If you have a passion for gaming, and your home console is beginning to lose its appeal, with its wires and its subscription fees and its annoying opponents, 3D games may be for you. The 3D board game club is a newly established UA organization that describes themselves as a “revolutionary break-through in the gaming industry.” The club introduces a way to interact with others while engaging in tabletop games.
“3DBG is a tabletop gaming club, meaning we play primarily board games but also some card and party games,” Anna Moyer, president of the 3D board gaming association, said.
The name of the club refers to a new twist on a traditional way to play games.
“The club was named by someone from my hometown, but the idea is that the board games physically have three dimensions; a lot of the games make use of small wooden figurines, unlike 2D video games,” Moyer said.
While German-style board games have existed since the 1970s, the most well-known game is Settlers of Catan, which originated in Europe and was introduced to the U.S. in 1995. This “Euro game” sparked interest due to its difference from American games, which are usually based on luck, conflict and drama.
“German-style games refers to games that are easy to learn, don’t emphasize conflict or luck, have indirect competition between players and often have economic themes,” Moyer said. “Within a game, we can get pretty competitive, but because of the nature of the indirect competition involved, we stay friendly.”
Some of the games played at the meetings include Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne, Ticket to Ride, Dominion, Stone Age and Alien Frontiers. The meetings are held on Fridays at 7 p.m. in the Ridgecrest South Atrium. The one-hour meetings are casual, and snacks, including lattes and donuts, are served.
Anywhere from two to five players can participate in a game, so those attending meetings are divided into groups based on who wants to play which game.
While German-style board games seem unknown to most students on the UA campus, Moyer said many have started to express interest in them.
“At home, I had a group of friends that would meet pretty regularly to game, but when I came to UA, I was surprised to find that there didn’t seem to be an official organization for German-style games,” Moyer said. “As I recruited friends to play with me, it seemed like there might be some interest in creating a game club – we would play in public areas, and people would come up to us to see what we were doing or express excitement that others also liked this style of board game.”
Everyone is encouraged to give German-style board games a try.
“It’s rare that we have a new player walk away from a meeting hating the experience,” Moyer said. “The games are easy to learn, so even those with no experience can be competitive and get into the game the first time that they play. It’s also a great way to meet new people; playing board games is a very social venture, and we have members with very diverse majors and interests.”
The only requirements to join are an interest in board games and the ability to attend at least one meeting. For more information or to become an official member, visit ua.collegiatelink.net/organization/3dbg.
