Table games […] represent a social contract between players.
In the name of creating fun, everybody agrees to follow some rules,
but also that they’ll care about the nebulous concept of winning, they’ll
be quiet when other people are taking their turn, they won’t leave the
table, they’ll lie, pay attention, think quickly, adopt a character, or
establish some value in winning as a team, or coming second, or… beans*.
[…] A board game is a glass palace of social cues.
-Quintin “Quinns” Smith
*Probably a reference to popular bean-farming-themed card game Bohnanza.