If you think board games are boring, think again.
On a recent evening, fans of board games gathered in Cincinnati to play together. Every night is game night at YottaQuest, a family-owned store. Five years ago, Matthew Fay opened his game shop, and since then his business has increased 25% a year on average. Even during the recession[不景气], sales are up 40% compared to last year.
Fay: No video games; no electronic games. This is all personal interaction between people where…yeah, the game’s one thing, but the socializing is the key part.
Shelves are stocked from floor to ceiling with games such as Monopoly and Apples to Apples, even European favorites like Settlers of Catan. Industry insiders say board game sales increased by more than 20% last year. They’re expected to be even higher this year.
Jim Silver (Editor): One of the main reasons why board games are doing so well has to do with the economy.
Jim Silver is editor of Timetoplaymag.com, a consumer website. 
Silver: You can buy a great board game for under $20, and every time you play it, it’s a new game. This is a toy that could be played over and over again, so the consumer sees value in this type of purchase.
On this night, a mixed crowd fills the tables in the
YottaQuest store. Players from ages 12 to 60 are enjoying strategy games like Pandemic. They include students, homemakers[家庭主妇], research scientists and a few who are unemployed. Not all of them are so-called game geeks[极客].
In this era of computers and online networking, some people who play together become addicted to[沉迷于] human contact. That’s true of 23-year-old Bryan Gerding, who used to spend hours on the Internet.
Gerding: Like I can play online games where I’m talking to people, but these people are right there.
Reporter: Real people.
Gerding: Real people. Yes.
Reporter: Face-to-face.
Gerding: Yes, exactly. It makes a big difference in the game.
Store owner Matthew Fay is convinced the community aspect of face-to-face gaming is what will keep people buying and playing board games even when the economy improves.
如果你认为桌面游戏很无聊,这回可要重新考量了。
最近一个晚上,一帮桌游迷在(美国) 辛辛那提市一起玩游戏。在家庭式经营的“你的探险”游戏店里,每个夜晚都是快乐的游戏时光。马修·费伊的游戏店于五年前开业,从那以后,其生意额平均每年增长25%。即使在经济萧条期,他的营业额仍较去年上涨了40%。
费伊:没有视频游戏,也没有电子游戏。这纯粹是一种人际互动,人们互相……没错,游戏不过其一,社交才是关键所在。
从地板到天花板那么高的架子上堆满了《大富翁》、《苹果派对》等游戏,甚至还有在欧洲大受欢迎的《卡坦岛》等。业内人士表示,去年的桌面游戏销售额增长了20%,他们相信今年将有更大增幅。
吉姆·西尔弗(编辑):经济境况正是桌游市场如此红火的主要原因之一。
吉姆·西尔弗是消费网站Timetoplaymag.com的编辑。
西尔弗:你用不到20美元就能买到一款不错的桌面游戏,每次玩游戏还能发现新意。这是一款可以反复使用的玩具,这样的消费让玩家觉得物有所值。
这一晚,“你的冒险”店里坐满了各色人等。下至12岁,上至60岁,玩家们全情投入地玩着《瘟疫危机》这样的策略游戏。他们当中有学生、家庭主妇、研究学者,还有失业人士,并非所有人都是所谓的游戏迷。
在这个电脑和在线人际网络时代,一起玩的人很容易迷上这种人际交流。23岁的布莱恩·格丁就是其中之一,他过去经常花大量时间上网。
格丁:打网游时,我也可以和其他人聊天,但现在他们就在我面前。
记者:真人。
格丁:真人,是的。
记者:面对面。
格丁:没错,就是这样。游戏从此耳目一新了。
店主马修·费伊相信,即使经济好转,这种面对面游戏的社交性依然会让人热衷于购买桌游,一起娱乐。