Thoughts about the Economics of Board Game Purchases
We all are looking for ways to save money, aren’t we? (If you’re not and you’ve got some to throw away, I’ll gladly take some off your hands.) Assuming that’s true, let’s look at how games save you money in the long run.
A board game, such as El Grande, is normally a one-time purchase. The vast majority of them don’t require a continual influx of funds to make them work.
What about Board Game Expansions?
I suppose you could argue that expansions work against that, but expansions to a board game (or card game) are never necessary. Occasionally you can even buy a game with expansions included. The El Grande Decennial Edition is one example of this.
Some, like the To Forge a Realm expansion to Kingsburg feel indispensable once you’ve used them, but even that one isn’t truly needed. The only other way I can think of that a board game would have to be purchased more than once is if you played it so much that it actually wore out. (Personally, I’ve done that with a card game called Tichu.)
No Extra Equipment Needed
You don’t need any special equipment – other than perhaps a piece of paper and a pencil to add up scores in Take It Easy!, for example – to play a board game.
Video games, on the other hand, require some sort of console and a decent screen for viable play. Those gadgets can be expensive.
Making the Purchase
If you have a specialty board game store in your area, you very likely can try out board games there before you buy them. The proprietors might even be able to teach you how to play a game like Blokus. That’s just about the only travel time and gas you need to expend when getting a board game. After that, you save time and money every time you decide to play your game instead of going out on the town, a proposition that can quickly become expensive.
If you decide to purchase a board game at your local shop, that’s fine. Otherwise, you’ll find that you can normally buy board games online for significantly less (even with shipping costs included). If you bundle several games into one order – maybe along with the purchases of a friend – you can often do away with shipping fees entirely.
Costs of Board Games over Time
While some leisure activities cost more over time, the cost of a board game decreases every time you play it. That $49 copy of Agricola costs less than $10 per play after just 5 plays. And at that point, you’ve had 5 to 10 hours of fun with your family.
Bringing together your family to join in one common activity can be cost effective too. Instead of spending money in several different venues (possibly all over town), you save money staying at home enjoying each other’s company – and having fun trouncing each other in a game of Glory to Rome!
It’s Not Just Board Games – Print-and-Play Is IN!!!
When we’re talking about value for money, you really can’t go past the printable game. Print-and-play is exploding right now on Board Game Geek, so you can set yourself up for hours of entertainment for a small fee + printing costs. Some of these games are amazing, but not all of them are, so you might want to check them out a little first before putting the effort into printing.
Escape room games have also jumped onto the print-and-play bandwagon, and honestly, I think that they translate far better than board games into an at home, DIY scenario. You’ll need to invest a little more up-front than a print-and-play boardgame, but the price still pales in comparison to ticket prices to a ‘real life’ escape room (check out these price comparisons). At the end of the night, you get an immersive game experience for the whole family without ever leaving home. That’s a win!