The idea of having a family sitting on the lounge floor around a Scrabble game could be perceived reminiscent of a bygone era in today's age.
However, gaming experts say board games such as Monopoly, Star Wars and Trivial Pursuit are making a comeback, accompanied by their incoming counterparts such as Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride and more.
Sameer Parker, chief game collector of Table For Six, a South African board game blog, says after years of being outclassed by digital games such as Play Station and Xbox, tabletop games are seeing unexpected growth globally in an era where they were anticipated to become redundant.
Parker says the Internet is undoubtedly one of the biggest contributing factors to the growth of board games. "Availability of online content has massively contributed to the global growth rate of board games. We are seeing an increase and a wide range of online sales on Takealot, which offers a few hundred board games.
"There are also a number of newly launched sites such as Timeless, Digital Sushi and BoardGamesWorld, where online communities are meeting to either buy, review games or engage in online discussions", he says.
One such example is boardgamegeek.com, a database of player reviews, session reports, images, and gaming news. This Web site boasts more than one million users, making it the most popular gaming online platform.
"Here, you can check which games are rated the highest in multiples of categories from family games, to thematic games. One can check for rules clarification and check the most popular games within the community. There is a plethora of information that has been invaluable in helping people choose which games to play and buy," he adds.
Parker notes Wil Wheaton from Star Trek fame launched an online-based game show called "Tabletop" where he invites famous sci-fi TV and movie stars to play board games with him.
"This show is one of the most successful YouTube shows in promoting board games," says Parker.
Following the popularity of TV series such as The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones and Star Wars, fans read all the books and later yearned for a real-life adrenaline-rushing feeling of being on the TV set.
The best way of experiencing that is to get the board games and become the actual TV characters, Parker asserts.
Freelance Technology journalist and blogger Nafisa Akabor says board game events also contribute to the growing popularity of tabletop games in SA.
"Our country is increasingly embracing tabletop games, more than in recent years. Events such as ICON, a gaming convention that takes place annually in Johannesburg and Durban are big on board games. I took part in a Ticket to Ride tournament last year, and it was an eye opener. I got to see the different tactics which people use to win."
The Economist online reported that tabletop games have been "booming" for the past five years. The publication cited a growing market for such "hobby games" that are now worth $880 million a year in America and Canada alone.
Eugene Vermeulen, owner and founder of one of SA's biggest game distributor, Sky Castle, says his business has seen a significant increase in board game sales, "We have seen a 300% increase of board game sales in the past year and this growth reflects a worldwide phenomenon."
He attributes this growing trend to an increasing need for families and friends to spend quality time together and experience face-to-face interaction, as was the case in the old days.
"People are social individuals and technology is often accompanied by a streak of isolation from the outside world. Board games bring a sense of belonging and connectedness among family members and friends," he offers.
Vermeulen notes that economic conditions also play a huge role in people opting for the more affordable way of having fun.
"Due to the affordability of board games, more families are opting for a night of fun indoors compared to going out for the night which is likely to be more expensive," he explains.
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