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The History of Board Game 101: The Corner's Board Game Room

Board Game Bar | Ferndale, MI | The Corner - Ferndale - Detroit_Axe_Ferndale__67_It’s game night, and everyone’s invited! Your best friend is bringing the charcuterie board, the boys are responsible for the chips and beers, your sister is providing taco dip, and your brother is loading up the car with over 20 games to play—oh yeah, game night is taken seriously. Whether you enjoy hosting game nights once a week or once a month with friends and family, it’s always an evening sure to spark competitive conversation and plenty of laughs.

At The Corner in Ferndale, MI, we offer the area's largest board game wall, filled with every game imaginable to play. From the classics to the most unique, there’s a board game for everyone to enjoy. Let’s take a look at how the board game originated and the way in which The Corner makes gaming accessible for everyone. 

The Very First Board Game

Though the exact time frame is up for interpretation, it’s commonly agreed upon that board games date back to prehistoric times. Would you believe us if we told you the first “board game” created didn’t even involve a board? Well, it’s true. A piece that’s essential to most board games today was the basis of humanity’s oldest games—dice.

In southeast Turkey, 49 small carved, painted stones were found at a 5,000-year-old burial site. These are the earliest gaming pieces ever found, known as Mesopotamian dice. As the years progressed, so did the evolution of gaming, bringing us to one of the oldest games in history—backgammon.

Backgammon

As history states, Backgammon was derived from the Mesopotamian dice game. Backgammon is a classic two-player board game that’s played with counters and dice on a set of boards. The boards consist of 24 triangles called “points,” and the game's objective is to move all your checkers into your home board and then bear them off. The first player to bear off all of their checkers wins the game.

Take a look at some of the other board games that were around well before they were the center of most parties. 

Board Games Enter the United States

As board games began to evolve, so did each game's strategies and overall goals. Chess and checkers entered the board game world, created with a military strategy-inspired playing approach. Additionally, America’s first board game designer, Lizzie Magie, created another fan-favorite based on property owners and impoverished tenants. Invented and patented in 1904, The Landlord’s Game featured properties for sale, a jailhouse square for lawbreakers, and a poorhouse that acted as a free space. In 1935, Lizzie sold The Landlord’s Game to Parker Brothers, now known as Monopoly

After the Parker Brothers experienced success with Monopoly, they went on to create Risk, Sorry, Trivial Pursuit, and other popular classics. Board games began to gain popularity in countries other than their origin, and in 1995, The Settlers of Catan took the United States by storm. Players had to utilize strength, cunning, and strategy to build roads, cities, and settlements and destroy their opposing players to create the most successful colony on the island of Catan.

Let’s Play Board Games at The Corner

Board games at The Corner are taken seriously! From Taboo and Exploding Kittens to Scrabble and Settlers of Catan, we have a game suited for everyone! Whether you arrive on a first date or love a good group competition, our board game sommelier can match you with the perfect selection of games for your rowdy and rival gameplay.

Available Games to Play

At The Corner, we don’t stick to just one particular niche of games. Instead, we stay current on the latest trends and the newest games to hit the market, providing you with the largest selection of games in the Ferndale area. Here are just a few of our available board and card games (classic and otherwise) you can play when you pay us a visit:

  • Scrabble
  • Monopoly
  • Azul
  • Cards Against Humanity
  • Pictionary
  • D&D
  • Clue
  • Gloomhaven
  • Parcheesi

Host Your Next Game Night at The Corner in Ferndale

Our board game wall is stocked full of games for trivia buffs, liars, cheaters, gamblers, families, class clowns, and everyone beyond and between. While we allow walk-ins, we happily accept game room reservations to ensure your entire party can enjoy the evening with no interruptions. What are you waiting for? Check out our menu, find us online, and come pay us a visit so we can show you how game night is supposed to go down! We’re looking forward to seeing you!


Join Us For Competitive Game Play

The Corner in Ferndale is one of Metro Detroit’s best bars, offering unusual experiences, quality bar service, excellent food, and one of the largest board game rooms in town. Grab your crew, pick a group game, and get comfortable and ready to dominate the competition. Our quality restaurant and gaming provide an experience you won’t find anywhere else! Call us to reserve your spot at one of our games tables or ask about menu specials at (248) 291-5470.

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