Your goal in Shut-the-Box is to push down levers that match the sum of the number you rolled. (Michelle Pemberton for The Star)

Half the fun in Scrabble is arguing about what constitutes a "real" word. (Michelle Pemberton for The Star)

Quarto is a deceptively simple-looking game. (Michelle Pemberton for The Star)

Dread Pirate is a new family board game that gives players the chance to travel the world in search of treasure while getting in their share of pillaging and plundering. (Michelle Pemberton for The Star)

Rush Hour Traffic Jam Puzzle. You arrange plastic cars on a grid, and then figure out how to move them around to let the red sports car out. (Michelle Pemberton for The Star)

Axis & Allies is a World War II strategy game. (Michelle Pemberton for The Star)

Josh LaRocque tries out the drum portion of Rock Band. The game allows up to four players to perform with a virtual rock band. (Michelle Pemberton for The Star)

The classic estate game has, according to one game blog, 1,357 versions! Most are geographic varioations, from Aberdeen to Zurich. (Michelle Pemberton for The Star)

Mike Kelly rocks to Rock Band, a video game released last month that goes beyond the Guitar Hero series as players can also sing and play drums. (Michelle Pemberton for The Star)

It's all about our competitive instincts as the game's afoot in Indianapolis

Whether you're waving your arms around with your Wii or rolling dice and moving pieces on a board, gaming is how people in Indianapolis and across the nation like to play.

Baby boomers reared on classic board games such as Monopoly and Life are finding them a great way to pass the time as retirement years near. Generations X and Y, who grew up with Atari and arcade games, are perfecting their skills on more sophisticated consoles. And today's kids learn how to use the game controller before the toilet.

Video games are a $7.5.billion 8industry, nearly equaling the $9.5.billion moviegoers spent on tickets last year. And board games sold $802.million in 2006, a 13.percent jump from the previous year, according to Enterpreneur.com.

Mike Kelly, a 30-year-old graphic designer from Indianapolis, is an avid player of both video and board games. He prefers the hands-on, interactive nature of games to more passive leisure activities like reading and television. Favorites include Rock Band and the classic board game Sorry.

"(Sorry) is simple and it's vindictive, and it always seems to be close no matter what happens in the game, so that's exciting. It's good to get revenge on someone who just nailed you," he said.

Local game sellers point to Quinto, The Settlers of Catan and Munchkin as some of the board and card games they sell most. Much like the automobile industry, there are awards given out that factor into the marketing of the games.

"Quinto has won more awards than any board game in history," said Mass Ave. Toys owner Natalie Canull.

Scott Alden, co-founder of 8GameBoardGeek.com, an authoritative compendium of games, expects to see the number of games increase as more publishers get into the market, especially in Europe. Young people with hectic schedules and an affection for video games still find time to sit around a table for a board or card game.

"I have a weekly game group," Alden said. "It's a bunch of friends that come over. And that's usually the only time I see them, because everybody's busy."

For more than 30 years, Boardroom Games in Broad Ripple has been a Northside fixture in the Indy gaming scene. Boasting that he sells "just about anything that isn't electronic," owner Jerry Hunter says the top-selling games aren't necessarily the best ones, just those with the most advertising. The desire to interact with -- and defeat -- other people is a basic urge, Hunter said.

"Competition and socialization are both natural instincts. Most gaming is competitive. There always has been a fringe of non-competitive gaming. But for the most part, competition is the heart and soul of it."

New and hot games

Rock Band

This upstart challenger to the Guitar Hero series is reportedly flying off the shelves since it made its debut Dec. 18. Instead of just a toy guitar, this video game includes a guitar, drums and microphone. Live your rock-god fantasies through 58 tracks spanning every rock genre. ($169.99)

Quinto

In this combination board/card game, you try to capture strategic positions on the board using playing cards. You're trying to create "quintos" by lining up four colored squares in a row. ($39.95)

Rubik's Revolution

The '80s puzzle cube is back, and now comes with an electronic twist. Turn the cube and push buttons in six different games. Completing one task unlocks new levels. ($19.99)

The Settlers of Catan

Try to dominate a fictional island by competing with other players !to build cities and roads. ($42)

Carcassonne

This is a tile game with a medieval setting. As you lay tiles, you gain control of cities, monasteries and farms. ($24.99)

Would You Rather..... ?

The title pretty much sums up this social game in which absurd hypothetical questions are posed. Players try to form a consensus and perform challenges. There are several versions scaled for different ages, including small children and adult-only. ($29.99)

Mass Effect

This role-playing video game combines elements of science fiction, exploration and real-time combat. You're trying to stop a rogue force destroying life across the entire galaxy. ($59.99)

Blokus

Players line up differently shaped pieces on a tile board, trying to link like colors by touching at the corners. There's also a two-person version, one on a hexagonal board and an oversized version. ($29.99)

Dread Pirate

Sail the Caribbean -- or at least a map facsimile -- in search of treasure. Players can engage in legitimate trade, or go the plunder-and-pillage route. ($99.99)

Ticket to Ride

Train-based board games are a popular genre. In this version, collect cards with train cars and use them to capture railway routes. ($39.99)

Puerto Rico

Players assume the role of a colonial governor and try to best their opponents by shipping the most goods or constructing the most buildings. ($39.99)

Agricolav

The novel premise behind this game is that you play a peasant. !Literally. You're a farmer with a shack and little else. The goal is to expand your house and crops; you even put your wife and kids to work. ($55.95)

10 classic games

Axis & Allies

This World War II strategy game is so complex, it makes Risk look like Tic-Tac-Toe. In addition to the original game, there are five other versions focusing on theaters like the Pacific or specific conflicts like Battle of the Bulge. ($39.99)

