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Board game

Board games are tabletop games that typically use pieces. These pieces are moved or placed on a pre-marked game board (playing surface) and often include elements of table, card, role-playing, and miniatures games as well.

Many board games feature a competition between two or more players. To show a few examples: in checkers (British English name 'draughts'), a player wins by capturing all opposing pieces, while Eurogames often end with a calculation of final scores. Pandemic is a cooperative game where players all win or lose as a team, and peg solitaire is a puzzle for one person.


There are many varieties of board games. Their representation of real-life situations can range from having no inherent theme, such as checkers, to having a specific theme and narrative, such as Cluedo. Rules can range from the very simple, such as in snakes and ladders; to deeply complex, as in Advanced Squad Leader. Play components now often include custom figures or shaped counters, and distinctively shaped player pieces commonly known as meeples as well as traditional cards and dice.


The time required to learn or master gameplay varies greatly from game to game, but is not necessarily related to the number or complexity of rules; for example, chess or Go possess relatively simple rulesets but have great strategic depth.[2]

Senet, one of the oldest known board games

Senet, one of the oldest known board games

Men Playing Board Games, from The Sougandhika Parinaya Manuscript

Men Playing Board Games, from The Sougandhika Parinaya Manuscript

Royal game of Ur, southern Iraq, about 2600–2400 BCE

Royal game of Ur, southern Iraq, about 2600–2400 BCE

Patolli game being watched by Macuilxochitl as depicted on page 048 of the Codex Magliabechiano

Patolli game being watched by Macuilxochitl as depicted on page 048 of the Codex Magliabechiano

Han dynasty glazed pottery tomb figurines playing liubo, with six sticks laid out to the side of the game board

Han dynasty glazed pottery tomb figurines playing liubo, with six sticks laid out to the side of the game board

at Curlie

Board Games

BoardGameGeek

BoardGameTheories

International Board Game Studies Association