People just want to have fun. They want to get together and interact in a fun setting. They want to concentrate on something besides life's cares. They want to laugh, and maybe learn. But mostly they want to have a good time.

That's why traditional board and card games continue to be so popular.

Electronic games are still huge and have their own niche, said Joel Olry, a clerk at Go! The Game Store in Crossroads Plaza. "But they tend to be for one player, and after you play them two or three times, they can get tiresome." Cost is a factor as well, he said. With board games, "for $25-$40 you can get a game that the whole family can play. Board games let you interact with people; they teach learning — math, reading, science, general knowledge — and social skills, including how to win and lose."

Tim Hall, who recently opened a game store specializing in European strategy games, agrees. "Electronic games tend to be isolating, while board games offer hundreds of hours or interaction and enjoyment. They are a good entertainment value for the money."

At his store, Game Night Games, 2030 S. 900 East, Suite E, people cannot only find a wide selection of games, they can also come in and learn to play them and come back and play them with other people who enjoy the same games. The whole store is set up as a "tribute to a home gaming party," said Hall, "a tribute to the enjoyment of board games."

One reason Hall opened the store, he said, is because he realized it is important for people to get together and just play. "It's a great way to expand friendships."

A couple of years ago, he realized he was losing touch with some of his friends. Life seemed too busy; everyone doing his own thing. "Then I started doing gaming parties. And I realized that the richness of my social connections had increased, my quality of life enhanced, just by playing games."

He tends to like the games that are deep in strategy and have rich historical themes, but any games that people enjoy can serve the same purpose.

Here's a look at some of the trends and products of today's game world:

100 games: Each year Games Magazine announces its list of the best games ("the favorites of our editors and tireless playsters") in a variety of categories.

The winner of the magazine's Game of the Year 2005 award goes to Buyword, a word game that uses dice, letter tiles and money. There are several variants to the basic game. The magazine calls it "eminently innovative . . . destined for classic stardom. Even if you don't like the word games, give this one a try."