Some nomads engage in a war of words on their journeys
While there are plenty of grey nomads who are happy to entertain themselves playing on their computers or phones, many are now realising that playing games was actually more sociable and more fun before motherboards arrived on the scene.
And that’s why the liveliest camp in the van park is still likely to be the one where the playing cards are out, the Scrabble board is filling up, or Mrs Peacock has just been exposed as having done it with the revolver in the library. Basically, board games are booming.
Industry forecasters predict the global board game market will be worth over $17 billion by 2023.
In the UK as in Australia, younger people are getting in on the action and many pubs and cafes are now actively encouraging people to come along and enjoy a board game.
“As video games and the general ethos of that has gone more online, people just really want to sit round together and they want to play a game,” said Matt Ekberg, from Cardiff gaming venue, Chance and Counters. “Board games have just stepped in a huge way to fill that void.”
A quick bit of research on the Grey Nomads forum reveals that some of the classics are still weaving their magic and bringing joy to many an Outback evening.
Among the games most played under the awning appeared to be: Monopoly, Scrabble, Sequence, Upwords, Yahtzee, Cribbage, Cluedo, Chinese Chequers, Canasta, UNO, Rummy Royale and Backgammon.
Long-term traveller Dominic James said pulling out some old games from a dusty cupboard to put in the van had stirred up a lot of nostalgia.
“Believe it or not, we resurrected some of our long forgotten games like Mousetrap, Totopoly, Ratrace and Stock Market,” he said. “Yes they were a trip down memory lane … but, wow, they’re also just great fun!”
Best game is Words with Friends on the computer. You can play with family and friends all over the world.
We love playing the card game 5 Crowns. I would hate to count how many games we have played over the last three years. Followed by Sequence and Rummikub (tile game like yummy). 5 Crowns is great in a large group with fellow campers.