American Board Games
American Board Games: An Exploration of History, Design, and Impact
When we say "American board games"...
… we're talking about more than just games made in America. An American board game could also carry themes of American history or culture. It could even be part of a specific category of games known as "Amerigames."
Amerigames, known for their rich narratives, player conflict, and an element of luck, provide a contrast to their European counterparts. European games often revolve around intricate strategies and minimal player conflict, offering a fundamentally different gaming experience. What defines a game as American then?
According to the American Journal of Play, these factors contribute significantly to what we perceive as an "American" game:
The Evolution and Influence of American Board Games
American board games have evolved from simple games of chance to complex strategy games. Games brought over by the Puritans in the 17th century gave way to modern classics like Monopoly, Clue, and Risk in the 20th century. Today, we have highly thematic games like Dead of Winter and Twilight Imperium, which offer immersive narratives and complex gameplay. Each phase in this evolution has mirrored cultural shifts, technological advancements, and the changing tastes of American society, as noted in this Smithsonian article.
American Board Game Industry: Pioneers and Innovators
The American board game industry has been shaped by numerous companies over the years. Early industry leaders such as Parker Brothers and Milton Bradley developed and published many of the classic games we love today. Modern game companies like Fantasy Flight Games and Z-Man Games continue to push the boundaries of design and gameplay. The New Yorker discusses how these companies have contributed to the overall growth of the board game industry.
The Educational Value of American Board Games
American board games have also found a place in educational settings. Teachers often use these games as interactive tools to reinforce academic content, foster critical thinking, and promote collaboration. For example, Oregon Trail can teach students about American history, while games like Pandemic can introduce concepts of teamwork and strategic planning. According to research, the use of board games in education can lead to improved cognitive and social skills.
Diversity and Representation in American Board Games
The American board game industry has seen an increasing focus on diversity and representation in recent years. There's a push to develop games with diverse themes and characters, encouraging a more inclusive gaming culture. A report by the International Journal of Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations discusses this trend in detail.
Top 10 American Board Games
Here are our top 10 recommendations for American board games. We have included a description of each game, the primary skills it tends to build, the recommended age range, any required equipment or additional purchases, and a general outline of how to play.
Monopoly
About: Monopoly is a classic American board game where players buy, trade, and manage properties to build wealth.
Skills: Enhances strategic thinking, money management, and negotiation skills.
Age: Recommended for ages 8 and up.
Tools: Comes with all necessary game pieces.
Instructions: Players move around the board buying or trading properties, developing their properties with houses and hotels, and collecting rent from their opponents with the goal being to drive them into bankruptcy.
Clue
About: Clue is a murder mystery game where players deduce who the killer is, what weapon was used, and where the crime took place.
Skills: Enhances deductive reasoning and problem-solving skills.
Age: Recommended for ages 8 and up.
Tools: Comes with all necessary game pieces.
Instructions: Players move around the game board (a mansion), as one of the game's six characters, collecting clues from which to deduce which suspect murdered the game's perpetual victim.
The Game of Life
About: Players navigate through life events such as getting a job, getting married, buying a house, having children, and retiring.
Skills: Teaches about life's many twists and turns and the importance of decision-making.
Age: Recommended for ages 8 and up.
Tools: Comes with all necessary game pieces.
Instructions: Players choose a path for university, career, and family, and move their cars around the game board along the chosen path. The player with the most money at the end of the game wins.
Scrabble
About: A word game where players score points by constructing words with lettered tiles on a game board.
Skills: Enhances vocabulary and spelling skills.
Age: Recommended for ages 8 and up.
Tools: Comes with all necessary game pieces.
Instructions: Each player draws seven tiles to start the game. Players replenish their tiles from the tile bag to always maintain seven tiles until the bag is depleted.
Risk
About: A strategic board game of diplomacy, conflict, and conquest.
Skills: Enhances strategic thinking and planning skills.
Age: Recommended for ages 10 and up.
Tools: Comes with all necessary game pieces.
Instructions: The goal is to occupy every territory on the board and in doing so, eliminate the other players.
Sorry!
About: A board game that is based on the ancient Indian cross and circle game Pachisi.
Skills: Enhances counting and strategic thinking.
Age: Recommended for ages 6 and up.
Tools: Comes with all necessary game pieces.
Instructions: Players aim to travel around the board with their pieces faster than any other player.
Candy Land
About: A simple racing board game. The game requires no reading and minimal counting skills.
Skills: Enhances color recognition and counting skills.
Age: Recommended for ages 3 and up.
Tools: Comes with all necessary game pieces.
Instructions: Players take turns removing the top card from a stack, most of which show one of six colors, and then moving their marker ahead to the next space of that color.
Trivial Pursuit
About: The game involves answering questions in various categories to advance around the board.
Skills: Enhances general knowledge and memory.
Age: Recommended for ages 12 and up.
Tools: Comes with all necessary game pieces.
Instructions: Players move their pieces around a board, the squares they land on determining the subject of a question they are asked from a card.
Battleship
About: A guessing game for two players. It is played on ruled grids on which each player's fleet of ships are marked.
Skills: Enhances strategic thinking and deduction skills.
Age: Recommended for ages 7 and up.
Tools: Comes with all necessary game pieces.
Instructions: Players take turns calling shots at the other's ships, and the objective of the game is to destroy the opposing player's fleet.
Twister
About: A game of physical skill where players move on a mat with colored circles guided by a spinner.
Skills: Enhances balance, coordination, and color recognition.
Age: Recommended for ages 6 and up.
Tools: Comes with all necessary game pieces.
Instructions: The referee spins the spinner, then calls out the body part and the color that the arrow points to. The players then must move that body part to a circle of the correct color.
Here at PlayWise, we are passionate about promoting educational and engaging games. All of these games are unique, but they all provide fun and interactive ways to build essential skills. So, why not bring some nostalgia into your game night? You might even spark a love for board games in the younger generations!
