What is your opinion on Christian board games?

Question

I'm doing a class project, and I am looking for different opinions / viewpoints...
What do you think of Christian board games?
Why have none of them been successful?
Have you heard of any Christian board games, and if so which ones?
Where do you see them going in the future?
Anything other answers / comments would be welcome...

Thanks!

Answer 1

I found the following:
APPLES TO APPLES BIBLE EDITION
BIBLETRIVIA
UNGAME BIBLE EDITION
OUTBURST " "
PROVERBIALWISDOM
BIBLE MADGAB
LIFESTORIES
BIBLE TRIBOND
GUESSTURES BIBLE EDITION
SCATTERGORIES
REDEMPTION CITY OF BONDAGE
SETTLERS OF CANAAN
BIBLEOPOLY
BIBLE BAFFLE
INKLINGS
SOLOMON'S TEMPLE
BIBLEMAN
BIBLE BLURT
BIBLE BRAINSTORM
CHOICES
i DON'T KNOW OF ANY CHRISTIANS WHO BELIEVE IT IS A SIN TO PLAY BOARDGAMES! Where did the above answer get that. I believe it creates fellowship among likeminded people. I believe it is healthy. As for which ones are the best I would say the ungame. Lifestories is pretty cool as well, only it is new. I was actually thinking about starting an educational/unique game e-store. I am not totally sure about the future of this genre of entertainment. I am not speaking only of christian games, but of board games in general. If I found enough customers who wanted these types of products, I would build it. E-MAIL ME IF YOU WANT ME TO START THIS TYPE OF STORE!

Answer 2

Most Christian- based games that I've seen (excluding educational games geared towards small kids) are either Biblical trivia or a spinoff of some other game with some sort of a Christian theme pasted on. The former will only be popular with those with a lot of Biblical knowledge and therefore is sold through smaller religious companies and stores such as Lifeway. It's a bit of a chicken and egg problem but it's hard to have mainstream success when you're not selling at Wal-Mart. The latter has the same problems of the first compounded by the fact that if you're much of a gamer you've already played the original game/theme. I will say that I liked the Ark of the Covenant game (played twice) which is a spinoff of Carcassonne, but if you already have Carc getting Ark is a hard sell. Also, "success" can have different meanings. For example, the Christian CCG Redemption hasn't seen mainstream success, but it has a devoted niche and it's been going for about 11-12 years which is something most CCGs not named Magic can't say.

The other Christian game that comes to mind right away is Settlers of Canaan which is a spinoff of Settlers of Catan, but I've never played it.

As for ideas, I wouldn't mind seeing a wargame based on the battles between, say, the Isrealites and Philistines, and I think one could use it to further one's knowledge of both ancient civilizations and their battles, but like someone else said the problem is that it wouldn't be exactly keeping with Christian doctrine if the side backed by God had a chance of losing! You might be able to get away with a mechanism where the Isrealites have a chance of turning to idols, at which point they get crushed, but that would be very tough to implement.

Answer 3

It would depend on the game I'm sure. Simpler and oriented towards children games like chutes and ladders are advertised during christmas or during cartoons. A christian game would have to compete against the advertising dollars of the big name companies in those slots. Parents would have to be aware of them too. Maybe if they were advertised on christian channels like The 700 Club. So the parents would have to have religion as a big part of their lives. Remember that children are a big part of the equation. They have to want to play and have to bug their parents to get it for them. That also means other kids would have to want to play it which would raise awareness with their kids.

Teens, unless they're pretty religious, are also going to follow their friends for game play. If they get into a gaming group in school, what's the chance the group will play a christian based game? This would have to be something a group of christian teens would play, maybe at a church camp.

Once you get older, again if you're religious, you'd get with others with similar tastes to play christian games. You might want to break out the games you played when you were a teen.

So the problem is that they're basically educational and religious games. They would have to appeal to a pretty small segment of the population.

In the board gaming side, you'd really have to have a historical reenactment for it to appeal to a larger segment. The problem is that most of the events in the bible have God intervening which doesn't translate well into a historical game. Most of the historical games approach the historical event with as much accuracy as possible and then you take your skills and see if you can change the outcome.

