It’s not uncommon to see examples of games that can feel like historical cornerstones of the modern world, even more so than simply popular games. It’s easy to think of some of these examples as being separate entirely from other games just due to their reputation and longstanding placement in popular culture, but they didn’t achieve that kind of status easily or overnight.
It’s often a perfect storm of factors that leads to such games earning such respect, and the scenarios can be entirely different depending on which game you’re looking at. This has led to a few examples being thought of similarly, despite the wide disparity in eras and locations that they come from.
The prime example of a classic game might, for many people, be none other than chess itself. Even if you don’t know how to play the game, perhaps having never even so much as picked up a piece, you’ll almost definitely know about it in some form. It’s an instantly recognizable game with fans all over the world, throughout a long period of history. Some cite the origins of chess as dating back as far as the 6th century AD, in India. As with many games that have remained enduring classics over the years, chess hasn’t been without change, being predated by an older version of itself with different rules, called chaturanga.
It’s hard to imagine the circumstances that led from chess enjoying a genesis little different to any other game of the time to becoming what it is today, but as usual, it’s hard to attribute it to any one single thing. Its popularity at the time of its origin meant that it was spread around the local area naturally, and subsequently carried through the ages via different countries throughout several invasions or conquests. Eventually, it simply became a staple of the gaming world, being a cornerstone for a strategy that sets it apart from other, more luck-based games.
When thinking of luck-based games, you might instinctively think of games that have an association with casinos or gambling. Among these, blackjack, roulette, and slots all feel as though they make use of simplicity as a core design feature. Poker is another similar title that has endured over the ages until it has achieved the status of a classic, but the rules are slightly more complex there and vary based on which of the wide variety of rulesets you’re playing. Blackjack, or 21 as it’s sometimes (and self-explanatorily) called, is incredibly straightforward, on the other hand, which makes it easy to see how it has weathered the test of time.
Many people cite the origin of blackjack as being in early 1700s France, which makes it a much more recent addition to the global game scene than chess. Similarly, it has a precursor game called Vingt-Un, but looking to the future, it seems as though the spread of blackjack can be attributed to the rising factor of globalism in the early 20th century, finding its way to America. As time moves forward further still, blackjack has continued to be popularized through its presence in casinos, as well as its digital equivalents, like cafecasino.lv, making it an easy game for players to access wherever they are. Additionally, its simplicity and recognizability mean the availability of a pack of cards makes it an easy game to rally around.
As mentioned previously, roulette is another such game that is tied to gambling and has found enduring appeal due to its simple nature. However, the lack of connection it has to a deck of cards removes it from the element of strategy that some might associate with examples like blackjack or poker. Roulette has incredibly similar origins to blackjack in regards to the era and location, but the machinery associated with the operation of the game meant that playing it at all was only possible when the available technology permitted it. This machinery has, of course, been honed and perfected in the years since, but the lack of direct input from the players concerning the motion of the ball is an essential component of the game.
When it comes to how it has managed to remain popular over the years, the advantage of roulette might lie with why other players look down on it – the large element of luck associated with its gameplay. Unlike other examples, success in roulette is almost entirely down to luck. This means that, while the player is more removed from influencing results, it can feel as though the next time around could be anything at all, and that excitement can be engaging.
