Roll the dice; move your piece

Many people's conception of a board game is that you roll a six-sided die, move your piece that number of spaces along a track and if the destination space says to do something, then you do it.

Snakes and ladders uses this system. Many Victorian board games you see in museums use this system. Monopoly, arguably the most famous board game of all, uses this system although it adds another level of excitement by using two six-sided dice. Wow. Two dice. Just imagine.

There is an episode of The Big Bang Theory in which Sheldon invents a game and invites his friends to play. The science in The Big Bang Theory is usually spot on. The depiction of the board gaming hobby is way off the mark. Sheldon's game involves rolling dice and moving a piece along a track. I was incensed at this travesty of game design. How can a programme which is bang up to date regarding quantum mechanics and relativity still be living in the 19th century as far as board games go?

"But how else do you move your piece along a track if not by rolling dice?" I hear you ask. Let me suggest some other possibilities.

In Wrath of Ashardalon each character in the dungeon has a 'speed' rating and can move any number of spaces up to their speed. Sometimes, with the appropriate equipment (such as magic boots) they might be able to temporarily increase their speed to move further than normal.

In Ave Caesar each charioteer has a hand of numbered cards and plays one to move their chariot that many spaces.

In Formula D each driver rolls a different shape of die (from four-sided up to thirty-sided) depending on what gear they are in.

In Tokaido players take their turn only when they are the rearmost traveller and they can move as many spaces along the track as they wish providing they end in an empty space.

In Theseus: The Dark Orbit when a character chooses to move he must move around the space station a number of spaces exactly equal to the number of characters in his starting space.

In Tikal you have ten action points to spend each turn and the more of them you spend moving through the jungle, the less you have to spend on other useful actions.

In Rampage (now renamed as Terror in Meeple City) you move your monster around the board by flicking him with your finger.

As with most things in life, the more you investigate, the more wonderful and varied you find things to be. When I was growing up I assumed there were basically four types of farmyard animals: horses, cows, sheep, pigs. Maybe you could throw in donkeys and dogs to bring it up to half a dozen. But then I discovered goats, llamas and alpacas and realised there are many different breeds of horses, cows, sheep and pigs. There's a lot more to farmyard animals than you can find in a children's story book.

Similarly there is much more to art, to history, to music, to science, to poetry, to gardening etc etc etc than ever I first imagined. It's a huge and wonderful world out there. Make sure you appreciate it!