What Is A Board Game? A Helpful and Complete Explanation

What is a board game? A board game is a tabletop game that uses a defined set of rules and a number of varied game components, that are usually exclusively played on top of some sort of game board or boards. The game components can be pieces, cards, tiles, etc. that are moved around the board during game play.

There’s more to what a board game is when getting into the nitty gritty, so let’s take a closer look below.

Detailed definition

Board games are tabletop games, which really means they are games that are played while sitting around a table. The possible makeup of a board game can be is vast, with one looking completely different than another. However, all board games have a game board element in them. They use a board where at least part of the actual game play happens on it. Most board games play on top of a large, single board exclusively—though this isn’t a requirement. Some board games have individual boards that players use independently of one another.

Board games also have an objective that players must accomplish in order to win. Again this can vary widely, depending on the game, but players are always working toward a goal. It may be points, money, fame, building something, arriving somewhere, or so many other things. These objectives are usually accomplished by outmaneuvering other players; often all information is available to all players, while in other games, specific information is only known by each player. Once accomplished, the game is over and the winner is determined. Sometimes it’s obvious who won, and sometimes players don’t know until values are totaled.

One thing to note is that though many games aren’t technically board games, people refer to them as board games anyway. These games, such as card games, usually fit in the tabletop category, but not the board game category. Because they are played on a table, but have no game board component they are classified as tabletop games. However, over the years, these two terms have begun to be used synonymously. Most of the time, we use board game in place of tabletop game even though it isn’t technically correct.

Basic components of a board game

As may be inferred, the first and most important component of a board game is a game board. This looks different with each game. Some board games include a very small, simple board that keeps score. Others build the board as the game progresses with tiles that connect together. Still, others include a large game board with many spaces/actions to be used throughout the game on the one single board. Whatever it is, the quickest way to tell if it’s technically a board game is whether it includes a game board or not.

Board game creators are always coming up with more pieces to be used in a game. Some major pieces in board games are

Meeples/pawns-many games have meeples or pawns that are used to represent a player or actions. Players use these to control areas, claim benefits, keep track of progress and many other actions.
Characters/miniatures- These are often used for similar purposes to meeples and pawns. Though they are often used specifically to represent a player or a player’s team.
Cards- Cards are used in most games in one way or another. Some games use them as the main mechanic, while others use them in a minor and passive way. Cards can be used with endless possibilities, but they often grant special abilities, inject luck or simply indicate rules or turn sequences.
Tokens/money/counters- Like all other pieces included in games, tokens/money/counters can be used in many ways. However, tokens are typically used to keep track of game progress. Players know exactly where they stand in games where tokens are employed.
Dice- Dice are the easiest way make sure luck is in a game. Dice are sometimes used in ways that affect all players at the same time. Other times, dice are used when players accomplish a certain task or to know if they can accomplish that task. Whatever it is, players have the chance of rolling what they desire, or not, based on the outcome.
Pencils and paper- Pencils and paper are often used in board games to actually write things down. It’s often to keep track of progress in a game or to complete a turn itself.
Tiles-Tiles help complete turns in board games. Many times, tiles are used as the board players play on. The board gets bigger as the game progresses, when players place tiles wherever they choose.
Aesthetics Many games include game pieces that are merely to make the game more appealing to the eye. These pieces have no other purpose than to make the game look better than it otherwise would.
Others- Though this list discusses many game pieces included in most games, there are endless combinations of potential pieces that could be used.

Structure of a board game

Rules

Any activity that involves more than one person (as well as most games for only one person) needs a defined set of rules that all players can rely on as parameters. In most activities, including board games, it usually comes in some sort of rule book.

Board games’ rules vary widely from game to game. Some games are extremely simple with only a few rules and are meant to be played at parties and social gatherings. Other board games have books of rules that are extremely complicated and take hours of learning before playing. These games are usually for close groups of people that like to play together. Then, obviously, there is everything in between. Most games are somewhere in the middle, with some rules that must be learned in a few minutes, but not too many rules that the game feels like work.

