The (fun)damentals of board games

Aryan Passey // EOTT

By: Aryan Passey

Did you know that playing board games can relieve stress and give off happy hormones?

Why would board games radiate happy hormones? They give off those happy hormones because when you’re playing a good game of Monopoly and you're either winning or losing, you’re still having fun with those you're playing with. You get that boost of excitement and joy from playing with friends or family. Overall, having a good time can trigger those happy hormones while forgetting why you were even stressed or sad.

Other than having a good time while playing a board game, you're also learning more of the game and gaining some kind of skill. Games such as Monopoly, life, or even puzzles can have its perks. Monopoly you’re learning about having money, buying and selling properties and being able to make deals with people.

The Life game is fun and it teaches you responsibility and how to figure out life choices along the way to retirement. Also learning the games that you are playing are helpful in making the game go smoother and you will know how to win quickly and efficiently.

Brainteasers, puzzles and even spelling are a great way to strengthen the mind. Brainteasers can be a problem or puzzle that is designed to be solved for amusement and to catch people off guard. Puzzles/jigsaw puzzles have been around since the 1760s. Jigsaw puzzles are commonly used to reinforce connections between brain cells, improve mental speed and is an especially effective way to improve short-term memory. Although it does improve memory and speed, it can be therapeutic and calm a lot of people while sparing their mental skills. Some older board games can be that too. Board games have changed over the years for many reasons and some are still up to day like; Connect Four, Twister, Monopoly, Sorry!, Candy Land, Guess Who?, Yahtzee, Hungry Hungry Hippos and so many others. Games like Dominion, Risk, Settlers of Catan and Master Mind are surging in popularity.

When playing these old board games there is a chance of getting a whiff of nostalgia and having a good feeling when playing with an old game.

But at the end of the day, or at the end of the game, it's all a friendly competition. It might sometimes get really out of hand and be more than a “friendly competition” to a super competitive competition that can lead to prizes or have bragging rights of those she/he played with. Some of these competitives games can lead to the end of friendships, or have a hate all because of a board game, but being a little competitive can be fun and make the game more exciting.

Either being a sore loser or sore winner just makes it fun and can influence another round of the game and see who can win and get back at another player for fun. To sum up everything that came down to this, is that it's just a family and friend board game with no hard feelings and just a good time all around.