"Bored" Games


BY CANSU ORANÇ (PSYC/IV)
oranc@ug.bilkent.edu.tr

Cafe Biz at the Student Union building reminded me of some good old habits: board games! Whenever I go there with friends, we played Trivial Pursuit. I then began to think about all other board games we used to play: Guess Who, Upwords, Twister, Taboo, Scrabble, etc. We used to play the last two a lot when we were in preparatory school (good times). I think we then just forgot that we had a such amusement and began to go out for a drink instead. That's the reason why I'm dedicating this column to board games: To remind us all of their innocent joy.

I can think of two things that we replaced with board games: video games and Facebook applications, or online games in general. You can just go online with your pyjamas on and plant your virtual farm or play a word game with other "real" people. I read an article in Psychology Today that talks about the "blessings" of board games, like satisfying our need of being challenged and boosting creativity. It was saying that since board games are played on a horizontal board in the center (in contrast with video games played on a vertical screen) they require shared attention and thus demand communication. The article says that because it's a setting that involves challenge, it encourages productive communication. It also says that board games promote "civilized communication behavior," since they're mostly based on taking turns. This is how relationships and democracies work.

When I first heard of the word "board game" in English, I thought it was "bored game," since you play them to have fun when you get bored. I think it still makes sense. You can be a detective in Guess Who, a gymnast in Twister, or an investor in Monopoly. My favorites are always the word games like Scrabble and Upwords. You can turn the music on, put your drinks aside, and enjoy the game with your friends. I assure you that your eyes won't hurt or you won't suffer from headache, which what happens when I spend too much time on computer. Playing board games doesn't mean you're stuck inside, either. Try to play Twister outside under the sun when spring comes or build your own huge Jenga with real bricks and play with your helmets on.

When was the last time you played a board game with your friends or family?