The future of tabletop games is nostalgia and quality

As I sat on the kitchen counter, hunched forward in anticipation of my future, those two seconds seemed like an eternity.

I’d always dreamed of owning a sailboat so I could spend my days asea, enjoying an ice-cold Arnold Palmer with leaping dolphins in tow. On an accountant’s salary, the fantasy was within reach — even after splurging on a Victorian home to house my wife and twins. It was easy to get around tornado-related property damage and to make sure the stock market held steady, as well as collect one more paycheck to supplement my savings.

My breathing increased as my wheel stopped. I’d spun too hard and landed on an 8, forcing me to bypass the “Buy a sailboat” space and land on “Midlife crisis. Start new career.” It would be best for the boat to remain in place.

The Game of LifeIt prepared me for all the challenges of my growing up. My goals were made easier by bright colors and exaggerated situations. I also learned about taxes and medical bills. I was discreetly taught the importance of education, voting, giving to charity, and being flexible — and I loved it. My sister and I would wake up every Sunday to learn lessons that were beyond our years. We would then lie on the floor and escape into our imaginary land.

As my life changed, and most of my gaming became digital, I found myself looking back at those times with an aching nostalgia. My collection of board games, although still intact, was obscured beneath layers of dust. It had been replaced by expensive gadgets with screens, buttons, and catchy tunes. It was becoming difficult to conceal my handwriting in the middle of the day. BalderdashMy friends baselessly accuse me of looking over my shoulder at game nights. Uno. The wholesome simplicity was what I wanted.

When people get together to play analog games, something beautiful occurs. The playing field is leveled — requiring patience and attentiveness rather than fine motor skills and coordination — and more importantly, everyone has a moment to shine.

Fortunately, I’m not the only one who woke up one morning and made a concerted effort to reprioritize board games. People have become so accustomed to moving around from one screen or another over the last two decades, due to hyper-digitalization. The rise of Instagram and Tumblr, both aesthetic-forward platforms, has led to a revival in vintage culture. This movement, ironically, also reaffirmed the popularity of leather. Yahtzee!Muted and shaker Parcheesi board.

In the early 21st Century, giant tabletop game companies made cheap efforts to improve the old classics. They shrinked game boards and swapped wooden pawns with plastic. Eliminating equipment was also done. Products that reflected their low quality were given suspiciously low prices. They miscalculated the audience.

Hasbro’s beloved party game TabooIt is one of the best examples. While it was once fashioned with sturdy equipment, later versions tried quietly eliminating the stand-alone card holder — a key component for efficient gameplay — and swapping the battery-operated buzzer with a rubber “squeaker” seemingly modeled after a dog toy. It felt silly and chaotic suddenly. (Hasbro eventually revived the electronic version, unveiling a box that read, “The electronic buzzer is back!”)

The golden age is now in gaming as people finally realize that technology’s rapid advancement is great, but not as exciting or satisfying than the bonding created by deciphering. Dominion’s heavily themed instruction booklet and rallying your closest pals IRL to battle it out over a few rounds of Munchkin.

Many of us believe that the future of gaming will be tabletop and nostalgic. We want to see the industry move back towards quality, not affordability. It’s the vintage version of Clueyou purchased at an estate sales, the tangible version Codenames that reminds you Zoom happy hours just aren’t it, and the original Carcassonne box you’ve clung to since it found success on the heels of other German-style games like Catan.

The future of gaming will be mobile-compatible, I admit. Wavelength And The 5th Rule on my phone for desperate occasions when I leave the boxed games behind), but the mobile versions only remind us how much we appreciate an authentic “brick and mortar” setup. Hell, the Switch I bought right before the pandemic no longer makes it on my vacation packing list — instead I reserve suitcase space for a couple board games that help curate a vibe for the getaway. Even if I’m just headed to happy hour with friends, what better way to pass the time than packing Scattergories Or BananagramsHow can we keep our mind alert?

The truth is: Tabletop games aren’t obsolete. Indie game companies are actively breathing life into this industry every day. The list goes on until I’m done. The Game of Life with a sailboat in my beautiful home’s garage, I’ll never allow the old faithfuls to collect dust again.