Monopoly

The classic real estate game has, according to one game blog, 1,357 versions! Most are geographic variations, from Aberdeen to Zurich. ($10.99, original version)

Scrabble

Half the fun is arguing about what constitutes a "real" word in this game of vocabulary and strategy. There are dozens of versions in different languages, and Facebook has its own take called Scrabulous. ($19.98, classic edition)

Clue

Solve a murder by moving around an English mansion collecting clues. There are at least 21 licensed variations; themes include the Simpsons and Dungeons & Dragons. ($22.50)

Battleship

Hide your warships and receive incoming fire while trying to take out your opponent. There's also a travel version, the electronic game with sound effects, and themed versions for Star Wars and Pirates of the Caribbean. ($14.99)

Twister

Everyone knows the game where the board is a floor mat and you are the pieces. Put your hands and feet on colored circles while trying not to fall down or cop a feel. There's also a dance version, a dance DVD and an outdoor version. ($16.97)

Sorry

The game that teaches little children about the delights of revenge. Try to gather all your pieces in a final destination as other players send them back to the starting point with a heartfelt "sorry," or perhaps trash talk. There are six other versions with themes including the Simpsons, plus a card game and Game Boy video game. ($16.99)

Parcheesi

Originally created in India, players try to move their pawns to the center "home" square by rolling dice and moving them around the board of crosses and circles while blocking other pawns. 8Virtually every country has a slightly different version. ($24.99)

Life

Also known as The Game of Life, this classic takes the quotidian grind of finding a good job, house and spouse and turns it into a kids' game with colorful pieces. There are almost too many versions to count, including themes for the Simpsons and Pirates of the Caribbean -- are those guys merchandised out the yang, or what? -- and a Nintendo Wii version coming out this year. ($16.99)

Ouija

Players place their hands on a planchette and ask portentous questions and then pretend invisible spirits are guiding it across an alphabet board to spell out cryptic answers. Innumerable bad horror movies followed. ($19.99)

You're a card

Phase 10

From Indianapolis' own Fundex Games, Phase 10 is a rummy-type game in which you're trying to complete specific 10 phases such as two sets of three, a sequential run of seven cards, etc. ($6)

Blink

This is a fast slap-down card game in which you might find your kids are quicker than you are. Put down cards matched by color, shape or number of objects. First to get rid of their cards wins. ($9.99)

Magic: The Gathering

It's past its fanatical heyday of a few years ago, but the fantasy card combat game still has a huge following. You buy and collect decks of creatures and spells and fight it out with an opponent. ($8.98, 2007 starter set)

Munchkin

Here's how the manufacturer succinctly describes this game: "Go down in the dungeon. Kill everything you meet. Backstab your friends and steal their stuff. Grab the treasure and run." There are also versions that are airborne, set in the Wild West and even a board game. ($24.95)

Poker

It's no secret that poker has exploded! in popularity with the advent of television coverage and online versions. There is an almost limitless number of versions, with Texas Hold 'Em -- in which players build suits using community cards -- the most prevalent.

DVD games

Deal or No Deal

Flip through virtual suitcases to find the best deal, based on the TV game show hosted by Howie Mandel. ($19.99)

Scene It

Test your movie knowledge in this game that shows snippets from films and asks trivia questions. Beyond the general movie versions, there are more than a dozen specialized ones such as Harry Potter, James Bond, etc. ($39.99)

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

The Jeff Foxworthy-hosted TV show comes to life as adults try to answer actual questions from a fifth-grade curriculum. ($27.99)

Trivial Pursuit

The classic trivia game goes digital. There are versions covering pop culture, the Star Wars saga and even a version for kids. ($39.99)

Dance Dance Revolution

The popular arcade game lets you strut your stuff in front of the TV through !30 different dance tracks and three levels. ($36.99)

Top 5 video games of 2007

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for Xbox 360 (1.57 million sold)

The series leaves World War II behind for cutting-edge weaponry and modern hostile zones. ($59.99)

Super Mario Galaxy for Nintendo Wii (1.12 million sold)

Our overall-wearing hero is still trying to rescue Princess Peach, but now he has to travel through space to weird planets. ($49.99)

Assassin's Creed for Xbox 360 (980,000 sold)

You play a medieval assassin hunting down nine evildoers in this story-based combat/role-playing game. ($59.99)

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock for PlayStation 2 (967,000 sold)

The current champ of musical video games lets you grind a toy ax for a virtual -- and fickle -- audience. ($49.99)

Play for Nintendo Wii with remote (564,000 sold)

This package of nine mini-games includes fishing, laser hockey, tank fighting and a game in which you ride a cow and topple scarecrows. ($52.99)

Source: NPD Entertainment

Playing mind games

Lonpos 101

This brainteaser can be played in two- or three-dimensional versions. You use colorful pieces to set up and solve problems. In the 3D version, it involves making a pyramid. ($19.99)

Quarto

This deceptively simple-looking game involves making rows of pieces differentiated by height, shape, color and solidness. Other players choose what pieces you have to play, so sabotage is the rule. ($29.99)

Wits and Wagers

The trivia game for people who aren't good at trivia. You wager on whether other players' answers are right or wrong. So reading other people is as important as knowledge. ($27.99)

Rush Hour Traffic Jam Puzzle

A spatial mind-bender for kids, and adults. You arrange plastic cars on a grid, and then figure out how to move them around to let the red sports car out. ($15.99)

Shut-the-Box

This ancient British gambling game involves dice, numbered levers and math. Your goal is to push down levers that match the sum of the number you rolled. The last lever shuts the box. ($19.99)