When people gather around the table, unfold their cardboard and break out their wooden bits, they do so for many different reasons. Some want to strategize like military generals in an effort to trounce their opponents. Others want a reason to unhinge themselves and laugh out loud playing party games. There are also those that want to immerse themselves in the setting, characters, and events of a board game and experience the story that on offer. 

In this episode, we chat about how board games tell stories. Designers have a lot of tools to work with when attempting to weave a story into their game. The components, the artwork, the mechanics and of course, the actual written narrative are all ways to convey a story to players. Some do it better than others and throughout our conversation, we amble our way and talk about A LOT of games like Near and Far, Fresco, Scythe, Legacy of Dragonholt and many, many more. 

We also briefly mention the different types of stories that board games tell borrowing from Christopher Booker’s The Seven Basic Plots (which we wrongfully credit to Joseph Campbell) to see whether board games possess the same storytelling capabilities as film and literature. 

While we stray from the topic at hand from time to time, this episode, at the very least, makes for a pretty extensive list of immersive games. 

So, gather ‘round, get cozy and let us spin you a yarn about board games and the stories that they tell.