Inventors of classic card games like patience, or board games like Monopoly, could probably never have predicted the digital future their games had. Stemming from a time when people didn’t have the choice of logging into an online gaming world or using a console with highly realistic graphics, games were based around things like card decks and simple concepts played out on boards. 

21st-century gaming may have come a seriously long way but that doesn’t mean old games are redundant. Solitaire, poker, Monopoly, Risk…games that may have stemmed from a pre-digital age still have their charm, and we’re looking at the evolution of these games from tabletop to computer and console.

Blackjack

Blackjack’s origin story is a little different depending on which historian you believe, but most people accept that the game started sometime in the 1700s, making it one of the oldest games that is still played by millions in the modern age. 

Casino games have gone digital, and blackjack games now look very different from how they did in casinos hundreds of years ago. Players usually interact with an interface online, built to look like a tabletop and representing the game with sound effects and a variety of graphics to represent the cards. Online gaming has also changed, though, and this means that live casino games are more of a trend than ever before, so players can log into an online interface where they are met by an actual dealer. Face-to-face over the internet, this way of gaming provides a feeling more akin to going to a casino. People have their own preferences on how to play, but blackjack’s history over hundreds of years has seen it evolve and now be adapted for playing in the digital world.

Console gamers won’t have seen as many adaptations of blackjack compared to online casino gamers, but there are some adaptations like Blackjack X, that can be played on Xbox.

Monopoly

Monopoly is known as a cause of (joking) family disagreements in some places, as people get so into the game and their attempts to build their own property Monopoly. 

The Landlord’s Game was the inspiration for this, created to show how some economies work with some companies (monopolies) holding the wealth. Sales have been strong for over a hundred years and there are even some variations of Monopoly available today, including some very odd versions inspired by movies or other hobbies. Did you know there is even a Spongebob Monopoly?

Monopoly has come to consoles in a big way, and there are many interesting variations and games that have sprung from the Monopoly concept, including Monopoly Go, a game where people compete online against each other and can even customize things like new skins. 

Concepts like this tend to be so successful in gaming, as Monopoly has simple enough rules (if you can agree on them) and the potential for millions of different ways for the game to play out.

Chess

Iconic all over the world, chess is another game where some people disagree on the origins and how old it is, but some estimates say it was played in some form as early as the 7th Century.

Chess is another of those simple games in terms of rules, but there are endless possibilities for how the game can pan out, and grandmasters have spent their whole lives devoted to the board and pieces of a chess game, planning and strategizing all the way. 

Digital adaptations have long been made, including electronic chess games with a physical board that can move to combat your own moves and “take turns” as the AI competes against the human.

Online play has made for even more chess competitions and abilities to play all over the world. On Xbox, there are adaptations including Chess Ultra – a game that even has a really realistic look to it!

Risk

The game of Risk focuses on the world of combat and invasions. A board game where players roll the dice and make strategic moves that also rely on a little luck. 

Players can have a number of AI components when taking part in this game and Risk is available in different versions, the British or the American version of the game which has extra army cards.

Risk was an early adaptation, coming to consoles as early as the 1980s when the game was turned into a Commodore 64 game. Now, it can also be played on PC and a number of other devices and consoles, including the current Microsoft consoles. 

A good idea for a game can stand the test of time, and it doesn’t necessarily need to be a game that is packed with modern graphics and features. Monopoly, Risk, and a variety of card games have made their way to consoles and PCs, even Solitaire, the game designed to be played alone, has a version that can be played online!