For example, Moses and leading the Hebrews out of Egypt. Nothing Moses did was from his own powers. Everything was done with God working through Moses. How do you use your gaming skills to change the outcome? It's what makes it hard to translate The Lord of the Rings into a board game. It's been tried but there is only one place to go. As long as you block access to that place, the other player cannot win. Had Sauron stationed a couple of Orc guards at the entrance points to Mount Doom, Frodo would never have made it to the pits.

Another way would be to role play events (like Dungeons and Dragons). Again, who would play Jesus? "I'm the son of God and cannot lose." Takes all the fun out of the game :)

One thing you need to consider is that religion is pretty straight laced. I imagine if someone came up with a RPG based on Jesus' life, it might be met with some anger.

Answer 4

I've been a Christian for quite a while and i've never even heard of a christian board game. I guess the reason they don't sell is that people wana relax when they're playing a game, not memorize bible verses. I've played several games that aren't "Christian" board games but they're not like evil. For example, scrabble isn't a christian game but unless ur making bad words then it's not really a bad game. I guess what im saying is that any game can be christian if u make it that way.

Answer 5

Most "Christian" board games I am aware of are either Bible trivia or thinly disguised copies of other games. Eventually, most Christians get tired of playing inferior copies of a game and go play the real thing. The trivia games are often absurdly easy, those that aren't are absurdly difficult, in either case, interest wanes quickly.

I must admit, most of my information dates to the 80's and early 90's, have little other than second hand information on current Christian board games as most of my friends now are either non-Christians or serious gamers who are looking for good game design, not sanctified packaging. Current games I am familiar with include Settlers of Canaan (a Settlers of Catan spin off), supposedly Christian versions of Scattergories, Outburst, and Apples to Apples; and Ark of the Covenant ( a rip of Carcassone).

On the rare occasions someone attempts to design a truly original Christian game, they all too often get bogged down in making sure the game is doctrinally correct rather than making it fun. Or even worse, overtly educational. Blatently educational games are rarely fun, blatently educational religious games are often worse.

I don't see a great deal of hope for the future, games will continue to be made, bought and rarely played as long as the dominant Christian culture is attempting to be nothing more than a sanctified copy of secular culture.

Answer 6

The groups of Christians that I know would not be allowed to play games: they are not allowed to play cards or dance. This is possibly why games would not be successful: no market

Answer 7

the well known Ouija board replaced into created in the late 1800s as activity in spiritualism grew. A Ouija board is basically a activity board that has the alphabet, numerals, and "specific" and "no" revealed on its face. used mutually with a pointer, Ouija boards are believed to permit spirits of the ineffective to talk with the residing. they are often seen to be verbal substitute gateways to those that have “ignored". The Bible has some issues to declare approximately captivating in activities of this nature: Leviticus 19:31 - "do no longer turn to mediums or look for out spiritists, for you would be defiled by them. i'm the LORD your God." Deuteronomy 18:10-12 - "enable no one be discovered between you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fireplace, who practices divination or sorcery, translates omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who's a medium or spiritist or who consults the ineffective. every person who does those issues is detestable to the LORD." Isaiah 8:19 - "whilst adult males inform you to look for advice from mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, shouldn't a human beings inquire of their God? Why look for advice from the ineffective on behalf of the residing?" Galatians 5:19-20 - "The acts of the sinful nature are obtrusive: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, etc. I grant you with a warning, as I did in the past, that people who stay like this won't inherit the dominion of God." Occultists will insist that the boards artwork by allowing spirits of the ineffective to go the pointer in answer to queries. Scientists have yet to coach that the pointer is moved by something different than the residing human beings touching the pointer. in fact, spirits of the ineffective seem to get quite perplexed whilst individuals are blindfolded, at which element the Ouija board all of sudden ceases to artwork wisely.

Answer 8

Im christian.. I played every kind of games but christian... I think it do not have action adventure or something.

Answer 9

I was raised in the church and I have never heard of such a thing. No offense but I doubt it would be interesting.