Board gamesand table top games never really went out of style, although they have been enjoying a resurgence in recent years. Thecoronavirus pandemicthat kept the majority of people locked down in their homes for months only helped spur that growth, too. Even now, though, when many states and countries are lifting lockdown restrictions, the popularity of board games has not waned.
Board game versions of popular video game franchises have proven to be particularly popular. An official Ubisoft game,6: Siege – The Board Gameis based onTom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siegeand was funded solely through a Kickstarter campaign. Launched on June 22 with a goal of $100,000, the campaign ended on July 1 having raised over $1.5 million from nearly 11,000 backers.
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However, it is not only games based on video games that are making the rounds, as evidenced by aTikTok videoposted on July 2 that has since gone viral. The video shows two people, or their hands at least, playing a game calledTapple.The game first launched in 2013, and it is geared toward people aged eight and up. The Tapple Wheel is a circular battery-operated board that consists of a red 10-second timer button in the center and 20 letter buttons around the outside.
Theboard gamealso comes with 36 category cards, and these cards cover 144 total categories across two difficulty levels. A card is flipped over and then the players take turns calling out words that fit the category, hitting the letter button that corresponds to their answer, and then pressing the timer button to reset it for the next player. Each selected letter is then removed from play.
For example, if the category is “Desserts,” Player 1 might choose the word “cake” before going on to hit the C button. Player 2 could then select “ice cream” and press the I button. The game continues until players can no longer think of words that fit the category with the letters that remain on the board, eliminating people one by one.
Tapplecan be played by two to eight people and, because the board is easily portable, it makes a good choice forfamily game nightsor relaxed get togethers with friends. The game has also won numerous awards and earned recommendations from both the National Association for Gifted Children and American Mensa. WhileTappleis currently out of stock on many online storefronts, including Amazon, theboard gamecan be found for sale on eBay.
