Board Games on VR

VR is making the gaming experience more intense and immersive. That is why companies like Rivers are trying to implement this technology in their own games, making them more appealing and, hopefully, turning a profit. However, there is one group of games you wouldn’t think could benefit from the assets of VR – board games. Yes, even Risk, Monopoly, and Sorry! have made their way into the gaming world once more, due to VR. Here is how the tech brings some of your beloved childhood classics to life.

Connecting People

Have you ever wanted to play a game of chess against your friend from the other side of the globe, all the while looking at their avatar and talking with them? While this was already possible (multiplayer games have been around for a while), virtual reality steps it up a notch.

VR can create virtual rooms for you and your opponent or partner and give you a place to relax as if you were really sitting next to each other and arguing about the rules. So, if you have an expatriate friend you would like to reconnect with, now’s your chance.

Immersive Experience

Brass Tactics: Arena is one of those games that allows you to run around the battlefield in real-time as you place your troops into the optimal position for attacking (or defending, as the case may be). Beat Saber, while not a board game, is also a neat VR work of art that lets you forget where you are while you slash the blocks like some kind of Jedi drummer. One of the games that have the elements of a board game, called Keep Talking and No-one Explodes, is also an excellent example of how fun it can be to play games with this technology.

VRChat offers its users the option of creating their own world and games. In a room full of people, with an avatar of your own choosing, you can simply chat, hang out, play games, or even set up a board game that matches one in existence or come up with your own idea.

This is the kind of immersive experience that virtual reality provides that is only slightly different to actually playing Monopoly with your family. It is very easy to lose track of your surroundings and get completely absorbed into the gameplay. Incidentally, this is the reason there are so many funny videos of people using VR and losing their balance.

VR or AR?

Augmented reality is also making a move on making the board games more enjoyable by enhancing the game pieces and the board, rather than fully getting you into the digital world. Imagine having a strategy board game, where you get historic facts and cool animations of individual figurines, as you fight your way to conquer your opponent’s territory.

It is hard to say which is better, as this is something that boils down to personal preference. It depends on whether you are leaning towards a cool new toy in your room or a cool new room for your toys. Regardless of which you choose, there are going to be some significant improvements in the future regarding the tech and its price, so you can expect the thrill to become even greater as the time passes.