Top Board Games Today

There are various game board variants available in the market today. These boards are also classified as mind games since it usually test player's intellectual strength, strategizing skills, and even their pressure handling abilities. Most tabletop boards normally host two players battling it out to win the game; while some game boards can accommodate multiple players at one time for a more intense gaming experience. Here are some of the popular board game titles players can start playing now.

Chess

Chess is considered as the most popular and most played board game in the world. Players from all ages can enjoy a session of chess anytime, anywhere. But for those who are unfamiliar of this game, it is a game of wit and strategy as two players face battle it out to capture each other's priceless King. The player who secured its opposing King, wins the game. Pretty simple, right? But then again, this is a thinking game.

To start a game, players need to determine who will take the white or black pieces. They should then arrange the chess pieces in the following manner: pawns will fill the second row from them, rooks will occupy the two corners on the first row, followed by the knights, bishops. The queen will go to the block with its matching color (white or black), followed by the king.

After setting up the board game, players with the white pieces can now start moving a character to commence the game. Players take turn on moving their pieces on the chess board. More details on how to move these chess pieces, as well as special movements and piece placements, can be reviewed in rulebooks which usually come with the game set.

Again, the main goal of the game is for players to capture their opponent's king to win the game. But they also need to protect their own at the same time. Players can practice their gaming strategies in different chess games and tournaments available online.

Backgammon

Another prominent board game variant is Backgammon. This features two players who are competing with each other on a board with twenty-four distinct triangles, also called points. These points are arranged in alternate colors and divided into four groups of six points per quadrant. These quadrants define the players' home and outer boards which are divided by a ridge called the bar.

Both players are also given a pair of dice which determine the number their checker moves on the board. There is also a doubling cube which shows the number 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 on the dice faces. This special dice defines the current wager placed on the game.

The objective of the game is for players to move and bear off their checker pieces into their respective home boards to win the game.

There are also special Backgammon rules which can give players with more winning edge and points. These include optional rules like Beavers, The Jacoby Rule, and the Automatic Doubles.

Checkers

Checkers is also considered as one of the most played board games today. This game is usually played on a 64-square game board but only uses the 32 dark-colored spots on the board as its gaming field.

Players are given 12 checker pieces which they should arrange in these dark squares. Their goal is to capture all their enemy's checkers, or leave them with no move to take, to win the game.

Players should move checkers diagonally and on forward manner only. They can only occupy one space at a time, during their turn. They are only allowed to move it backwards once it is converted into a King, or when a checker piece reaches the side of the opponent's board.

On the other hand, they can only capture opposing checkers by jumping over it. Players can do this when the opponent checker is on the space in front of them, with the succeeding space still vacant. The playing checker can continue jumping if there are still available spots to jump on.

Dungeons and Dragons

Dungeons and Dragons, or D&D, is considered as one of the oldest board games in the modern gaming industry today. D&D is a fantasy-themed role playing and storytelling game which has been present in the market for over 40 years now. This game features unique game board characters who have their own stories and abilities. This engages D&D players on the game's actual storyline wherein they have to tell the story and guide their characters in completing special quests, finding treasures, defeating enemies, and many more.

There are three easy steps to understand how D&D goes about. The first process involves the Dungeon master or DM which acts as the narrator of the game. The DM usually describes the setting of the story to be told. Once the environment is identified, players will then roll the dice to determine the acts they want or attempt to do. The DM then gauges if the player's action is successful or not, then continues on narrating the story with the result of the initial move done by the player.

Players also have skill and ability sets which can be used throughout the game.