Across the Board: How Games Make Us Human by Tim Clare explores how games—from chess to Monopoly to Magic: The Gathering—have shaped cultures and connected people throughout history. He examines the roles games play as both recreation and ritual, highlighting their universal presence in human society. Through engaging storytelling, Clare illustrates how games foster connection, community, and shared experience, emphasizing their foundational role in what makes us human.

I thought this was a fun, insightful look at why games matter and how they make us more human. While briefly referenced throughout the book, I would have loved more commentary on the psychological and sociological aspects of engaging in gaming. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Richard Trinder, and thought he did a fine job. This book is a great read for game nerds who want to learn more about the history of this hobby.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for granting me a complimentary advanced reader copy of the audiobook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and based off of this draft; the final publication may be different. Expected publication date is May 6, 2025.

Thank you to Tantor Audio and Netgalley for the ALC of this book!

I gave this book a try, it is not my usual genre but I do love board games! I enjoyed hearing the history and origins of board games and how they brought people together even back to the early days of civilization. I like that he connects games back to books/scribes/etc. B.C. Very cool! It was a little hard for me to follow at times, so I took off stars for that.

I think Richard Trinder did a wonderful job narrating this book. His intonation was great.

3/5 stars.

This a fun read for anyone interested in the history of games and how games affect community, culture, and our ability to interact with others! The author does a great job of including a lot of information and describing different games without becoming dry and feeling like an instruction manual.

Thanks to NetGalley and RBmedia for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What a fun read, how often to people say that about non-fiction? My D&D party and coworkers at my library know all about how much I enjoyed this book, well before I finished it.

"Across the Board" by Tim Clare is a fun and light microhistory read/ listen that my geeky board game loving mind enjoyed!