Playing Christian board games helps us connect with each other — and with God's coming kingdom. Why is it so hard to find good ones?
The post How Christian Board Games Can Reignite Your Bible Study appeared first on Bible Gateway News & Knowledge.
The first thing God commanded Adam to do was to name all the land animals. I define play as “work with no toil,” so I believe this was, among other things, God giving Adam a fun game to play!
Notice the language used in scripture — God brought these animals to Adam:
“Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.” — Genesis 2:19 (NKJV)
My name is Andrew Lowen. I am a former professional gamer and founder of Lowen Games, LLC. My Christian board game Deliverance has become the highest-rated religious board game of all time on BoardGameGeek (that’s the biggest website for board games on the internet) and is now returning with a new expansion on Kickstarter.
I also run a board game marketing agency called Crowdfunding Nerds, which has helped hundreds of game designers and companies turn their projects into reality by raising millions of dollars for our clients through crowdfunding. We have worked with large intellectual properties such as Fallout, Dune, Redwall, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Star Trek, Conan, The Elder Scrolls, and many more.
But board games aren’t just my job, and they aren’t just my hobby. Here’s why I believe everyone — especially every Christian — should play Christian board games.
The Theology of Play
C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien saw the “myth” or “fairy tale” not as an escape from reality, but a parable that gives us greater insight and another perspective into something transcendent, something theological.
Rest and leisure are communicated to us through the Sabbath, which Jesus makes clear was intended for man’s benefit (Mark 2:27). We were given the gifts of rest and leisure for a reason: they remind us of a coming future restoration of all things and a renewed Garden of Eden on earth.
“‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’ Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.’” — Revelation 21:4-5 (NKJV)
Every time we play a game (without neglecting our responsibilities), we express God’s gift of leisure. When we engage in leisurely play, we are reminded of Christ’s promise to one day make all things new.
I’m a proud father of seven children. I’ve never had to teach any of them how to play. God has given them this desire, because He made them in His image. I enjoy watching them explore the world God created and learn how He designed things, and I look forward to the day when I can be like a child, playing without worry!
4 Reasons to Play Christian Board Games
We were literally made to play. But with so many kinds of play — especially in today’s world — why should we play board games?
There are four reasons why board games are among the best kind of play for Christians both young and old:
- Put Down Screens
- Bible Study Supplement
- Evangelism
- Skill Development
1. Put Down Screens
Board games have the fantastic quality of being physical, which means in order to enjoy them, you have to be seated at a table and face-to-face with others. Because the combination of fellowship and gameplay requires constant attention, players are incentivized to put down all digital devices for the duration of the gaming session.
A respite from the allure of screens is something our social media-addicted society could use. Board games are a great excuse to get in some quality face-to-face family time, which we all need more of in this digital age.
2. Bible Study Supplement
Doing a study on Daniel 9, Jude, Ephesians 6, or Revelation 12? Why not end the night playfully reinforcing ideas of spiritual battles in the heavenlies with a game of Deliverance?
Board games are often used to deepen relationships between members in small Bible study groups, or to break the ice and introduce Biblical themes which you will be exploring later in greater detail.
Christian board games — even ones you have a slight theological difference with — let you cut to the chase, open your Bibles with your study group, and test everything directly against the scriptures.
3. Evangelism
I once played a game of Deliverance with an atheist who later told me he read more of the Bible playing my game in an hour than he had in the last 20 years combined.
This is just the tip of the iceberg of incredible experiences I have had with non-Christians. Crafting Deliverance has given me an opportunity to connect with people who otherwise would not give me the time of day.
Tabletop gaming has a powerful ability to break down barriers and have folks from all backgrounds and beliefs connect as humans, which can lead to deeper theological discussions.
Board games are a great way to reach an unreached demographic of geek and convention subcultures. This year there were over 150,000 attendees at San Diego Comic-Con and 71,000 at GenCon 2024.
Paul reasoned with Jews in the synagogue and gentiles in the marketplace (Acts 17:17) because those demographics of people naturally congregate in those places. How can Christians be salt and light to these people if we don’t meet them in places they gather?
4. Skill Development
Since there is no hand-holding with digital prompts, board games force us to sit down, read, and comprehend a rulebook of how to play. This skill of comprehension is worth exercising and teaching children, especially with our instant-gratification, dopamine-driven society!
Board games are one of the best mediums for sharpening your mind in a fun way. I have personally taught my children how to count, add, subtract and read using interactive play through various tabletop games.
