Games are a thing. Most humans love to play them, but certainly not all. Every so often, I meet someone who does not like to play.
I like a game of just about anything. To participate or to watch. There is something about the spirit of fun that surrounds nearly every game. It is true that some games are extremely competitive, but even in those, someone is having fun: the winning team, or person, most of the time.
As you very well know, games come in many shapes and forms. They can be highly physical or incredibly cerebral. And sometimes, both. There is a huge difference between a game of rugby and a game of chess.
Today marks the date, April 18, 1924, when the first crossword puzzle book was published by Simon & Schuster. I was a kid who grew up on crosswords, a sort of game in itself. My father was always working one in his times of relaxation. When he would finally sit down at the end of the day, he’d reach for his daily crossword, with his sharpened pencil and eraser, and set to work. Or play. We kids would lean over the arm of his chair and try to help. He was sweet enough to give in, always throwing us a clue. “What is a seven letter word for ‘eager to know?'”
On the other end of the spectrum, there are hundreds of athletic games on this planet, from Archery to Waterpolo. Something for everyone, it seems.
But people throughout history have also been widely attracted to board games, and from the very start, they have been played in most cultures. “Senet,” found in the early burials of Egypt around 3500 BC, is the oldest board game known to have existed. Senet was pictured in a fresco found in Merknera’s tomb (3300–2700 BC).
One game we are more familiar with, backgammon, originated in ancient Mesopotamia over 5,000 years ago.
And games eventually made their way to the United States, although not without resistance. In 17th and 18th century colonial America, the farming life left little time for game playing. Yet, people did. They would play draughts (checkers), bowling, and card games.
But earlier on, those Pilgrims and Puritans. They were a strict brood and frowned on game playing. In fact, they viewed dice as instruments of the devil. I say a little Yahtzee is good for the soul. But that’s me.
Today, the shift is toward the electronic. The mobile game industry was one of the highest performing industries in 2020. Globally. There was a huge amount spent in 2020, with a turnout of $77.2 billion. There is no reason to think it will end any time soon. The numbers for 2021 are predicted to be higher.
It is not just kids either. There is a whole population of adult gamers. Overall, the mobile gaming industry recorded 12% more players in 2020 than in 2019, with over 2.5 billion players.
That’s a lot of people who like to play games, from Candy Crush to Pokemon Go. My friends even busted someone playing Mahjong on a Zoom call.
But playing games is more than fun. It is good for us too. Games can be group-oriented or completely singular. In physical games, we get exercise. Most games are good for our coordination, our decision-making skills, and memory. The benefits are wide and far-reaching.
On the other hand, all things in moderation are key. Be it Scrabble or chocolate donuts. Too much of a good thing, and those things can get out of hand.
Mostly though, games are good for the heart and the head. There’s nothing like a good game of Clue with the family to warm everyone’s spirit, as they all try to figure out who murdered who, with what.
Today, as with every day, may the spirit of fun be found in your heart, even if it only visits for a moment.
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“Life is more fun if you play games.”
― Roald Dahl
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“We do not stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing!”
― Benjamin Franklin
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“I went to a fight the other night, and a hockey game broke out.”
— Rodney Dangerfield
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What to play, when fun is what we need.
