Classic Board Games’ Shift to the Digital Mode – A Closer Look
Despite being many decades old, the genre of board games is one of the most popular ones. According to historians and researchers, board games appeared approximately 50 centuries ago in Egypt & ancient Mesopotamia. Fast forward to today’s digitally-driven world, millions of enthusiasts resort to different methods of indulging in board games, out of which the most popular mode is the virtual or online mode.
When technology had not peaked or even started moving towards advancements, i.e., the age before the Internet, physically playing different types of board games was the standard norm amongst the masses. However, with the advent of technology and the Internet, most board game enthusiasts moved to the virtual mode of indulging in board games.
To understand the shift of board games to the digital or virtual medium, it is important to first understand the offline mode of playing board games which was common amongst the masses for many centuries. This article will shed light on how certain classic board games originated during ancient times and cover their eventual shift to the digital or virtual medium. Let us dive right into it:
The Origination of Board Games:
According to Medium, the first board game called Dice dates back to 5000 BC. Dice is now an essential part of most board games. Numerous remnants of the game were found in different parts of the world, including Syria, Iraq, Turkey, etc. Different types of board games evolved from Dice, some of which are even played today. Around 3100 BC, indulging in different types of board games became the hobby of the royal or ruling class. Here is a look at the origins of two classic board games that are extensively popular even today:
- Ludo – Ludo, deemed the most popular board game, originated in Ancient India centuries ago as Pachisi. It was played on a physical game board using tokens. From India, the game traveled to different parts of the world. In 1896, it was officially patented as “Ludo” in England.
- Snakes and Ladders – The Snakes and Ladders game originated as a part of a family of Indian dice board games. Like ludo, the snakes and ladder board game was called by another name (Moksha Patam) and played on a physical game board using playing pieces and dice. When the game reached Britain, it was named “Snakes and Ladders.”
The Transition of Board Games to the Digital Mode:
Before the digital age took over the world, millions of people, especially kids, grew up on different types of board games. Although the digital age introduced numerous other outlets for having fun, the timelessness of board games remained intact. However, the mode of indulging in board games changed when developers started creating and offering online iterations of games like ludo, chess, snakes and Ladders, etc. Taking advantage of the digital boom that the world was going through in the 2000s, many gaming companies started rolling out online versions of classic board games featuring the same rules and gameplay as their standard offline versions to attract the masses.
The Internet’s ability to spread the word about things, paired with the experience these games offered successfully popularized the digital versions of board games globally. Currently, people all around the world enjoy indulging in virtual iterations of board games. There are tons of online gaming platforms which offer different types of online games to enthusiasts all around the globe. Online ludo games are a fine example. There are many online ludo games readily available online, most of which feature standard ludo rules and gameplay, allowing enthusiasts to experience the game in its most authentic self. Besides Ludo, other board games’ virtual iterations are also very popular among the masses.
Factors that Contributed to the Success of Board Games’ Shift to the Digital Mode:
It did not take much time for digital versions of board games to become a rage among the masses globally. Over the years, the popularity of online board games steadily increased. Then, when the COVID-19 lockdown was implemented worldwide, the popularity of the online genre of games skyrocketed. Here are a bunch of factors that contributed to the successful shift or transition of classic board games to the digital medium from the very beginning:
- Easy Accessibility – One of the top selling points of online board games ever since they first came out is easy accessibility. Instead of purchasing physical board games and the associated equipment, people could simply download an online board game on their smartphone and get started with virtual matches. The easy accessibility convinced enthusiasts to switch to the digital mode of playing board games more than any other factor.
- Geographical Independence – Unlike the offline mode of playing board games, wherein players must be physically present in front of each other to get started, online board games allow people residing in different cities, countries, or even continents to indulge in and enjoy online board game matches together.
- Exciting Rewards – To compel enthusiasts to shift to online board games, online gaming platforms and companies started offering players exciting rewards for playing and winning online board game matches against other players. This aspect motivated more and more players to try out online board games, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Conclusion
As evident by the sections mentioned above, the shift of board games from the analog to the digital mode was seamless. The transition was made smoother thanks to the appealing features that game developers and companies added to online board games.
Classic Board Games