Board Games: Fun for Every Festivity

Wherever friends or family gather together for special occasions, board games are a big part of the festivities. These games date back thousands of years to such entertainments as Senet, which has been found in Pre-dynastic and First Dynasty burials of Egypt, and Go, an ancient strategic board game originating in China. Board games first became widely popular among the general population early in the 20th century when the rise of the middle class with disposable income and leisure time made them a receptive audience to such games. The early to mid-20th Century saw the development of such perennial favorites as Monopoly, Clue, Scrabble and Risk, among many others. The post World War II years saw an even greater surge in the popularity of board games as married couples moved to the suburbs and started families. In the 1980s a trivia board game called Trivial Pursuit, captured the public’s imagination and went on to sell 20 million games. Today’s board games generally have two basic types of play-strategy and racing. Some games, like Monopoly, revolve around a combination of the two types of play. Whichever game you’re playing, you’re guaranteed hours of fun and entertainment.