“Whether you have played board game or not, this blog is for you!"”
Glossary:
1. What is Board Game exactly?
“How about we go play Board Game this weekend?”
Board Game is a means of entertainment which is quite popular around the world with more than 2000 new games designed and published every year. This trend has penetrated into Vietnam since 2013 -2014 and bloomed in 2016 - 2017 with the appearance of the 3 "national" Board Games: UNO, Werewolf and Exploding Kittens. Currently, despite the fact that there is a decrease in the hotness of this trend, especially after Vietnam has suffered from the social distancing due to COVID-19, there is an increasing number of Board Game Cafes as well as Board Game Publishers established in Vietnam, promising a comeback and thriving era of Board Game in the near future.
Exploding Kittens is a popular Board Game in Vietnam
(Source: explodingkittens.com)
So what is Board Game exactly? Did we have a chance to experience them before?
It is a harsh fact that most of people who have played classic or modern Board Games cannot define what Board Game exactly is. In short, "Board game" is a combination of different components mainly made with plastic or cardboard paper and a complete rulebook, which will be operated and played by one or more players. Some common components can be seen in a Board Game are a board, cards, dice...
After going through the definition above, you may already have the answer for the question whether you have played Board Game or not. That's right, even though you haven't tried modern Board Games such as UNO, Werewolf or Exploding Kittens as mentioned above before, yet most of us did have some memorable moments with classic Board Games like Obi-Wan, Seahorse Chess, Chess and Chinese Chess... without realizing that they are counted as Board Games. So, why did Board Game become a trend in 2016 - 2017? How playing Board game actually benefit us?
Chess is also counted as a Board Game
(Source: Học Viện Board Game)
2. The benefits of playing Board Game
When seeing others playing Board Games, most people who have not experienced them before will equate them with traditional card or board games such as playing cards, chess, etc., and also the social evils associated with them such as gambling or betting. However, the truth is completely opposite. Board Game is not only a very popular form of healthy entertainment in the world, but also brings many different benefits to players. Let's take a look at the values that Board Games can bring to us:
Means of Entertainment
Acting as a means of entertainment, of course, Board Games can create moments full of laughter. Besides, Board Game also has the ability to take players through many different emotions, from anxiety when things don't go as planned, to bursts of happiness when the dice hits the exact number you want. The entertainment of playing Board Game sometimes also comes from the satisfaction after winning or from looting resources of another player.
Ice-Breaking
One of the other value of a Board Game is the ability to "break the ice". Have you ever been in a situation where you went to a group meeting but no one communicated with each other but instead stick their eyes to the phone? This is when a Board Game stands out and becomes a tool to help connect people together. Through playing Board Game, players can interact with each other unconsciously based on the nature of the game, thereby breaking the awkwardness of the atmosphere and the distance between players, regardless of the fact that they were strangers just a moment ago.
Logical thinking and brain stimulating
Besides the entertainment benefits, the Board Game is also known as a tool to encourage players to use their brain to the fullest. The ultimate goal in every game is always to win, and board games are no exception. However, winning in a Board Game is not that easy. Indeed, to overcome other opponents and claim the top of glory, players must have a specific tactical plan as well as optimize each turn of themselves. To do this, players will need to think a lot, even have to calculate in advance their next turns to make sure the advantage will definitely belong to them and not anyone else.
Board game can encourage players to think thoroughly
(Source: Monkey puzzle training)
3. Some Board Games that have been published by Vietnamese
Board Game has become a popular means of entertainment in the international market, however, this industry in Vietnam is still in the potential stage and has not really developed. In fact, most of the foreign Board Game widely popular in Vietnam are not copyrighted (except for UNO, which has been acquired by Viet Tinh Anh Joint Stock Company from Mattel Games). Besides, the number of genuine Board Game manufacturers and publishers in Vietnam is not much, but in return, the released products all reach a certain quality and promise to be able to compete with the competition. international Board Game titles in the not too distant future.
Board Games published by Ngu Hanh Games
Ngu Hanh Games is a Board Game creation and production company founded by Tran Ngoc Tue Man and Nguyen Thien Toan since 2019. The mission of Ngu Hanh Games is to create and produce board games as well as card games that tell Vietnamese stories.
Currently, Ngu Hanh Games has published 4 Board Games imbued with Vietnamese culture. including:
Len Mam
In Board Game Len Mam, the players will become brothers and sisters in a family, together in the kitchen to prepare a grand tray for the upcoming New Year's Eve. With ingenuity and a little luck, who will be able to cook the most dishes on the tray of offerings to the ancestors?
Lên Mâm - A Vietnamese Northern Tet Holiday Themed Board Game
An Y Party Game
Describe Durian with an adjective? If the Zombie pandemic appears, who in your group will be bitten first? The more similar answers to yours show up, the more victory points you will score. But beware! When the game is over, players with the same points will be immediately eliminated, which marks a sad ending for total cooperation. An Y Party Game will definitely help you find the real match and discover the unearthly answers of your best friend.
An Y is a Party Game for 4 to 8 people
Viceroy 1698
Viceroy 1698 is a tile-laying game for 2-4 players. You will be a Cai Bo with the task of supporting Nguyen Huu Canh in his journey to the South of Vietnam. At that time, you will be given the right to build towns, reclaim forests and develop fields. Do your job well and you will gain the trust of the people there.
Viceroy 1698 requires good strategy to win.
Faifo 2021
Faifo 2021 is a story about competing for Contracts of th Courts between Merchants at Hoi An in XVII Century. Reputation, fortune or power, will you able to use them effectively to overcome your counterpart, achieving the title of The Great Merchant of Hoi An?
Faifo 2021 - A Board Game About Hoi An in XVII Century