SUMMER IS A time for over-the-top amusements — roller coasters, big boats, blockbuster movies. But sometimes its most profound pleasures are in the little things, like beach reads and fresh vegetables from the garden. My small, somewhat nerdy summer joy is long, hot nights playing board games, a throwback to the old days when Scrabble was the only cure for preteen boredom on family vacations in sticky Sarasota, Florida. In fact, though summer’s more exciting pursuits are undeniable, the beauty of board games is as a wholesome escape from the sensationalism, FOMO, and distraction of modern life. It’s a chance to put down the phone, turn off the Netflix, step away from the teeming crowds, and focus on something tangible and intimate right there in front of you. Picture it: a small quiet cabin in the woods, crickets chirping, a glass of white wine with an ice cube in it, good friends, Monopoly. What could be better?

There’s only one problem: Board games aren’t what they used to be. I remember the textured feel of the wooden tiles from the ancient Scrabble set at my grandpa’s house, where I learned to play. I open up a version now to find flimsy plastic. Same for Monopoly. Its now cheap-feeling pieces were once weighty battleships, thimbles, Scottie dogs, and top hats that felt like silver tokens — appropriate and evocative for a game in which Gatsby-esque robber baron capitalism is the conceit. Like with so many things, what was once made with care is now made without. And unfortunately, a flimsy board can shatter the nostalgic, heartwarming illusion of a good game of anything, from chess to backgammon and on up.

Never fear. There is a smattering of companies out there faithfully keeping the fantasy alive, making fancy-schmancy versions of board games so beautiful you’ll be proud to display them on your coffee table. My suggestion? Put down the more excessive diversions, take a break from the clamor of summer, and, if only for a night, pick up one of these gorgeous sets made for the discerning board-game geek.