10 Popular Games That Everyone Besides 80s Kids Have Already Forgotten

Ah, the good ol' times when board games were as simple as they were difficult and came with a plethora of choking hazards.

Sophia

• Published in Interesting
• July 5, 2022

If there is one thing that never gets old no matter how many decades have passed by—it's games. However, what kids call "games" nowadays are far from the actual ones played in the childhoods of people born in the '70s to '90s, because this is way before smartphones were born, and people actually had to have access to real games because they didn't have something to use back then where games can just be shown in just one click.

It was in the '80s decade when video games actually began to make their way into the mainstream, with the first-ever Nintendo Game Boy being introduced in 1989. A lot of other video games have also been introduced in the '90s that are still painstakingly nostalgic to remember today, especially with the likes of Tamagotchi and Pokémon games.

However, even with the birth of these undoubtedly genius inventions, nothing still beats the feeling of playing on a physical board, facing your friends tangibly, and just genuinely having a good time together all while trying to come out as the winner. We all remember playing games like Snakes and Ladders, Clue, Backgammon, etc., and we can all agree that games on digital smartphones nowadays just don't hit as these ones do.

That being said, if you're an '80s kid (or a late '90s one), you would surely enjoy taking a trip down memory lane with these popular games you may or may not have forgotten. Scroll down to see if you can remember any one of these!

1. Barrel Of Monkeys

A game that was less focused on the fun because it was more of a skills test—regardless, it certainly made our childhoods a lot more memorable. In this game, you have to get all the monkeys out from the barrels, but only if you use their arms and tails until they form a long chain.

2. Hungry Hippo

Best played with a friend, this game was played by hitting a lever until your hippo is able to eat all the marbles rolling around. It's loud, it's fun, and it never fails to excite.

3. Checkers

You'd have to be born in a different dimension if you don't know what checkers are or how to play them. This one is a classic, for sure.

4. Memory

Forget flash cards, and memory exercises—this one is the game to play when you want to test your memory skills. It's a feel-good game that anybody could enjoy.

5. Chinese Checkers

Bored of the good ol' checkers? This one is a more interesting version.

6. Monopoly

Almost everyone dug playing Monopoly, even if it took long hours to play. You have to dominate the board and win all the money via real estate.

7. Perfection

In this one, you needed to put in all the right shapes in their respective spots before you run out of time and everything popped out. It's exciting and scary!

8. Trouble

One cool part of this game is the dice being rolled inside of a dome. This was done by just pushing on it, and it will pop and roll the dice.

9. Connect Four

No explanations are needed—this was an easy and fun game to play. A favorite pastime.

10. Operation

Aspiring medical workers loved this—Operation may be scary, but it's fun and challenging to get out the body parts without touching the sides. If you accidentally make a mistake, it would trigger a loud noise and the nose would light up.

We can all agree that nothing really beats the classics, no matter how flashy and amazing the graphics for the games we play are on our phones nowadays. When board games were popular, it was still a pretty much simpler time—one that we would like to go back to in a heartbeat (or is just us?).

Comment down your thoughts, or share these games for all your family and friends to see!

Sophia