Duration

You’ve probably guessed it by now, but this depends on the game. Some of the more simple games mentioned earlier take from 5 minutes to 30 minutes to play. That’s pretty intuitive when you understand that those types of games usually are the ones that only have a few rules. Games that lie somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, in how complicated they are, usually have a duration of 30-60 minutes. Some of the more complicated games can last many hours. There are even games being designed now that are meant to be played over the course of weeks or months.

Number of players

Board games can have any number of players. Easier games that are more geared toward parties and social gatherings are usually meant to be played with more players. It’s not uncommon to see these types of games being capable of playing with 8-12 or more players. The moderately complicated games usually play with fewer players but can still have 3-8 or more players. The most complicated games can have many players but they often are geared to fewer players than party games. They can be played with anywhere from 1-5 or more players.

There are obviously very generalized numbers, but can vary depending on the specific game being evaluated.

History of board games

Board games have been around for thousands of years. The first board game—in recorded history — is called Senet. It was invented by ancient Egyptians somewhere around 3500BC-3300BC. Paintings around that era show people of that time enjoying the game. Other games like Checkers, Chess and Go can likewise be traced back thousands of years with inhabitants of ancient cities enjoying their strategic play.

In more modern history, the 20th century brought about a surge of some very popular games. Monopoly (1935), Trouble (1965), the Game of Life (actually in 1860) are just a few examples of games that have been around for a long time; and most people have usually played at least one or two of them.

Here in the 21st century, many have said that electronics are putting the board game industry in the grave. I think, however, that the opposite it true. More games have been released in the last decade than ever before. If you don’t believe me, take a look at the crowdfunding site, Kickstarter. Kickstarter’s most popular funding category is games (acknowledging that games includes electronic games. The tabletop and board game portion much larger). In the last decade, Kickstarter has launched 46,511 games, which amounts to over a billion dollars in funding! A very large portion of those are board games and tabletop games. That’s a lot of games! And that’s only looking at the games that have launched on Kickstarter- the entire board-game-creator pie is much larger.

Common categories of board games

Euro-style board game

A Euro-style board game (also called Euro game, Eurogame, German-style game, and German game) is one that focuses mostly on smooth and elegant game mechanisms. It lacks emphasis on game theme or dramatic elements. In fact, theme and drama could be removed from the game altogether and the game wouldn’t be altered much. The mechanics of how the game plays would remain, and would continue to be fun.

Along with the elegant game mechanics, other trends hold true in most Euro games. These games usually don’t have much luck built in, which means dice are rarely used. Which also means, there is a heavy emphasis on strategy and skill in them. There also isn’t much player conflict—and where there is, it is indirect. Fighting each other to the death isn’t usually seen in these games. Closely related to lack of direct conflict, is that Euro games don’t usually have player elimination either. All players, for better or for worse, play to the end of the game. The pieces in Euro games are also usually more abstract, where in other types of games (like Ameritrash games) have much more detailed and stylized pieces.

A few examples of Euro-style board games

7 Wonders
Puerto Rico
Dominion

Ameritrash board game

An Ameritrash game (officially American-style game—for more about their name, read our article that dives deep into what Ameritrash games are and why they have that name) is a style of board game that is designed for drama and excitement. All game elements that are incorporated aid in the game being more dramatic or exciting to play. As a consequence, themes in Ameritrash games are usually essential to gameplay. Without it, the game wouldn’t make any sense, or certainly wouldn’t be as good.

When it comes to game mechanics used in Ameritrash games, they are pretty much the opposite of Euro-style games. There is much more use of dice and luck than Euro games. That doesn’t mean they aren’t strategic, but luck plays a larger role. Ameritrash games also have much more player conflict, usually directly fighting each other for territory or certain benefits. They also use player elimination, so players that aren’t doing well can be removed by the other players. As mentioned before, these games usually use much more detailed and cool-looking game pieces.

