The popularity of board games and other social games was thought to have dwindled because of video games and other technological innovations. What actually happened was that people ended up playing social games with friends just as much as they did before, and new life was breathed into them.
Board games have always been a great way to get together with friends and technology has been helping facilitate this, rather than hamper it. While video games and technology seem to be the opposite of helping out social games, there are a lot of ways they can help players improve their skills offline. Here is how tech is helping people win social games, and how it can help you.
Memorization
Repetition is one of the most important parts of playing board games. The biggest factor in repetition is the ability to acutely employ memorization to help you remember your strategies, the rules of the game, and previous success and failures when you played. Memorization through technological means being able to practice the game through virtual forms, and learn from your mistakes each time. This is a prime example of how technology is helping developing better offline game players and could help you win your next game night.
A.I. Learning
One of the most important technological developments has been A.I. (artificial intelligence). The use of A.I learning has helped computer-controlled players provide proper competition to simulate playing against real players. This has helped games of all types that can be played with friends. Some examples are: on the site Unscramble.me A.I. is helping with scrabble and word games and in Monopoly you can play against computer-generated opponents. The learning capabilities of computers are helping players learn a strategy in their own time. A.I. has proven to be a huge tech development that is impacting how people play social games.
Socialization
Playing games online through various means has led to a development that many thought would be ruined because of tech. Socialization has actually benefited a lot from tech for many game players, not just video games. Being able to communicate with other players through voice chat or chat box has allowed people to strategize, taunt, and casually converse during gameplay, which is exactly how it operates outside of virtual gameplay. Many social games have a digital edition that has these features, and these chat features help keep the importance of socialization alive, just through different means. Even without being able to taunt your friend for making a bad move in a game, it is still possible to do it online, and knowing how to interact with people (in a polite manner) can help improve your performance playing social games in real life with them.
Statistics and Probability
The biggest reason for the invention of computers was to help calculate numbers and provide accurate probability metrics. These have only grown in speed, efficiency, and purpose since the initial computers were invented. Nearly any game, card game or board, deals with statistics and probabilities to help determine winners and losers. Understanding how a computer can help you calculate the probability of your moves shows how important tech is to your winning potential. This is the most basic use of a computer, to act as a calculator, but for games that have even the slightest use of probability towards winning (cards, dice, etc), it can provide an invaluable source to understanding how to win social games.
Tutorials
Learning how to play a board game is always important. There is never a shortage of information to learn how to play. The best use of tech in this instance is using tutorials on how to play videos. Board games and social games have a huge following so it is easy to find a written explanation of games, from Dungeons & Dragons to Catan, there is always an enthusiast out there that can share their insight into how to play. More visual learners can take advantage of video tutorials which helps out a lot when understanding the boards and pieces involved in these games. The abundance of learning material available online can help you learn the basics, and eventually start implementing master techniques to conquer any game.
Playing social games has not been affected by online gaming and other digital forms of entertainment as much as people had expected. With so many people playing these games, there was a natural regression back to spending time with friends sitting around and enjoying a good game night. With that said, technology can still help influence your chances of winning, and these examples highlight how important tech has been for your gaming skill development.
