The development of the first microprocessors was a turning point for the 20th-century technology, and board games were involved in the revolution as well. The period that included 70’s and 80’s was a golden age of electronic board games. Manufacturers experimented with hundreds of different electronic board game solutions and some of them achieved the cult status. In the early and mid-1980’s, video games started developing very fast, so a lot of players started using computers for playing, instead of board games. Fortunately, some of those board games were so popular that people still remember and play from time to time.
Code Name: Sector (1977)
The company Parker Brothers managed to launch the first mainstream board game in America that included an electronic component. Microcontroller called TMS1000 was the brain and heart of the game, and it was in charge of keeping track of submarine sector coordinates in its memory. Player was trying to hunt the submarines by drawing paths with ruler and crayon. Media was all around this game, but its complexity failed to win a lot of fans.
Dungeons & Dragons Computer Labyrinth Game (1980)
D&D pen-and-paper RPG was really hot that year, and while media was hyping about it, Mattel released the electronic version that became an instant classic. The squares on the board were touch sensitive and players were trying to go through the maze by moving figurines. The game had auditory feedback that was guiding players while they were mapping the locations of labyrinth walls while avoiding a deadly dragon.
Dark Tower (1981)
Fantasy themed RPGs continued to develop and just a year after D&D, another cult classic was born. Milton Bradley released the Dark Tower, and it was the most complex game when it comes to computerization. This game had included a keypad input which was used for keeping track of player’s movements. A battery-operated computer was in charge of governing almost every action in the game, including sounds and computer-controlled opponents.
Monopoly Playmaster (1982)
Parker Brothers were really active during the electronic board games era, so they managed to release the first electronic accessory for already famous Monopoly board game. Their computerized device was in charge to roll electronic dice, handle property auctions and mortgages, and keep track of player movements. Unfortunately, this add-on was not accepted by fans since its LEDs and the small speaker was confusing for people, but it was a very important step when it comes to the future development of Monopoly add-ons.
Mr. Gameshow (1987)
Galoob’s game called Mr. Gameshow was basically a word game very similar to Wheel of Fortune. The computer included an animated electronic doll that was in charge of asking questions and keeping scores. The large plastic doll, called Gus, was reading clues in a digitized voice and wasn’t popular among pets and small children because it was pretty loud. Either way, the game was very popular back in 1987, when computer games started stealing the market.
Development of chess computers (1977-1997)
While chess is much more than an ordinary board game, it was expected that developers will put some microprocessors in the good old wooden chess board as well. The idea of computerized chess appears in the middle of the 20th century when Alan Turing suggested that a computer could beat a human in this game. Scientists immediately started developing computers that are able to play chess and the most important game between man and machine was the one played by Garry Kasparov and Deep Blue in the period between 1996 and 1997. Deep blue lost the first match but managed to win overall. Electronic chess boards started being very popular after these historical matches and became a great way to practice this ancient game.
Final thoughts
As you can see, board games had its golden age as well, and it was partly because of microprocessors. Of course, a good game is good even if it doesn’t have any accessories, but it is sure that electronic board games ushered the way for complex and irresistible video games we’re playing today on our powerful PC’s.
