By David Schefcik
Are you frustrated at the Monopoly that computer games hold in your Life? Are you Sorry for the Aggravation of losing time and don''t have a Clue about what is happening to your grades? Have you lost interest in the good, old-fashioned fun of board games?
If so, you aren''t the only student that has been spending endless hours playing computer games to escape the seemingly stagnant field of old games. In fact, many students are changing the old games to make them more fun and interactive, luring back those who have been lost in a virtual world.
'I worry about the people who play computer games all the time,' said Kimmie Dye, 19, from Santa Clara, Calif., who is majoring in interior design. 'They''re not getting outside or talking or engaging in social or physical activities,' she said. 'They need to play more games with real people.'
According to a recent Entertainment Software Association study, the average gamer spends about two and one half hours gaming every day for a total of 17.5 hours of game play per week.
'One time I played for 16 hours straight,' said J.D. Clark, 19, from Waldorf, Md. Clark is a recovering computer game-aholic who used board games to escape from his virtual prison. 'Last semester there were times when I would play games through classes and not participate in any social activities,' he said.
Playing computer games is addicting, Clark said, who is also a computer science major. 'But my failing grades woke me up and I am happy to say that social life and board games are much more enjoyable,' he said. 'People generate more memories than video games.'
However, some students express their love of both computer and board games. Andrew Frick, 23, who is from Lancaster, Pa., said video games appeal to him more than board games because of the virtual aspect. 'Video games offer a level of intrigue and imagination for an interactive entertainment experience in a virtual world which is extremely addicting.'
Frick said he enjoys the complexity of video games as well. ' are not as simple as just going around a game board collecting money,' he said.
But traditional games are not just a thing of the past, he said. 'What makes board games more fun than video games is that you can make playing it a memorable experience with good friends,' said Frick, who also works at the BYU Games Center. 'Make it an experience. That''s the key.'
Enjoying board games so much, Becky Peterson, 23, a major in history teaching from St. Louis, Mo., said that half of her wedding registry was games. 'Friends can get together and play games. We have fun, relieve stress and create memories,' she said.
Changing simple aspects of games, from writing hidden tasks on Jenga blocks to playing Life, not to see who earns the most money but who has the most children in their car, can provide many hours of social fun making traditional games more exciting.
Megan Flint, 19, an open major from Bountiful, Utah, has a suggestion for those people who are bored with board games. 'Offer a prize, like making a dinner or cookies for the other team,' she said. 'The games are more intense and exciting because people are eager and have a motivation to win.'
Khatiuska Khalifeh, 20, who is from Torrance, Calif., and majoring in clinical laboratory science, offers that creating new rules for games make them more fun to play. 'Just like in UNO where you add a different rule every round, you can add fun rules to almost any game.'
A fan of playing 'UNO Spaz,' where whenever a blue card is played you raise your hand, yellow you tap your head, red you hit your heart and green you hit the grass, Khalifeh said that some of her fondest memories of traditional games didn''t follow any rules at all. 'It is fun to see the kind of awkward looks you get from people passing by as you play,' she said.
Brant Jarrett, 27, a graduate student in psychology and BYU Board Game Club president, said many people have the false impression that new board games are not as fun as traditional games. 'I say out with the old and in with the new,' he said.
But the overall social game experience is what really matters, Jarrett said. 'Board games are about having fun with your friends and family,' he said. 'It is as simple as that.'
Bored With Board Games?
Here are some ideas to make traditional games fun and fresh.
Play for a Prize
Players are more motivated if they know that when they win they get freshly baked cookies or dinner made by the other team.
Make Up New Rules
Just like crazy 'Calvinball,' some games are more fun when additional rules are added every round like Uno or other traditional games.
Play Life-size Versions
Throw a blanket over a volleyball net, make a grid with tape and use water balloons to play human Battleship, dress up and use the buildings on campus and cell phones to play Campus Clue, or super-size Twister or checkers for some big group fun.
Enter a Tournament
Massive amounts of people all playing the same game can be exhilarating and most on campus tournaments are free.
Create Your Own Game
Use cereal boxes or poster board to create your own personalized game. Whether it is trivia about yourself or a board game of BYU student life, use your imagination and you could have the next big gaming hit!
Limit Game Time
Play quick games by using time limits for turns and making the games go faster. How will the games differ when you play under pressure?
Join a Club
New games can be played for free every Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the WSC Terrace with the BYU Board Game Club.
Merge Two Games
Play two different games at a time or combine games to form new ones. It can be fun mixing Risk and Monopoly to play 'Riskopoly' where you can buy additional armies with earned money.
Try Out New Games
Go to a board game store and try out some of the new games with your friends. Maybe you will find a game that provides endless hours of entertainment.