“Ticket to Ride” is a game set in the era of the railroad barons.Board games are fun. At least, that’s the idea.
To some, however, any excitement over an afternoon playing with friends deflates at the prospect of arguing over the rules and the need to set up and micromanage games featuring hundreds of pieces. That’s assuming, of course, that they can find people (and pieces) to play with at all.
Enter the humble tablet.
Since the release of the iPad in 2010, some of the most popular board games have leapt the digital chasm and now are available as smartphone and tablet apps. Offerings range from mainstream favorites such as Scrabble, Risk and several variations of Monopoly to so-called German-style board games, including Carcassonne and Settlers of Catan.
Digitizing a game can greatly streamline the playing experience. Apps eliminate the need to set up the board, allowing players to start sessions instantly. Almost all tablet board games feature some form of online multiplayer to find opponents at any time of day, and computer rule management to minimize squabbles over cheating.