When many Utahns get bored, they turn to boards.

But they are not sticking to just the classics, such as Monopoly, Risk or Clue. Rather, they are finding fun and challenges in a new generation of board games.

"There is a whole world of games that come from smaller publishers with war themes or historical themes," said Mike Compton, manager of Game Night Games, 2030 S. 900 East, Salt Lake City. "There is a lot of creativity in the world."

Many people are used to buying games at big-box stores that always carry the same 20 titles, said Compton. They don't realize the vast selection available at specialty stores or online.

"There are a lot of different themes," he said.

Take for instance the store's latest No. 1 hit -- Dominion, a game in which players work to become the monarch of their own kingdom. It's so popular, the store has a Dominion League Night, when fans compete against one another. Member stats are posted after every session.

Other top sellers include Pandemic, in which "specialists" try to discover a cure before disease wipes out humans, and Ticket to Ride, a cross-country train adventure.

Compton said today's gamers prefer board games that involve keeping score or encouraging players to work together over traditional "roll and move" games, in which the winners are often determined by luck rather than skill.

And more and more games require less playing time.

"People are looking for games that are not extremely complex or long," he said. "Many want to play in one hour or less."

Game Night Games offers open playing nights when customers can try out new games to decide if they want to buy. Those are held every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m.

Game Night also hosts Kids Club and Munchkin Night, when children can play new games. And for those who want to play specific games, there are the Dominion League and a group that plays Wings of War, a game that merges card and board game mechanics to re-create aerial combat. There also is Killer Bunnies Madness night. Killer Bunnies is a fast-paced card game in which players must try to keep as many bunnies alive as possible while eliminating opponents' bunnies.

Of course, even with all these new games, the classics still have their place.

Just look at the dozens of Monopoly editions available. While the basic game remains the same, these newer versions add a fresh take with characters and themes from movies, television shows and rock bands. There's even an environmentally friendly version.

No matter the decade, the reason everyone from singles to adults to families gathers for game night has remained the same.

"It is a community activity," said Salt Lake City gamer Dave Bailey. "You have interaction with other people. You can play with your family and friends face-to-face and enjoy each other's company."

"I love the education part of it," added Shelly Condie, of Salt Lake City, as she played a new game with her 6-year-old granddaughter, Caroline, at Game Night Games.

"You learn things," said the former educator. "This is a good alternative to television and I can interact with my granddaughter."

wharton@sltrib.com