This is the Most Popular Board Game in Michigan

Board games have gotten more popular the past few years, largely because of the pandemic and people being forced to find ways to entertain themselves when they weren't allowed to go out. As it turns out, more than half (56%) of Americans attend game nights, and 70% say the best part about playing games is spending quality time with family, according to SolitaireBliss.com.

A new study from SolitaireBliss.com pinpoints the most popular board game in each state and major U.S. city. What's funny to me is that I've never even heard of the most popular board game in Michigan. I thought it might be Monopoly or Life or one of the classics, but this one is a pure mystery to me. I love those games, by the way. It's been too long since I've played Life.

So, what's the most popular board game in Michigan? It's Catan. Yeah. Again, I've never heard of it. In Detroit, the most popular board game is chess. That makes more sense to me. According to Wikipedia, Catan is, "Catan, previously known as The Settlers of Catan or simply Settlers, is a multiplayer board game designed by Klaus Teuber. It was first published in 1995 in Germany by Franckh-Kosmos Verlag as Die Siedler von Catan." Where have I been all these years?

According to the study, "When asked their favorite part of playing board games, 70% say they get to spend quality time with their family, 65% say it’s because they get to spend quality time with their friends, 56% enjoy the mental challenge and 56% say it's because they grew up playing board games. Nearly half (49%) enjoy the competition aspect of it all." That makes sense, and my favorite thing about playing games is the friendship involved. View the full study results and more cities and states here, and happy gaming.

I happen to think that Michigan has plenty of amazing places to live. From the beauty of the UP to the hustle and bustle of the major cities, Michigan really has something for everyone. If you've ever wondered what would be the best place in Michigan to live, we have the answer.

Niche has released the outlet's annual Best Places to Live rankings, which ranks the best cities and communities to live in judging by a variety of criteria. According to Niche, the results were based on several key factors, such as the quality of local schools, crime rates, housing trends, employment statistics and access to amenities. Using all of that data, they put together a list of the best cities to live in Michigan for 2022.

Going outside of Michigan, the handful of cities at the top of the list includes Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania; City Center, California; Penn Wynee, Pennsylvania; and Houserville, Pennsylvania. Gosh, that's a lot of love for Pennsylvania. I've been to that state many times, and it's beautiful, but I had no idea it had so many cities that would be considered the best in the U.S. In Michigan, the highest-rated city was Okemos, coming in at No. 12 for the entire country. I am very familiar with Okemos and totally agree it's a great place to be, so that result doesn't really surprise me.

Read on for the full list of the 35 best places to live in Michigan via Niche. Is your favorite Michigan city here? I was surprised to see Ann Arbor at No. 12, since they are usually No. 1 on these lists. That said, No. 12 is pretty great. I was also hoping to see Detroit on here. Needless to say, all the cities on here are deserving, but remember to venture outside of this list, since Michigan is packed with great spots to live.

This list is courtesy of Niche.

https://www.michigan.org/city/okemos

https://www.michigan.org/city/troy

https://www.michigan.org/city/bloomfield-township

https://www.michigan.org/city/huntington-woods

https://www.villagebeverlyhills.com/

https://www.michigan.org/city/grosse-pointe-park

https://www.michigan.org/city/novi

https://www.michigan.org/city/east-grand-rapids

https://www.ci.northville.mi.us/

https://www.michigan.org/city/haslett

https://www.michigan.org/city/ann-arbor

https://www.michigan.org/city/birmingham

https://loditownshipmi.org/history/

https://www.grossepointefarms.org/

https://www.michigan.org/city/farmington

https://www.romi.gov/

https://www.berkleymich.org/

https://www.niche.com/places-to-live/n/eastgate-grand-rapids-mi/

https://www.twp.northville.mi.us/

https://www.michigan.org/city/grosse-pointe

https://www.niche.com/places-to-live/n/eastown-grand-rapids-mi/

https://www.niche.com/places-to-live/n/fulton-heights-grand-rapids-mi/

https://www.niche.com/places-to-live/forest-hills-kent-mi/

https://www.michigan.org/property/franklin-cider-mill

https://www.pittsfield-mi.gov/

http://www.larkintownship.org/

https://www.rochesterhills.org/

https://www.michigan.org/city/pleasant-ridge

https://www.gpwmi.us/

https://www.michigan.org/city/farmington-hills

https://www.downtownrochestermi.com/

http://www.oaklandtownship.org/community_info/about_oakland_township/index.php

https://www.michigan.org/city/st-joseph

https://www.plymouthmi.gov/

https://www.michigan.org/city/ottawa-lake