Board games never died!

The thought of it dying:

Turning the tide for a moment here to something a bit more fun. Do you remember board games? Or maybe you even have some in a drawer or even in your closet somewhere. I personally have a chess/checker board, connect four, and some uno cards. Clearly not all board games. But I have always been one to kind of put them in the same world. Physical social games that allowed you to have fun with other people in the same room. I will say that even though I don't play them often personally, there is something about having them around for when you have people over. 

At one point I actually thought the board game industry was actually dying. And after researching a bit via Gemini. It proved to be my thought was true, but it wasn't dying for too long before it made a come back in another country. Which then turned the tides here in the United States. I'll make sure to leave a link or a chart about this information in the bottom of the post if you want to dive into it a bit. Still looking back into my childhood and even my teenage years I can see a big shift in gaming in general. Yes, in part there are plenty of people in the world and even in the U.S alone that play board games. But the 2000's saw video games emerge in a massive way. New consoles with better graphics, on top of that online multiplayer became a thing. 

The change, but special place board games have:

The truth of the matter was, no one had to go to their friends house to actually play together. They were able to play video games together online and still have fun. However, when looking at things now and how they are. I know more people that play video games than they do board games. With a good amount of them never really every playing board games or just not liking them. Which if you ask me is a crime of itself. Seriously? Who doesn't like a good board game? I remember playing Trouble, Candy Land, Battleship, and more. Clearly I have also played Monopoly. Which if I'm being honest feels like the board game most played in the U.S. Is that true? I have no idea but it feels like everyone and anyone knows the game of Monopoly. 

I know they have more board games today than before it seems. I've seen even content creators make their own cards and board games as well. I love that if you ask me personally. It keeps it alive and keeps people socializing and coming together. Yes, video games can do the same as well. It can bring people together. Still, I won't say it is the same way that board and card games do. Staring at a screen with a headset on yelling, screaming, and laughing isn't the same experience as in person doing so. I know the video game community might bring up LAN parties. Which okay is better than a normal gaming session. 

Yet, having a bonfire out in the yard during the summer with some cold drinks and a bunch of friends playing a board game is just different. And if you've experienced both I would dare to say that you would agree with me in that sentiment. Sadly though video games do take the icing of the cake when it comes to gaming in general. I'm going to drop a mini chart here so you can see what I mean. 

Metric	Video Games	Board Games
Global Population Participation	~42% to 61% (~3.5 billion people)	~19% to 20% (~1.6 billion people)
US Population Participation	~60% to 61% (~190 million people)	~21% to 23% (regular/monthly players)
Gender Balance	~53% Male / 47% Female	~49% Male / 51% Female
Average Age / Peak Demographics	Average age: ~36 years old	Largest group: 12–25 years (38%), followed by 26–40 (31%)

There was a scare of death to board games:

 I'm by no means saying that board games are dead but at some point they were dying. I will say that though there are more video game gamers than board gamers. It's nice to see that it hasn't died and that all in all that it is holding its own. During a time of tech taking over, it's nice to see that a classic way of entertainment is still strong in a lot of people here in the U.S and around the world overall. With all this said, my question to you is this. Do you still enjoy playing board games? And if you do, what is your favorite game? 

Also here's some more information about the "Board Game Renaissance".

Era / Phase	Key Driver / Catalyst	Landmark Games & Milestones	Impact on the Industry
Phase 1: The Eurogame Spark (Mid 1990s – Early 2000s)	Shift toward strategy, player interaction, and no player elimination instead of pure luck.	• 1995: Settlers of Catan • 2000: Carcassonne • 2004: Ticket to Ride	Proved adults wanted thoughtful tabletop games; established Germany as the global design hub.
Phase 2: Crowdfunding & Digital Reach (2009 – 2012)	Creators bypass traditional publishers via Kickstarter and YouTube shows.	• 2009: Kickstarter launches • 2012: Wil Wheaton launches TableTop YouTube show	Independent game designers raise millions; featured games routinely sell out nationwide ("The Wheaton Effect").
Phase 3: Screen Fatigue & Mainstream Boom (2015 – Present)	Demand for tactile, face-to-face social connection away from digital screens.	• 2016: Gloomhaven & Terraforming Mars • 2019: Wingspan • Board game cafés open globally	Target & Walmart expand hobby game aisles; board gaming becomes a mainstream, social lifestyle hobby.