Move over, Monopoly: Take a risk with these new board games

Board games — the old-fashioned kind where you sit around a table and actually talk to each other — are doing very well in today's economy and electronic world.

"Sales are definitely up," says Casey Sartain of the Tutoring Toy store in Foothill Village.

When you think about it, he says, there are few things that offer as much value. "You can play games over and over forever, and everyone can play together, so you get to spend family time. A lot of families are trying to spend more time together, and games are a great way to do it."

Matt Molen, vice president of marketing for SimplyFun, which sells games through home parties and online, agrees. "You're not really playing games as much as you are creating experiences," he says. "Play is how children learn; the interaction of games can teach important life skills, but they also make memories."

How many times do you sit down to play, he asks, and you talk about other times you've played or funny things that have happened during games?

"Games teach great lessons in sportsmanship and learning skills that you don't even realize," says Jennie Long, a spokeswoman for Hasbro Games, which has an initiative encouraging families to hold regular game nights. "Everyone has such busy schedules, but games allow you time to re-connect and bond."

One of the misconceptions many people have, Molen says, is that games take a long time to play. Some do. "But you can play a lot of family games in a half-hour or 20 minutes."

Mike Compton, manager of Game Night Games in Sugar House, has also noticed more interest in board games these days. His store specializes in high-end, European-style or advanced strategy games.

What he has noticed, Compton says, is that "our bestsellers, such as Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride and Carcassonne, continue to be bestsellers, and for good reason. They are great games. But we also have a lot of people who have played those and are now looking to progress to the next level. They are looking for games that are more involved, with deeper strategy."

Game Night Games holds regular game nights where people can come and try out various games. And while these games are often more expensive, "what I've learned is that in game design, you generally get what you pay for," says Compton. "People are more cautious about what they are buying, but they are willing to pay for higher production quality, better design and games that will last longer."