Board games|What makes a good board game? Friends who have played thousands of games have thought about this a lot. Nowadays, they are also developing something new together.
Almost all will work, except for Monopoli, Kimble and some of the most traditional of all.
From Espoo Vilma Vihervaara play a lot but only the games you like. He is convinced that there is a game for everyone.
In Vihervaara’s opinion, the classics were good at the time, but he can’t even play them with the children anymore.
“Nowadays, we know how to do better.”
That’s why there are quite a few others on the shelf at home. Vihervaara goes to the board game club every week and even more often with friends, because once a week is not enough.
A friend says the same Juhana Keskinen. His collection requires its own hobby room, and according to his calculations, Keskinen has tried about 2,300 board games.
Both have thousands of game hours behind them, and nowadays they are also developing their own games. The first joint game, called Trollius ‘n Roll, will be in stores later this fall.
Designing is not a job for either of them, although they dream about it too, and especially about creating a bigger strategy game.
So they spend a large part of their free time thinking about the essence of the board game. That’s why you can legitimately ask them: what makes a game good?
To the beginning of course, it must be said that nothing works for everyone and even your favorite is not the best in every situation.
Still, the two have plenty of views on what works and what doesn’t.
A good game requires refinement, which they discovered when developing their first game together. In this game for the whole family, you collect points by placing patterns on the grid.
Vihervaara says he got the idea for it a couple of years ago while playing with his child. The game could be better, he thought.
“We immediately got pens, scissors and dice and started tinkering.”
After that, the idea was refined with Keskinen and later with others. More difficult tasks came into the game, while drawing a flower was found to be a chore and was changed to a heart. In the finished game, a figure that looks like a garden gnome throws water and nutrients at the flower.
For example, color blindness is not always taken into account in the design. In Vihervaara and Keskinen’s game, the symbols have different shapes in addition to different colors.
In games there are often imaginative frame narratives, but they are not the most important thing to them.
“We are not really interested in the themes
of the games. It doesn’t matter to me whether you build a zoo in the game or adventure through the ruins of a temple,” says Vihervaara.
Much more important is that the logic works.
The game must be truly versatile, Keskinen’s line. Some games can be played in many ways but can only be won in one way, and he considers that a sign of bad design.
It’s also bad if the starter gets an advantage that makes him win, Vihervaara adds. He also doesn’t get excited about games where one player gets to be the kingmaker to decide who wins.
That is also disgusting for Vihervaara, if the rest of the party can destroy one’s chances. He doesn’t want to play with all groups of friends.
“It’s quite understandable that you want to play against us,” says Keskinen.
The boxes slip into a custom-made game bag. The hobby can also partly be instrumental sports, because Vihervaara also dreams of getting a game table and nicer pieces for her favorite games.
The sequel to the Tainted Grail game is in progress in Juhana Keskinen’s game room. Curious cats sometimes threaten the order of the carefully arranged board.
Tips for choosing
1. A game for those who can’t read the rule book.
Whatever, at least judging by Vihervaara: he can’t read the rules. It’s not a problem if you find a company where at least one can handle it. For example, Keskinen is happy to learn about them. Youtube also has introductory videos in Finnish.
2. A game to play with a child.
Something that even an adult can play.
“I hope there is luck in the game as well. After all, I don’t let the children win, I play properly, and it’s boring if the mother always wins,” says Vihervaara.
The game should also be short enough, and the explanation of the rules should not last forever. You don’t necessarily need to get a separate children’s version.
“I have sometimes been a victim of one myself,” says Keskinen. “It may be that the theme has been left and the game itself taken away.”
Instead, you can simplify the rules and shorten the game yourself. For example, the popular Carcassonne fortress game can be played more simply without counting the fields.
3. A game for a night out with friends.
Actually, the previous instructions apply to this as well, the two laugh.
The popular Menolippu has simple rules, and according to Vihervaara, Dixit, based on picture clues, has also worked on bachelor parties.
Encore and Next Station: London are, for example, easy and fast. Likewise, for example, Gift Trap and Codenames work in parties.
In the party game known as Werewolf or Mafioso, the enemy must be found among the players, and the game can also be played without a purchased deck.
4. A game for bad losers.
In cooperative games, everyone wins or loses together. For example, Similo and The Crew: Mission Deep Sea are fast.
5. A game for enthusiasts
Even simple can be beautiful. Keskinen says that he spent a weekend in good company at Looping Louie, suitable for over 4-year-olds, where chickens are protected from airplanes. On the other hand, Keskinen plays even year-long campaign games.
Friends are united by the so-called European games, where some kind of competition and tactics are often built. Current favorites include Strategy games Lost Ruins of Arnak, Ark Nova and Underwater Cities.
For them, lighter options are, for example, Harmonies, Cascadia and Tipperary.
6. Games for non-gamers
The library often has a good selection of games that you can borrow to take home.
Vilma Vihervaara says that she plays with her two children every day before going to bed. If the evening laundry gets messy, there might only be time for one round of the Yatzy dice game, but on good evenings a more exciting game is chosen.
Vihervaara laminates playing cards, so they are convenient to carry with you and can be used again. Vihervaara, who works in child protection, also plays short games with young people.
Friends Juhana Keskinen and Vilma Vihervaara from Espoo met through mutual friends. Neither spouse is an avid gamer, but a game club has been found through game clubs and social media.
Juhana Keskinen’s shelf also has the classic Monopoly, but it’s
not a local favorite.
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