1.
board game
A tabletop game played on a board, involving pieces, cards, or dice. Includes both traditional games and modern designer board games.
A loanword from English 'board game.' Covers a wide range of tabletop games played on a board, from traditional games to modern hobby games.
Common collocations
- ボードゲームで遊ぶ: to play board games
- ボードゲームカフェ: board game cafe
- ボードゲーム愛好家: board game enthusiast
- ボードゲーム大会: board game tournament
Types
Board games long popular in Japan:
- 将棋: shogi (Japanese chess)
- 囲碁: go
- 双六: sugoroku (Japanese backgammon-like race game)
- 人生ゲーム: Game of Life (Japanese version)
- オセロ: Othello/Reversi
Cultural note
Board game cafes (ボードゲームカフェ) have become popular in Japan since the 2010s, especially in urban areas like Tokyo and Osaka. They offer a large selection of games to play for a table fee, and have helped popularize modern European-style board games in Japan.