Bonding with family over the holidays can be a struggle, but thankfully a good board game can unite any room in triumph or failure. These bad boys are great for endless reasons—they take you away from a screen, force you to think logically and strategically and can build the groundwork for lasting bonds. I suppose on the flipside, they can create lifelong enemies as well… just try not to be the one who gets *too* carried away.
When I was little, my family always visited our friends for Christmas and New Years, and my shy self would be scared to play with the older kids. Eventually, they took me under their wings and let me join in on their games of Monopoly, Clue, Sorry! and The Settlers of Catan (which I never quite understood the rules of). Admittedly, I have some memories of being too shy to speak in the group and having to show my cards to the person next to me for help in making the next move (i.e. during a game of Clue, “What should I do if I have the rope?”). I often said the wrong thing aloud and made a fool of myself, but thankfully everyone was good natured and didn’t tell me if I messed up the game. I’ll always appreciate those moments, when it wasn’t really about who won or lost, but just having a good time. We still never made it through a full game of Monopoly, though.
Another great thing about board games is that they can be enjoyed at all ages. I’ll still mess you up in a game of Sorry! if the opportunity presents itself, and I’ll throw hands in a game of Battleship any day. There are plenty of board games aimed towards adults on the market now, like your classic Cards Against Humanity or Tell Me Without Telling Me. Board games are also infinitely versatile in how they range from very simple rulesets like Snakes and Ladders or Candy Land, to requiring complex strategy such as Chess or Go. We’ve even got ones that incorporate lore and roleplaying like Dungeons & Dragons. As cool as I think these games are, I think I’ll stick to my silly little games at the yearly Christmas party.
Board games are timeless. There’s one for everyone, and with the right group of people, you’re guaranteed to have fun whether you win or lose. We all have board games that we attach nostalgic memories to, so why not add an element of them to your tattoo collection? Whether it be a distinct game piece or a sinister Monopoly man, let your ink remind you that you’re never too old for a bit of friendly competition.
SCRABBLE
MONOPOLY
SETTLERS OF CATAN
CLUE
SNAKES AND LADDERS
SORRY!
RISK
CHESS
CHECKERS
GO
CANDY LAND
TRIVIAL PURSUIT
JENGA
OPERATION
YAHTZEE
AZUL
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
Source: www.inkedmag.com