Clearly: we’re living in a time when thinking is kind of… optional.
Don’t get me wrong—I love tech. I use AI every day. It writes my emails and helps me brainstorm. We’re in an age where everything can be streamlined, predicted, and optimized. And that’s good… moslty
Let’s be honest: it’s never been easier to be surrounded by people and still feel totally alone. We message more than we talk. We scroll next to each other instead of looking up. Sometimes we don’t even realize how long it’s been since we made real eye contact.
That’s why I like board games.
Not just because they’re fun (they are), but because they demand that you show up—with your full brain and your full self.
You sit around a table. The phones go to the side. Someone opens the box, starts reading the rules out loud (and probably misreads them, but that’s part of the charm). And suddenly, you’re in it together.
It’s not passive entertainment. You actually have to do stuff. Make decisions. Remember things. Plan ahead. Watch what other people are doing. Sometimes you win, most of the time you don’t, but you’re in the moment, fully.
Board games don’t require a Wi-Fi connection. They don’t send push notifications. They just need people, a table, a bit of time, and maybe a snack or two. They’re slow, imperfect, and wonderfully tactile.
But here’s the thing—they’re also powerful. In a world that’s speeding up and automating everything, board games are one of the last places where thinking and human connection still matter. No algorithms. No avatars. Just you and the people in front of you, trying to outwit each other.
So yes, they might look old-fashioned and nostaligic only but they’re more than cardboard and dice.
A reminder that we’re not done using our minds or being with each other.
And honestly? We need that now more than ever.
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