With the arrival of cold and breezy days of late autumn, there is an increased need for indoor activities that still feel as engaging as their outdoor counterparts. More often than not, people tend to indulge in good old comforting TV shows and dramas, yet there are still those who nurture the love for board and tabletop games. Some of those people are Serbian people.
Serbian Traditions in Tabletop Play
No wonder Serbs love tabletop play. Our people are competitive, passionate, and used to calculating the next few steps – in games, and in life. Serbian communities and local places are surrounded by the card games culture. Everyone learned to play remi or poker at the young age of 9 with their parents and continued this custom into adulthood. Serbian people blend the love for the game with culture of gaming itself.
Card Games
Serbian people are big on card games. Every household has at least one stash of cards somewhere in its cupboard waiting for enough rakija to enter the system for the competitive spirit to arise. Jokes aside, even without alcohol, we love to showcase our strategy and brag at the local market about how we are so much better at poker than our komšija Stevica.
Here is a list of games we love to play:
- Tablić – the more cards you collect, the better you are.
- Preferans – where players bid, choose trump, and strategically play to win specific contracts while avoiding unnecessary tricks.
- Remi – is a Serbian rummy-style card game where players draw and discard cards to form valid sets and runs before anyone else empties their hand.
- Magarac – is a fast, chaotic Serbian matching game where players race to collect four of a kind and then grab a token, with the last person left without one becoming the “donkey.” (Magarac=Donkey)
Board Games
Board games are where Serbian people thrive! Here are some that are widely popular, especially among the male gender:
- Catan – A strategy game where players collect resources, build settlements and roads, and race to reach 10 victory points through smart trading and expansion.
- Risiko – Players deploy armies, attack territories, and try to eliminate opponents to control the entire map.
- Monopoly – players buy properties, charge rent, and try to bankrupt everyone else through strategic trading and development.
Honorable Mentions
Although there are many more options to choose from, we decided to highlight these two honorable mentions as the most frequent elements of any Serbian household:
- Uno. A fast-paced card game where players match colors or numbers, use action cards to sabotage others, and race to get rid of their hand first.
- Codenames. A word-association game where teams try to guess their agents on the board using one-word clues while avoiding the assassin card.
Bored with Board Games?
Well, if board games still don’t intrigue you, there are other activities to do at home during the cold autumn and winter days. Like, learning Serbian, for example. The good thing is we offer online lessons and tutoring so you can log in and learn from wherever you are – a warm, fuzzy chair, blanket that completely covers your body – as long as we are learning, you are welcome to join!
Check out our lessons and materials, and contact us for more information on that free demo lesson! Talk to you soon!