A few examples of ameritrash games

Arkham Horror
Survive: Escape from Atlantis!
Betrayal at House on the Hill

War game

Some groups designate a specific category for war games. Because it is prevalent in the industry, we will categorize it as its own, though we think it can be placed into another category in many ways.

War games are all about realism and military action. The theme is usually important in these games because they take place in a specific time in the past to recreate wars in history or to create fictional moments surrounded by real events. While other times, these games can often be set sometime in the future whether here on Earth, or somewhere out in space. Whatever it is, these types of games put players in the hot seat attempting to figure a way to win the war and out maneuver opponents.

War games are their own beast, but if pressed to categorize them as Euro-style or Ameritrash, they often more resemble Ameritrash games. The theme is somewhat important, though not completely essential. Players are in direct conflict because they are usually fighting each other. The game pieces are usually more stylized than abstract. Players can certainly be eliminated in these games too. However, they differ in that game designers are aiming more for realism and conflict than drama and excitement.

A Few examples of war games

Axis and Allies 1941
A Game of Thrones: The Board Game
Dune

Mass-market game

These are the games where lines begin to blur regarding the true technical definition of a board game. In other words we fudge it a little on these games. Also, as mentioned, no game fits into any specific category perfectly, and there is a definite overlap in most categories. With that said, mass market games are made with the purpose of being sold in big-box stores like Walmart and Target—or Amazon for that matter. They are designed to be easy-to-learn games with wide appeal to many people. They are usually cheaply made and in mass in order to be stocked in such large stores.

As far as game mechanics and styles go, there isn’t any perfectly set standard. The main idea here is making easy games that can be learned fairly quickly. Dice are often used because they add luck and level the playing field for inexperienced and experienced players alike. These games are often short as well, taking around 15-30 minutes to play.

It should be noted that many games that would normally fit into another category, like Euro games have been so successful that they have spilled into the mass-market category; even though they don’t really fit the normal mold. Some of these games are Ticket to Ride, Catan, and Splendor.

A few examples of popular mass-market games:

Wits and Wagers
Pictionary
Monopoly (somehow!)
Trouble

Common mechanics in board games

Area control- Area control is all about direct conflict between players to take control of a specific area on a game board. The player that takes the area receives the reward, and deprives all others from receiving the reward.

Worker placement- Worker placement is somewhat similar to area control but the conflict is indirect. Players don’t fight each other to take control of an area. Instead, players place their workers on a space to receive a benefit. It’s not about dominating an area as much as claiming a benefit. By claiming a benefit, all other players can’t place their workers there, and therefore can’t receive the benefit.

Social deduction- This is all about using social cues of everyone else to figure out what’s going on in the game. Usually, this happens over the course of several rounds as players learn bits and pieces of information by watching others and asking questions.

Deck Building- Players draw cards and build decks that allow them to complete actions or receive benefits. Cards usually have different abilities or allow different actions. They also tend to work together. Players using cards wisely can outplay their opponents through strategic play.

Luck- Luck can take many forms, but usually takes the form of dice. Players roll dice to see what happens in the game—which is the primary way to inject luck into the game. Some games use these as the primary mechanic, while others only use them occasionally or not at all.

Cooperative play- Players work together to complete a specific action during the game or to complete the entire game. They win the game or lose the game together (not usually my favorite mechanic).

Player elimination- As the game progresses, players are eliminated. Usually only one survives to the end of the game and is the victor.

Tile placement- Players place tiles that either build part of the board or earn benefits. They take turns using the tiles in the most efficient manner possible.

Most famous board games

Chess- Everyone knows Chess. An old, strategic game with two sets of opposite colored game pieces. Each piece can move in specific ways throughout the game. What makes this game an obvious board game is that the game pieces all move on top of a game board. The board is made up of 64 alternating squares—upon which all gameplay occurs.

