Everybody has their “thing.” For me, it’s nerding out to Star Wars, all-things cosmere (see Brandon Sanderson’s novels), rugby, and, of course, board games. I love fantastical elements in stories–especially dragons. I love the drama and physicality of rugby. I love Star Wars. Period. I love a lot of things. And I get more involved in a topic if it’s related to a theme I love, and theme in board games is no exception.
To help illustrate this point, I will humbly admit that I scored quite high on my written portion of my GRE test. My topics? Star Wars and rugby. Fortunately, they let me pick the topics, but because I’ve been so invested in those topics throughout my life, they were easy to write about, pulling out themes within those topics (i.e. leadership, right and wrong, etc.). I was engaged in the writing process and actually enjoyed it, despite it being part of a grueling (for me) test for grad school. My high score in the writing portion is a testament of how important it is to focus on things you enjoy. Otherwise, I’m sure I would have bombed it.
When it comes to board games, theme is an important aspect to consider. Sure, abstract games like Chess, Go, and others are still fantastic, regardless of their minimalist theme. But modern-day board games seem to be going theme-heavy–including abstract games (i.e. Element from Rather Dashing Games). I submit that theme is one of the first things people see–and connect with–when first getting to know a game.
There are some themes that are must-have for people. For me, it’s Star Wars. I know I’m going to love it based off theme alone (it helps that Fantasy Flight Games produces some fantastic Star Wars games, so I already trust them). In that same vein, I’m a sucker for science fiction games. If you have to games that are completely the same, but the theme of one is science fiction and the theme for the other is practically anything else, I’ll go with science fiction every time. And there are countless others out there who feel the same way.
But that doesn’t mean I won’t get sucked into a game with another theme. I am, after all, opened minded and love heaps of games, regardless of theme. For example, westerns aren’t necessarily in my top repertoire of game themes I’m attracted to. However, Western Legends has sucked me into its gameplay many times due to its marriage of theme and mechanics. I think that’s why I haven’t been dying to play Great Western Trail, despite its sheaves and honors bestowed upon it, because the theme doesn’t resonate with me, and, without having played it, I don’t feel like the mechanics will do their part in immersing me in the game. For others, though, it’s the exact opposite. Maybe they were raised on spaghetti westerns and are therefore drawn to wide-brim cowboy hats and meandering cows.
The point is that while good mechanics are important for a well-rounded and good game, the theme is what will draw people to your game initially, and hook them throughout. Also, a game can have play like rubbish, but if it’s connected to a popular theme, you’ll see a lot more people playing it than you otherwise would. I know I am guilty of that.
But why is that? I believe it’s because people want a story, and not just to be in of one, but to take part in its telling. When you play a game with a generic theme (say, picking rocks from a dirt field), you’re playing it as an exercise in brain function. If the mechanics are lousy–or just don’t grab your attention–then the game is a flop for you. But if that exact same game gets a new, stylish skin/theme (say, flying through space and removing remote space mines), you’ve got something else entirely. The theme has a way of strengthening the game’s mechanics, creating a symbiotic relationship between it and the how the game plays out. Instead of simply moving pieces, there are stakes in place–destroy the mines or get destroyed. Now, there is a story.
Some people claim that mechanics are the most important aspect of a game, and that’s tough to argue. It’s tough because theme and mechanics are so closely related. Personally, I feel that theme outweighs mechanics simply because it gives the players the ability to augment the experience through the narrative.
That said, give me a game with amazing mechanics and a stellar theme and narrative, and I won’t complain in the least.
Yes, the theme is very important to board games, the theme can impact the experience and willingness to play.