean that tabletop board games need to fall by the wayside in the process. The next time you’re making weekend plans with your friends, schedule a board game night. You might be surprised at how fun “analog” gaming can be.

What do yo think Studio 602ers? Do you prefer tabletop board games or the mobile games that are trying to replace them? Sound off in the comments section below!

Photo by Rick.