It seems that humans have been playing games since… well, since forever. There must be a really deep connection between being human and playing games. Games have always been an important factor in social cohesion, and although they have often had a ritualistic and divinatory character, most of the time games have arisen and flourished because people have enjoyed playing them.
There is indeed something fascinating about rolling a pair of dice and letting the goddess of fortune decide your fate, whether you win or lose, a game or your life (if you lived in some places in Europe a few centuries ago).
The Game Changers (How Playing Games Changed the World and Can Change You Too) by Tim Clare (Canongate Books, 2024) is a fascinating account of the history and psychology of game-playing. I learned about the origins of many archetypal games, learned why card games almost always have the same set of suits, became curious and inspired by many games I hadn’t heard of, and actually started playing new ones.
All in all, this book, written in a very funny but also personal and even intimate way, reminded me of something I am reminded of every time I play games with my kids, that the main goal is to have fun.
