Board Games V.S. Video Games

Board Games V.S. Video Games 

By: Kellum Dixon

Date: 1/7/25

A topic that has come up in my life a lot is about which of the two game types are better board games or video games.  I think I have finally found the answer to this question. In this article I will be explaining some people’s opinion on the topic as well as my own. There will be two parts that we will be thinking about, such as health, how can board games or video games affect it? The second is entertainment, how entertaining are these games for you?

First, we will be looking at health. For board games, my research tells me that board games are  great for your mental health! Playing these games helps you develop critical thinking skills, build better relationships with friends and family, and increase your functional memory as stated in the article “Game Over. The Definitive List of Why Board Games Are Better Than Video Games.”

Video games are also good for you . They help with teamwork, creativity, and they improve strategy, and resources as it explains in “The Benefits of Video Games in Learning; Why Your Children Really Should Play Video Games” when it says, “The video game industry lost its innocence a long time ago. These days, it's a mature sector, admired for its technological muscle, innovative capacity and its well-developed entrepreneurial vision.”

To determine which is better we have to also look at the downsides of these types of games. Board games can become  addictive which is a very bad problem. This could stop you from doing physical activity and eating healthy, which is never good. Video games have problems too, such as being addictive, and making you lose interest in other parts of life such as sports or relationships. It can also put you in negative mood states. There are even physical things, like wounds, blisters, shoulder, and neck pain, and some of these pains can become permanent, as listed in this article “The Health Effects of Too Much Gaming.” At the end of the health test it seems to me that board games win, because they don't result in physical injury if you play too much, and overall, video games can cause many more health issues. 

Now, we are going to move onto entertainment. In my opinion both of these types of games are very entertaining, depending on which game. We will start with video games, and why people think they are entertaining.  I found that people have lots of fun competing with the computer or with other family members. In this article “Video games are fun. Here's why, and how they hook us”  the author, Ryan Barone, states that video games are fun for people because “ they transport us to new realities and satisfy our needs for achievement and recognition. Video games also keep us interested with puzzles and mini-games, and engaging due to their attention to detail.” It also helps people with disabilities do things they cannot in the real world, because there are simulations of senses, so you can feel like you don't have a disability. Board games are also really fun because they can boost your relationships with family members, and friends. They also help build great memories and strengthen them.  It is also fun to do on a boring  rainy day with family and/or friends. They also reduce stress, so when you're playing you never feel stressed out, as said in the article, “Wellness Wednesday – 5 Mental Benefits of Board Games”.

Personally I would choose video games for entertainment, because in video games you can still hang out with family and friends.  I think there is just much more to video games , like how they help those with disabilities, or how you can play puzzle games to help and challenge your brain. I just think there are way more video games and types of video games than there are board games Besides they have some of the same attributes of board games.  That is why I believe video games are more fun  than board games.

So after all of this information I leave things to you.  What do you think is fun, or safe to play?  Which one is better, and why?  Put into consideration what you could do in each game or who you could play with.  Video games for me win the competition, but I know others out there would disagree.

Sources:

Game Over. The Definitive List of Why Board Games Are Better Than Video Games.

The benefits of video games in learning; Why your children really should play video games. 

The health effects of too Much Gaming.

Video games are fun. Here's why, and how they hook us.

Wellness Wednesday – 5 Mental Benefits of Board Games