People who play the complex games grow into them over time. Most people learn and enjoy checkers before they learn to appreciate and play chess. The people who

People who play the complex games grow into them over time. Most people learn and enjoy checkers before they learn to appreciate and play chess. The people who successfully learn to play and enjoy a game like Twilight Struggle or Die Macher or Terra Mystica are likely well-versed in the jargon of board games and well-practiced in several types of game mechanics. So over time, the die-hards will tend to play more and more complicated games, as they’re readily able to understand and use these mechanics. So yes, games are getting more and more complex. However, what is inarguable is that board games have on the whole improved dramatically over the past decade. IMO a ‘modern classic’ like Catan is outdated, imbalanced, long, random, and frustrating compared to the current crop of ‘gateway games’ that are on the market. Games today are shorter, more engaging, more elegant in their designs, and higher quality than what one might have seen in a US department store in 2010, which were basically the same random and frustrating games of the past like Monopoly, Life, Risk. Furthermore, old games that were utterly utterly brilliant and fun (Cosmic Encounter) get continued rereleases and updates. Anyway, it’s just a fun way to stay social.