Healthy Habits: Tabletop Board Games

From mystery and strategy games to icebreaker party games and classic family favorites, board games have remained a beloved, millennia-old pastime, offering entertainment and a much-needed opportunity to de-stress, unplug, and connect with friends and family.

FUN FACTS . . .

The earliest known board game, Senet, meaning “passing,” dates back to 3100 BC in Egypt and held religious significance, with many Egyptians believing the pieces traveling across the board symbolized the soul journeying through the underworld to get to the afterlife.

 Monopoly holds the Guinness World record for most popular board game.

 With the board game market adding more than 3,000 new games each year, the options for your next favorite game are endless, whether you enjoy gatherings with friends around the kitchen table or the bustling atmosphere of a local board game cafe.

HEALTH BENEFITS

 Mental stimulation: Board games require strategic thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, all of which help keep the mind sharp and agile. Whether it’s planning your next move in chess or devising a winning strategy in Settlers of Catan, these mental exercises can enhance concentration and memory. For seniors, playing board games can lower the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

 Stress relief: Immersing yourself in a board game provides a welcome distraction from everyday worries and stressors.

 Emotional development: Board games can teach kids resilience, patience, emotional intelligence and maturity, and how to lose gracefully.

 Social interaction: Unlike solitary screen time, board games encourage face-to-face interaction and communication. Playing with friends or family members strengthens bonds and social skills, promotes teamwork, and reduces feelings of loneliness and isolation.

 Family bonding: Whether it’s a weekly game night tradition or spontaneous gathering, board games encourage quality time spent with loved ones.

GAMING INSPIRATION

Whether you’re a beginner gamer, die-hard gamer, or someone who hates board games, there’s a game for you.

FOR BEGINNERS

 Ticket to Ride: is a beginner-friendly game that combines strategy with simple rules, making it accessible to players of all ages and skill levels.

 Codenames: A word-based party game that encourages creativity and teamwork, perfect for breaking the ice at social gatherings.

 Carcassonne: A tile-laying game that is easy to learn but offers plenty of depth and strategy, ideal for newcomers to the world of board gaming.

FOR DIE-HARD GAMERS

 Gloomhaven: A complex and immersive dungeon-crawling adventure with deep storytelling and endless re-playability, sure to satisfy even the most dedicated gamers.

 Terraforming Mars: A strategic game where players compete to terraform the Red Planet, offering a rewarding experience for enthusiasts of Euro-style board games.

 Twilight Struggle: A tense and historically rich two-player game set in the Cold War, popular for deep strategy and intricate game play mechanics.

FOR PEOPLE WHO HATE BOARD GAMES

 Dixit: A storytelling game that relies more on creativity and imagination than strict rules, appealing to those who like less competitive game play.

 Azul: A tile-drafting and pattern-building game inspired by Portuguese tiles, where players compete to create the most aesthetically pleasing patterns.

 Mysterium: A cooperative deduction game where players work together to solve a murder mystery, with one player acting as a ghost providing cryptic clues through abstract artwork, offering a unique storytelling experience for players who prefer narrative-driven games.

For more board game ideas and to stay up to date on the latest releases, visit boardgamegeek.com .

BOARD GAME HUBS

 Emerald Tavern Games and Cafe: This popular, English Tudor-themed cafe offers a fun, friendly environment where guests can enjoy coffee, tea, wine, beer, and pub fare as well as browse hundreds of board games. Games are available for rent for $5 each, or visitors can get a day pass for $10. • 9012 Research Blvd, Suite C1, Austin

 Vigilante Gastropub and Games: A popular destination for foodies and board game enthusiasts, Vigilante is a full-service restaurant that offers pub fare, craft cocktails, and board games with game masters available for teaching and recommending games. Table space is $5 per person and comes with unlimited games. Visitors are also welcome to bring their own games. • 7010 Easy Wind Dr #150, Austin

 Dragon’s Lair Comics & Fantasy: This board game and comic book store offers books and games (board, card, role playing, and miniatures) and hosts weekly game nights. • 2438 W Anderson Ln. B1, Austin