Growing tired of Monopoly or, god forbid, Catan? A company by the name of Board hopes to change that with, well, Board — a 24in digital screen that’s part board game, part console, loaded with 12 technically original games out of the box. We guess that explains the high $500 (∼R8,500) price that’ll touch $700 after the initial sale.
Feeling Board?
“Families want to connect, but they’re competing with incredibly powerful technologies,” Putnam, the game’s creator, told USA Today. “Board is about flipping that dynamic — using tech to support real human connection instead of replacing it.”
This is still a board game at heart, even if it does involve you and your mates gathering around a screen. Putnam wanted to make screens feel social again, and that’s what Board sets out to do. That hefty price includes the 24in digital screen, complete with a pretty frame, and 12 fresh games to play out of the box, each with its own set of physical pieces. And if you lose one, shoot ’em an email, and they’ll replace it.
Read More: Netflix to bring the world of Catan to the small screen
Players use the physical pieces — which feature a unique pattern on their base — to play the games. The custom software and some AI mixed in there recognise the patterns and react in real-time. Dual-stereo speakers handle the audio, and the inclusion of Wi-Fi 6 and 64GB storage (with room for a microSD card) tells us that the company might have a couple of new games on the way that’ll need the extra room.
As for the games, there’s bound to be something that holds your interest. You won’t recognise any of them — they’re Board originals — but you get the gist for most. There’s Chop Chop that sounds like Overcooked! but with more room to get up in your partner’s face whenever they screw up an order. Save the Bloogs looks like a fun 2D side-scrolling platformer where the physical pieces act as cannons and stairs to overcome obstacles.
