An Introduction
Welcome to the second installment of the series I am calling Fun ‘N Games. In the first “issue” I talked about a potential downside to gaming — and I’m not gonna lie, there are several — but for the most part I want to focus on the GOOD stuff.
Like everything I write, this will be off the cuff, with little to no organization in thought or presentation. When I do the proofreading, I may manage to sneak in some semblance of a theme, but don’t count on it.
I have also not yet decided on the frequency. These will all be pre-loaded. As I start this, the first one has not yet been released into the feed, though it probably will be by the time this is finished.
That said, I wanted to “start” — in retrospect, my ranty tirade should not have been part of this series… but I am not always one to change my mind once it’s set — with an introduction to the hobby of board games… maybe even how I got started. Let’s find out together, shall we?
If you were born at any point in the last hundred years, chances are you have played a board game in your lifetime. In fact, every so often I see an article called “What was the most popular game the year you were born?” I can never remember which one mine is, but it’s always fascinating to me to go through and see what kinds of games have existed over the decades.
Games recognized even by “non-gamers” include Monopoly, Connect Four, Parcheesi (originally known as Pachisi), Clue, and Risk. (To this day I love Clue.) Older people may remember Mystery Date. People my age might remember Trouble or Operation.
And as much as modern board gamers like to bag on these classics, there is a reason these are classics. They are solid, proven games that appeal to wide audiences. They have relatively easy rules that are simple to teach. In games like Clue, where there is a random element, everyone is on a level playing field and no two plays are the same. In games like Risk that are more strategic, you are constantly striving to improve your tactics, and maybe next time you will best your enemies.
Even a polarizing game like Monopoly, a game that ends friendships, has its appeal. (For the record, I hate Monopoly with a passion, and I own two sets — one Spider-Man themed, and one TransFormers themed. Neither has ever been played.)
Today, there is a game for every whim and skill level. Want to throw some dice? You can either pull out your old copy of Yahtzee or attack with Kaiju monsters in King of Tokyo. Want to play cards? You can play Uno for the millionth time or change the rules with any version of Fluxx you like. Fancy yourself a wordsmith? Break out that game of Scrabble or risk your sanity with Unspeakable Words.
Need a game with simple rules? Settlers of Catan or Ticket to Ride. Feel like something meatier and more complex? Scythe or Twilight Imperium. Only have a few minutes? Love Letter or Zombie Dice. Got time for something much longer? Scythe or Twilight Imperium.
Fight villainy with superheroes in Sentinels of the Multiverse, DC Deck-Building Game, or Marvel Champions. Explore fantasy worlds with Gloomhaven or Pathfinder The Adventure Card Game. Colonize other planets in Tiny Epic Galaxies or Terraforming Mars. Battle for your survival in the zombie apocalypse with Dead of Winter or Zombicide. Tell tales for all ages with Once Upon a Time. Betray your friends with Munchkin or the aptly named Betrayal at House on the Hill. Team up against a common foe in Pandemic or Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle. Compete in the ultimate race in Formula D.
Whether you’re a Chess Grandmaster looking to vanquish opponents on a new battlefield, a Craps High Roller wanting to throw them bones for different stakes, or you’re a Monopoly enthusiast who just wants to see what else is out there… There is something in this hobby for everyone.
As for me, I grew up on many of the classics stated above. My brother turned me off to many of them by routinely beating me… or beating me up if I happened to win. One of the first games I remember having of my very own was a home version of Wheel of Fortune. Side note: I recently spotted a newer version for sale in a store and noticed, looking at the back, that although the graphic design has changed along with the show, the functional design of the puzzle board has not.
Clue was always my favorite, and because it requires at least three people, my mother would play with us. If I happened to win at that game, my brother was not able to beat the love of it out of me due to there being a witness.
For Christmas one year he got Dungeons & Dragons, a game that sparked my young imagination. (Link to its page on RPG Geek.) He and I played for hours upon hours, he as the adventurer and I as the Dungeon Master. I can’t really say the game helped make me a storyteller, as I never got out of the “hack and slash” phase, but it was always a treat for me to play. In D&D, I was in charge, and my brother had to conform to the world I laid out before him. Unless he didn’t, in which case he had to fight his way out of whatever town he was murdering people in.
We had a very complex relationship growing up.
My love of games continued, and although I got older, it felt like the intended age of the players did not, so I was buying games that felt like they were meant for children. This served me well after my sister had kids, because I was able to share Picnic Panic with them. I had a copy of the original Fireball Island, which Restoration Games remade a year or so back. (In my opinion they made it overly complicated, but people seem to love it.)
I continued to buy games, but I had no one to play with. They sat in my closet, languishing, until I could convince a friend or two to play with me. It was always a one-time thing. More’s the pity, too. Omega Virus was fun. And more than a little creepy.
When I moved to California, my game collection stayed in Texas. My sister kept one or two and either sold or gave away the rest. I hope she got a great price for Fireball Island. I heard it was going for over $100 on eBay at one point.
A few years ago, someone I met through NaNoWriMo introduced me to the Meetup app, which we both used to join a writer’s group in Long Beach. I did not attend often. When I moved to Orange County, she told me about some gaming groups she had found.
And my world opened up to the Nth degree.
Suddenly there were people who owned games I had never heard of — games I did not know could possibly exist. Games that were intended for audiences of a more adult demographic. Games so simple even I could learn them, and games so complex I can barely pronounce some of their mechanics.
I love games. With this series, I hope to spread that love of games to others who may not yet realize how vast the gaming world is.
Please join me for the adventure.
(As is so often the case, the individual game links will take you to their respective pages at boardgamegeek.com, where you can learn more about each one.)