There can be no better way of spending a rainy Sunday afternoon that laying out a board game on the kitchen table. The popularity of games such as chess, checkers and backgammon has never been higher despite the advent of the computer games era. It’s quite surprising how people keep on returning to the classics after the popularity of Space Invaders and Donkey Kong took center stage in the 1970′s. Those finger-clicking, alien-zapping games had their day, but now they look quite dated.

So, how does one explain the fact that classic board games are still with us – both in traditional board format, as well as in online format on the internet? Perhaps it is simply the fact that the baby boomers of today, many in their 50′s and 60′s, recall halcyon times playing chess and checkers with their school friends, sitting around the fire, passing hour after hour in absorbed concentration.

How can these ancient games continue to fascinate young and old alike with so many more sophisticated computer games vying for our attention and pockets? The answer is probably in the timeless simplicity of so many of the traditional board games. Take backgammon as an example. This game has been played in one form or another for the past 3,000 years. Similar to other classic board games like chess or the extremely popular oriental game of go, the secret appeal would appear to be in their simplicity. However, while these games may take minutes to learn, they all take years to master.

Modern board games such as Risk, Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit have also taken their place among the classics and they too have withstood the transfer from traditional board game to computer. Players can now play these games using the computer as a master controller and card counter. Alternatively, they can take their game-playing enthusiasm online and play against a computer opponent or against other game fans across the world.

One criticism of such online game play – like similar criticisms of online poker and online casino games – is that the social aspects may be diminished. However, this need not necessarily be the case as many online game forums give players the opportunity to chat online. This provides the game players the chance to make new friendships across the globe, thus actually bringing people together and enhancing the original purpose of playing any game – to establish and fortify new friendships.