Ah, board games – for me, they are synonymous with laughter, yelling, and ultimately memorable interactions with friends and family. In a world where we can access games on our phone as well and technology can rule our interactions with others, board games help us interact with each other in the flesh – and here’s how!

1. Always a Roll of the Dice

It’s not always easy to interact with your peers or break away from boredom; if that’s the case, break out a board game! Each game is different, even if the rules are always the same; you have different groups of people every game; and the dice always fall differently (unless they’re loaded).

2. (Forced) Communication

You have to talk to each other during board games – whether it’s playful banter or an ironic and unapologetic Sorry!, there’s always communication. One of my personal favorite board game communications is declaring that you’ll be the winner with no actual evidence and watching my father or friend’s eyes heat with a glare.

3. Alliances

Oh, what glorious fun! Pairing up to destroy other players is a perfectly healthy board game interaction. This is an especially important way to bond when you have a traditional board game and can really irritate the other players or slamming one person in particular, leading to good-natured bickering and fun argumentative banter.

4. Laughter & Fun

Whether it’s because of destruction from the aforementioned alliance or because you’re winning, you’re probably going to find yourself laughing for some reason or another. If you’re becoming invested in the board game experience, you’ll bond with the other players and (hopefully) have a good time.

5. Revenge

If you’re playing a board game with people who are focused to win, it’s very likely that you will have to make a tough choice and break your alliance – or someone will breech the alliance and betray you. If that’s the case, you should most definitely find a way to exact revenge upon those who have hurt you. It may not be the most strategic move, but it will almost certainly spice up the game and create some memories.

6. Arguing & Fighting

Board games instill a healthy sense of hostility between players, and at some point, someone will get angry. Arguments may ensue and insults may be flung, but they’re all within the context of the game. Don’t take the harshness of disagreements seriously and recognize that everyone is engaged in the activity and are probably enjoying themselves.

7. A Glorious Finish

In life, there are winners and losers, and there is no exception to board games. Someone will end up being happy and successful, but hopefully everyone will turn out happy from interactions with each other and will have a new memory.