Playing classic board games like Monopoly and Risk is still fun, but more and more people are picking up new board games that allow them to choose their own adventure.

Open-ended strategy games like Settlers of Catan and Ticket to Ride appeal to the social needs of people who increasingly spend all day in front of a computer, according to a staff report in The San Luis Obispo (Calif.) Tribune.

And face-to-face competition adds a dimension of unpredictability to its allure.

“The biggest difference between playing a computer and playing an actual person is that with an actual person, you can only guess what they might do,” said Karl Kemmerer, owner of The Games Keep in West Chester. “With a computer and A.I. (artificial intelligence), obviously there are patterns. Human players are more adaptable.”

Kemmerer’s store on Gay Street is stocked to the brim with board game options, and is a hub for gaming activity.

Learn more about the newest generation of board games in The San Luis Obispo (Calif.) Tribune here.