Risk- As most people know, Risk is played on top of a game board that is a world map. Players fight for territories on the map, until eventually one player wins the game with world domination. It is a board game filled with both strategy and luck, with players making smart moves to outmaneuver their opponents but relying on dice to seal their fate.

Catan- Catan is a non-traditional board game in that the actual game board is made up of small, hexagon-shaped terrain tiles that are laid in different positions each time it is played. This changes how the game plays, making some areas of the board more valuable than others. Players compete for resources, to ultimately be the first to gain 10 points and be declared the winner. When Catan came out, it was a very unique game board setup. Even today, most board games use a “standard” board that unfolds, and gameplay happens exclusively on top of it.

5 tribes- 5 Tribes is the newest game on the list and also one of my favorite games of all time! It isn’t nearly as famous as any of the others on the list, but that’s probably because it’s so new. The 5 Tribes board is similar to Catan—meaning that it is made up of tiles in random order each game. Which is awesome, because each game presents different opportunities and changes how the game is played. Most of the gameplay is on top of the tiled game board, but several things happen off the board. Players can choose certain cards that have special abilities and point values on their path toward victory. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins.

Carcassonne- Carcassonne is a bit different than any of the other games on this list because the game board is not only made up of tiles that change the physical layout each game, but the board is being built during gameplay. The “board” starts with only one piece and players build the board through laying tiles as the game progresses. Everything happens on the existing board. Players earn points throughout the game; the player with the most points when the tiles run out wins the game.

If I had to choose one game as my all-time favorite game, it would probably be Carcassonne. There are so many that I love, but Carcassonne has found its way to the top.

Azul- Azul is a tile laying game where players collect uniquely designed tiles that work together to synergistically earn points. Azul is unique because it doesn’t technically have a communal board in the middle of the players. Tiles are in the middle in a communal pile, but once players have chosen their tiles, they place them on separate boards in front of each player. Players can’t affect boards in front of other players, except in indirect ways. The player to collect the most points wins the game.

Famous games that aren’t board games

Sometimes it’s helpful to understand what something is by understanding what it isn’t. Here is a list of games that aren’t technically board games.

Phase 10- Phase 10 is a card game where players attempt to accumulate specific assortments of cards in their hands in order to “phase”, or end the round. Each phase gets harder to complete but the first player to finish all phases wins the game. There is no board in the game; the only components are cards in each player’s hands and a deck in the middle. Many card games follow this setup.

Apples to Apples- Apples to Apples is another card game, but more of a party game than Phase 10. Which means that it is incredibly easy to learn and played more for the entertainment factor than for game enjoyment. In this game, players submit words (printed on cards) that most closely exemplify the target word that the lead player chose that round. Then they argue, persuade and coerce players into choosing their word/card to win that round. The player that has their words chosen the most times wins (the number depends on how many players are playing). But just like Phase 10, it’s really just a card game.

Connect 4- We’re getting really simple with this game. Connect 4 is a game that most of us have played since we were little. And because of that, we all know it as a very famous game. But though it’s a simple and fun game, it’s not a board game—though an argument could be made for it being a board game of sorts. In connect 4, players just use the grid between them attempting to connect 4 of their colored pieces together. First to do it wins.

Jenga- Another incredibly simple, yet incredibly famous game. As we all know in this game, players take turns removing small blocks from a stack and place them on top. As more pieces are removed, the game gets harder. The player to knock the stack over while removing a piece loses the game. Because it has no board of any kind, this isn’t a board game, even though it does fit the description of a tabletop game and a party game.

Yahtzee- Included on this list is a game that could be argued as either a board game or not a board game. In some versions of Yahtzee, players use a “board” in the middle where they roll the dice. Their score cards could technically be considered boards as well by some. But the reason we don’t consider it a board game is because it is really just a dice game. Players roll dice onto a table, where they have three chances to get a favorable roll. Then they mark their success or failure on a scorecard each round.