Board Games

Your Favorite Classic Board Games: Then and Now

This week, The Atlantic pointed out a troubling development in Candy Land: namely, all the updated (read: sexy Bratz-doll) versions of classic characters and what looks like altogether too much 2D glitter. So how have the other classic games of your youth aged? After the jump, check out the original versions, ’80s incarnations, and current models of your favorite board games, from LIFE to Chutes and Ladders. My, how things have changed. … Read More

10 Literary Board Games for Book Nerds

When it’s cold outside, book nerds tend to hibernate with their novels. But what about a bookish activity that’s also social (and indoors)? This week, the Paris Review pointed us towards Pride and Prejudice: The Board Game, which seems like just the ticket — if you’re a Jane Austen fan. However, what to do if you’re more of a Twainish persuasion? Never fear — we’ve collected a whole selection of board games based on novels, from fantasy to the classics, for your… Read More

Incredible, Hyperreal Paintings of Vintage Board Games

This Thanksgiving, when you bring the family together for a few board games — which will ultimately result in a screaming match, because someone always cheats — let these hyperrealistic paintings of classic board games by Tim Liddy distract you from the nostalgic aftermath. Painstakingly rendered with incredible detail, Liddy’s works capture the graphic beauty of vintage tabletop pastimes. The series is also a fascinating look at the cultural and social milieu of the time period that each game hails from — with a particular focus on the 1960s. Classic games such as Life, Monopoly, and Candy Land are painted on copper in the exact dimensions of the original. Liddy then manipulates the metal to mimic the box’s cosmetic damage — so you get all the rips, stains, scribbled note-making, and frustrating tears that old games accumulate over the years. The artist even paints the yellowed Scotch Tape that holds the cardboard corners together. Click through for more of Liddy’s incredible paintings of vintage board games. … Read More

The Occupy Wall Street USA Monopoly Board

Like Monopoly but hate the old-timey feel of the game? Well then why not try one that’s a little more modern? This Occupy USA board game by the Village Voice‘s William Banzai is just like the classic you’ve come to love except that it includes cities that are hosting their own versions of Occupy Wall Street and modern issues like federal bailouts and subprime mortgages. It might just be the best possible way to pass the time while you occupy the financial capital of your city. Click on for a bigger version. … Read More

When Board Games Come Full Circle

Time-consuming board games like Monopoly and Clue are fireside staples for avoiding awkward family conversations. They convert all of that confrontational energy into innocent competitiveness. Thus the recent update to Monopoly seems a little against-the-grain, as do the following makeovers. Where is the line between modernizing a classic and ruining it? … Read More