Video games often appear to be the future of gaming.
- They allow far more creativity and diversity in the environment they place the player in.
- They can use deeply complex mechanics and algorithms which players could not easily use in a board game.
- They enact all of the mechanics for the player with the player simply indicating their choices with clicks, presses or taps rather than the player being required to move game pieces
But there are things that board games can do which video games can not. The major advantages of board games compared to video games are:
- A board game can not survive without good mechanics. It might sell on the artwork, but once it’s out of the box the gameplay is all it has. Video games can survive (and even thrive) on mediocre gameplay and Skinner boxes that draw in passive gamers. This sets low expectations and standards for video game developers.
- A board game gives the player direct, comprehensive access to the entirety of the game. More than that, the player has to know the game in order to play it at all. In video games it is extremely easy for game mechanics to go completely unnoticed.
- There’s an element of the physical nature of board games that is useful. The physical sensation of moving the pieces and the spatial awareness of the game components in their correct places engages the players tactile sense in a way that video games can not (yet) do. Players can use this to understand the connections between the pieces and moves and have a physical feel for the flow of the game.
Board games written into applications are becoming more popular too. They maintain many of the advantages of board games and cut out the need to set up and move pieces. But they also have some flaws which are yet to be surpassed.
- Tablet or mobile screens are small compared to the size of a table. The player has a limited view of the game and needs to keep moving their view or adjusting zoom. On a tabletop game the player can see the entire context of the game at once but can still see all of the detail within.
- Using a mouse click or touchscreen takes away the physicality and spatial awareness of a board game. The player can not use their sense of touch to help learn the game.
- They do not easily connect with the third dimension so games with upwards building or stacking can not be represented well.
Until video games can engage the tactile sense more fully and can move outside the limited scope of a screen, there will continue to be things that board games can do which video games can not. I’m looking forward to seeing what impact augmented reality will have on the whole world of gaming. It has potential for deeper immersion in both video games and board games.
Seph North 