Roll a dice.  Move your thimble.  Go directly to jail.  Do not pass go.  Do not collect $200.  This is the image that most Americans conjure when the topic of boardgames is brought to the table.

Risk and Monopoly, are the staples of the American board game industry.  On top of having sold millions of copies, they have a number of other elements in common.

Both are dependent on dice.  One good roll can bring you great fortunes, while a bad one can cripple you for the rest of the game.  These games tend to have a large amount of chance or luck built in that seriously alters the flow of the game.  Coming back from these near death predicaments is not impossible, but struggling to survive up to your next turn is not the most enjoyable experience. Most board games in this category involve luck, conflict, and drama.

There is a school of boardgames that relies heavily on strategy without being a war-game like Risk or Axis and Allies.  They are more abstract than buying up random properties, and considerably less abstract then the movements in chess.  Simple economic themes tend to be somewhat more prevalent.  Also in this camp, it’s important to note that there are no player eliminations.

These games are still struggling to find a uniform name across the hobby.  Some call them German games because Germany produces the largest amount of boardgames per capita, the majority fitting this description.  Others call them Euro Games, because their popularity and production is not restricted to merely Germany.  Expanding further, some call them designer games and others strategy games.

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