Today, board games as models of the world. The University of Houston presents this series about the machines that make our civilization run, and the people whose ingenuity created them. 

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Board games are almost as old as civilization. Backgammon descends from games that were played over 5000 years ago in Mesopotamia, and  the game go has been around for some 4000 years. All of us have played a board game as children, and many of us still do. 

But why do we enjoy board games? Only very few make money doing so. And yet we can spend hours moving pieces around a board. There is no single reason we enjoy games: They bring us together, and let us compete and take risks without real-world consequences. Games are simplified, but highly structured reflections of the world: Unlike nature and society, games are governed by clear rules that are known to all players. Games let us practice competing in a safe setting, with the winner and looser clearly decided. Games can help us learn how to navigate the world by capturing some of its workings.

The drawing submitted as part of the first patent application by Lizzie Magie.  

For example the game Monopoly was originally designed by Elizabeth Magie in 1903. Originally titled The Landlord’s Game it came with two sets of rules: Under one set of rules property was taxed, and the proceeds distributed amongst all players. The game was played cooperatively, and ended when the poorest player was lifted out of poverty. Under the now familiar set of rules, of course, players collect rent from all those unfortunates who land on their acquisitions. These two sets of rules were meant to illustrate the benefits of a land tax to all of society. 

This image represents the board game based on the 1924 patent.

Games are thus miniature universes, each existing under its own set of rules. They therefore resemble mathematical models, and mathematicians are often drawn to games. Indeed, where games stop and serious mathematics begins is not always clear. The study of games have lead to the development of several branches of mathematics: Combinatorial game theory is a branch of math devoted to studying the number and types of outcomes in games like chess and go. Game theory was introduced as a way of thinking about how people or companies interact. It has been applied in biology, politics and economics. The problems studied by game theorists can be illustrated by the game Diplomacy where different players negotiate deals, and make alliances to win. But in Diplomacy agreements are not binding, and success is a result of skilled negations and deceptions.

Modern board games have exploded with creativity. Designers now craft immersive worlds where players build empires, solve mysteries, and fight off alien invaders. Such games can evolve as you play them, with changing rules and unfolding stories. Many encourage teamwork instead of competition. Yet, at their core games have remained the same: The best are a structured playground that encourages our imagination and creativity to soar. 

This is Krešo Josić at the University of Houston where we are interested in the way inventive minds work.

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Here is an interview with Isaac Childress, the creator of the popular board games Gloomhaven and Frosthaven.

Here is an interesting interview with a current game designer.

A short history of the game of Monopoly can be found here. 

A much more comprehensive discussion can be found in the book The Monopolists here.

I also recommend the excellent science fiction novel The Player of Games.

This episode first aired February 18, 2025.