Board games: evolution, benefits and directions

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22201/ceide.16076079e.2026.27.3.13

Keywords:

board games, Catan, Adult ADHD, medical students, screening, ASRS-V1.1, academic performance, mental health., community, Active Learning

Abstract

From chess and dominoes to Catan, board games have kept reinventing themselves with each era, without losing their dual role as entertainment and cultural expression. Despite technological progress —or perhaps because of it— their popularity keeps growing: today they sustain communities, festivals, and a market that already outpaces video games in crowdfunding. But the phenomenon goes beyond business. Playing improves learning, encourages healthy habits, and strengthens social bonds by blending creativity with fun. This essay traces that evolution and its benefits, and issues an invitation: to study board games across disciplines and uncover their advantages in different contexts and stages of life.

Author Biography

Oscar Alejandro Palacios, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Facultad de Psicología, San Luis Potosí, México

Es doctor en Ciencias de la Salud Pública por la Universidad de Guadalajara, y maestro y licenciado en Psicología por la Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí (uaslp). Actualmente se desempeña como profesor investigador de tiempo completo y secretario académico de la Facultad de Psicología de la uaslp. Es integrante del Sistema Nacional de Investigadoras e Investigadores (snii) con nivel i y del Sistema Estatal de Investigadores (sei). Asimismo, es miembro de la Sociedad Mexicana de Salud Pública y promotor de iniciativas de divulgación científica y vinculación social. Sus líneas de investigación se centran en la psicología de la salud, la salud sexual, las representaciones sociales y la teoría fundamentada.

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Published

2026-08-18

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