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Forget about the news and play a board game

Apr 05, 2025

Source: Getty Images.

With all the turmoil in the news, I urgently need to escape. I often use humor to deflect the most uncomfortable situations, but beyond that, I’m seeking other types of diversions.

Maybe I should pull out some board games and forget about things for a while?

Here are some of my favorites:

Scrabble

This is still a favorite game of mine, although I don’t spell as well as I used to. Why don’t they have AutoCorrect on Scrabble? I do not like crossword puzzles, but this is a keen way to keep my word skills sharp.

Erika always balks when I suggest playing this game because she usually loses. Often I will tell her to make up words so her mood improves and she hangs in there a little longer.

Monopoly

This is still a great way to kill several hours. Everyone wants to covet Boardwalk and Park Place but those purple properties were often viewed as losers. The railroad properties and utilities were always winners. Inevitably, we all took a trip to jail, but thankfully, we were bailed out with those Chance and Community Chest cards. Remember winning a beauty pageant and getting $10?

My partner Erika had a career in finance, and I usually lose if I play against her. No wonder it’s one of her favorite games. She’s always good at strategy, and before too long, I am bankrupt. Even if I picked the race car, that didn’t save me from her ruthless tactics.

Jenga

My friends and I started playing this game around 2017. It’s a suspenseful party game, watching that wooden tower grow. My hands are still fairly steady so I don’t have too much trouble with this game. I love watching Erika cringe as her creation tumbles onto the table.

Uno

I love this game because it doesn’t demand any intellectual aptitude. Revenge is the name of the game as you pass an unwanted card to your opponent. If you want a mindless escape, pull out a deck and forget your troubles.

Concentration

I wasn’t very good at this game as a kid because I had a short attention span. I played this game with Erika’s mother when she lived with us. For a while she did pretty well until her memory started to fail. It was a sad moment, but I’m glad I engaged her for a while. And who remembers these games?

Twister

This was a popular game when I was in junior high. We were all experimenting with activities to flex our hormonal urges. Right foot on the red dot. Left arm on the blue dot. Was your potential boyfriend nearby? Maybe you fell on your crush and had a cheap thrill.

Limbo

How low can you go? Remember that limbo song? My back hurts just thinking about that now. Bend over backwards and shimmy toward the pole. Eventually you would land on your ass. But it was such fun.

Chess

I learned how to play this game when I was about eight. I remember defeating a sixth grader, but he probably let me win. But I’ve grown more impatient with time and now I like fun games. Chess is not fun. It demands concentration. They should have a one minute rule for each move, and I would enjoy playing again.

Candyland

We were all hooked on sugar during the 50’s and 60’s, so what better way to extend our cravings than by playing a game devoted to sweets? I’m sure I developed cavities just by playing this game. I’ll bet a dentist invented Candyland.

Parcheesi

I remember this being a primitive version of Backgammon, a game I still enjoy today. A roll of the dice and then strategy took over. It was so frustrating when your opponent landed on your pawn-shaped piece and you had to start over.

Chinese Checkers

I loved playing with those colorful round balls until our dog stepped on the game and all the orbs flew across the living room. Then she ate one of them. My mother didn’t enjoy taking her to the vet. Regular checkers were easier.

Battleship

This was one of my favorite mindless games. Remember trying to bomb all those boats, and the dismal sound of your opponent replying “Miss!”

Chutes and Ladders

Climb those ladders if you’re lucky. Otherwise, you’ll have a dismal ride down the slide and have to try again. Maybe it should be named. The Myth of Sisyphus.