Science and Board Games

Greetings board game enthusiasts! I have just stumbled upon a website that fits like a puzzle piece into the mission of this blog. The website is boardgamestudies.info, and it's produced by a group "dedicated to research on board games and the history and development of board games around the world."

I took a quick look at the first journal they published, and it's just that; it's a scientific publication in proper journal format. Fortunately, the writing seems pretty accessible. I plan on expounding upon some of these articles in my next few posts, but go ahead a have a look; the first article in the first journal is on the history of mancala and board games with a 2x5 grid layout. In the next few posts, I'll try to pick out some good nuggets of information from this article or others, so check back next Monday for some research-backed board game discussion!

Board Games Can Help Kids Learn

I don't think this is a dangerous assumption. Especially not given some research I found at a usnews blog, which suggests that a game with a numeric line, such as in Chutes and Ladders, can help lower-income children to conceptualize numbers better. The research (more-so than the blog) is worth a look if you have a few minutes, and I am glad there is some conclusive evidence to support what I have assumed to be true, that board games rock and make life better. Still, the benefits of board games must far exceed the findings of the recent study. I would love to see some research about the social development of children who play board games instead of video games, such as their internal code of ethics or ability to empathize and cope with loss or victory. That doesn't mean I am necessarily a proponent of having your children play a recent Chutes and Ladders variant...Shoot'n Ladders: Frag Fest (Smirk and Dagger Games 2009):

Although I've played Shoot'n Ladders and it can be very fun...at least for an hour or so.