Cardboard Reality really isn’t for those people that don’t play board games. I know that and don’t expect non-gamers to be frequent listeners. We talk about so many mechanisms, publishers and game titles, I don’t understand how our regulars keep up.

There comes a moment for a gamer when they are explaining a game or a non-gamer is listening to someone talk about a game. The board is described, and it’s a picture of the world map as we know it. The first question out of the non-gamer’s mouth is “So, is the game like Risk?”

A gamer would instantly think “no,” but in writing this, I’ve been thinking “why don’t we play those games?” Those who have played an array of games can pinpoint good game design. Those that haven’t really can’t distinguish the minute rules that can make a game good or bad. And to be honest, that is not their fault. The way board gaming works for the masses is to revere a small handful of classics instead of ushering in the modern designs that work to shape and perfect what we’ve learned over time.

This series of articles is for people that want to make that comparison. We’ve all played mass market games, and to be honest, they have flaws that stick out once apparent. This series seeks to speak on the appeal of the mass market games, ask why they aren’t generally played by hobby gamers and provide a modern alternative to those games.

Connect Four

Talk about a classic. Connect Four has been sold to the masses by Milton Bradley since 1974. We’ve seen dozens of games all about lining up a certain number of things in a row, all the way up to seeing it in to modern designs. Connect Four is one of those iconic games you see kids and adults playing.

It is a game beloved in its simplicity. Each player takes turns dropping a piece in the grid. First one to line up four wins. It’s as simple as Tic-Tac-Toe. It also has the slider on the bottom of the grid to drop all the pieces. Games can be played, reset, and started over with ease, especially with the 10-minute playtime noted on the box.