The Problem With “Christian” Games
With so many great reasons to play Christian games, why aren’t we all playing them already?
If I’m honest… most Christian games are not very good.
As a person with a lot of experience marketing Christian games, I often get pushback that generally boils down to a combination of, “Christian games aren’t as good as secular games” and “there’s no way this game could actually be good.”
Why?
In my experience, there are two major reasons:
- A Lack of Innovation
- Targeting the Wrong People
Lack of Innovation
Christians were once at the forefront of innovation. The beautiful art of the Renaissance was pioneered by Christians like Michaelangelo and Raphael. Advances in science were once dominated by Christians like Galileo, Isaac Newton, and Georges Lemaitre. Even today, there is some incredible Christian media, such as The Chosen by Dallas Jenkins or VeggieTales by Larry Vischer (my childhood favorite).
Christian games, however, are not known for their originality. Oftentimes, they piggyback upon other popular products. For example, Settlers of Canaan essentially parrots the mechanics of the popular game Settlers of Catan. Many Christian clones of “Apples to Apples” exist out there as well.
There is nothing wrong with making something deliberately to avoid compromising one’s faith, but how is Settlers of Catan compromising to the Christian?
Here’s why I suspect many companies make these games: They think Christians are gullible, and they want your money. But they don’t care to earn it by making a compelling product.
As a Christian, the lack of innovation in games was frustrating to me. I wanted an epic experience that also upheld the Word of God and Biblical accuracy. I felt God calling me to pick up the mantle and develop a game myself.
The journey has not been easy. Companies wouldn’t touch it due to its Christian theme. Investors rejected it, because they believed that it wouldn’t sell. The only option was for me to do it myself, which meant I had to crowdfund this idea to make it a reality.
We had to raise money using a crowdfunding website called Kickstarter, and by the grace of God, 2,717 people pledged $314,375 to bring Deliverance to life. We developed an excited fan base through word of mouth, and now we’re coming back to Kickstarter with a brand new Deliverance campaign because our fans want more!
Targeting the Wrong People
Many consultations that I have about Christian games in our marketing company include a discussion about the product’s “target market,” which refers to the sort of customer that would love the product and champion it.
Well-meaning Christian creators often fail here, because they make a product that is intended to save souls, and they market it to Christians.
I want to see people repent and believe in Jesus! But in a game, when the focus is exclusively on repentance and salvation, you’re accidentally telling both Christians and non-Christians that the game isn’t made for them.
How?
Let me explain:
Christians, by definition, are already “saved.” By targeting people for salvation, you’re telling Christians that this game is not made for them.
At the same time, non-Christians don’t choose to play games about salvation and repentance. In fact, they run from them. By targeting people for salvation, you’re telling non-Christians this game is not made for them, either.
The only group that buys games like this are parents that want their kids to play them. But if you force the parents to play a game like this more than twice, I suspect they would express the same frustration that I did before the Lord called me to make Deliverance.
A Game That Christians and Non-Christians Want to Play
If a Christian game is to be attractive to other Christians and non-Christians, it must be thematically and mechanically innovative.
In other words, it has to be fun.
The mistake many Christian creators make is to assume other Christians will love their product or service simply because it promotes Christianity. But this is only true if the product or service is innovative enough to also stand on its own in the open market.
In fact, this sentiment was expressed 500 years ago by the Protestant Reformer, Martin Luther:
“The Christian shoemaker does his duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship.”
A Golden Age of Christian Gaming?
Quality Christian board games used to be a dream. But now, many publishers have begun to release innovative Christian products that satisfy the itch of the true gamer. Deliverance is being joined by other excellent games like Ezra & Nehemiah and Animo: Bible Verse Trading Card Game.
My desire is to see games like this continue to pour forth from worthy publishers. But the only way that can happen is if Christians stand behind us.
Deliverance will be undergoing a reprint with a brand new expansion on Kickstarter called The Council of The Fallen, and we will once again see how the market values our game. I am thankful that many Christians will stand with us, and I hope you are counted among them!
Deliverance can be played right now for free digitally on Board Game Arena (join our Discord for access) or Tabletop Simulator. There are also plenty of resources and people in our Facebook Group willing to help you learn to play!
Finally, I’d like to personally thank you for reading this article. This is a topic I’m very passionate about and believe can greatly glorify God and further His Kingdom in these dark days!
The post How Christian Board Games Can Reignite Your Bible Study appeared first on Bible Gateway News & Knowledge.