The History
On my Facebook page I shared a news video which I can't seem to embed here. So follow the link if ya wanna watch it. But, it basically tells a small story of the board game renaissance that is taking place.
Board games are a great way to unplug from our technology soaked lives. They are a great way to socialize and connect with one another. They can be used as learning tools for children and adults. Besides, they are fun.
As I go through my history I will list some games I enjoyed and provide Wikipedia links where I can.
I have been an avid Gamer since I was a child. My uncle taught my brother and I Monopoly, which despite being a kind of deterrent to some people is still one of my favorite games. Nostalgia, and all that. I played Scattergories, Scrabble, Chess, Yahtzee, Life, Operation, Guess Who, Battleship and many other favorites.
Then I started playing more obscure games that we found at garage sales like Stop Thief! and Payday.
When I was a teenager, I would go to a local game store after school with my friends.We played some role-playing games ( Vampire: the Masquerade, Werewolf: the Apocalypse, and Legend of the Five Rings to name a few). We also leaned about Live Action Role Playing through some of the same games with live action rules.
We also learned some new board games from Europe ( Euro Games) like Settlers of Catan and Formula De.
I also played my first Collectible Card Games around this time. My biggest collection was Legend of the Five Rings (yep, same setting as the RPG). but, I dabbled in Pokemon, Rage, Doomtown, Magi Nation, Illuminati, Vampire: the eternal struggle, 7th Sea, Legend of the Burning Sands and MLB Showdown.
I didn't really play much Magic:the Gathering. But, it deserves mention as it was the game that started them all. As you can see if you read the articles many of these games were byproducts of RPG settings.
As I got older and I had other responsibilities I didn't play as many games as I liked. I did attend some Live Action Roleplaying games because they were free to go to and I had the books and wanted to socialize. Over the next few years I did that mainly. But, as I got older other people stopped going and I didnt recognize anyone. Larping turned into more of a chore than a fun time with friends. So I quit going all the time and I lost interest.
For a brief period I played Warhammer 40K. But, this was an expensive hobby I couldn't afford to keep myself in.
After this period I didnt do much board gaming. I played Video Games. The RPG's were my favorite. But, I also enjoyed Madden,and some first person type games. This wasn't nearly as satisfying to me. Maybe it is because I never really got into the headset talking back and forth gaming. I even did some MMORPG's for a while. Every single time I lost interest when I had to start milling XP. I am a social gamer and this wasn't cutting it.
About 3-4 years ago my brother and I bought a new style of card game called an LCG or Living Card Game. This appealed to me for multiple reasons. I liked the card games I played when I was younger. I however did not like spending tons of money to find the cards I needed in a treasure hunt. So, the idea of having every card in the set and still being able to customize decks intrigued me.
My first investment was the Game of Thrones LCG. It was a significant amount of money to get started here. But, it was worth every penny. There was a league at my local gaming store. So my brother and I joined. My brother gave it up soon after. But, I met the most amazing group of people. We met for game nights outside of the league, where I learned a ton of new board games.(Bohnanza, King of Tokyo, Escape from Atlantis, Love Letter, Blood Bowl: Team Manager, Avalon, and Cash & Guns to name a few).
I became good friends with the main core group of people.We explored other LCG's together as they came out ( Star Wars, Netrunner, and now Warhammer : Conquest) always returning to Thrones. We attended Gaming conventions together. We have had gaming birthdays together. We play racquetball together. But, at our core we play games and that is what binds us.We have played a new Star Wars RPG and I have a group playing RISK:Legacy. I have a lot of good things happening in my life right now. But, I am
very thankful for the people I have met while playing games.
The Challenge
Originally this was a New Year's Resolution. Now it is a challenge. I challenged myself to play at least one game a day for the year. 365 days of gaming. We are halfway through march and I haven't missed a day yet. I have had some close calls and a slight rule change I will discuss later. I wanted to spend more time socializing with people and this is my favorite way to do that. That is the main reason for the challenge.
The Rules
- No Video Games. More precisely Video games don't count. They taren't that social...even with a headset.
- No solitary games. Be social.
- The game has to start before midnight....but doesn't have to finish before midnight.(No, that doesn't count as 2 days of games.)
- racquetball and other small team/1on1 games count because there is talking and socializing involved. ( this was a change I made after a racquetball session with my friends where we were too tired to play a traditional board game)
Progress
We are halfway through March and I haven't missed a day. Wonder Wife has been a superstar as has my friend Golden State Lantern. They have both played late night games with me to keep the streak alive.
I am keeping a spreadsheet with a journal and people I have played against/with. So far I have played 129 games over roughly 95 hours.
This has provided me with extra time with my family I wouldn't normally have.
If I haven't gotten a game in before I get home from work at night , I wake my wife up and we play a short 5-10 minute game. Usually ( Nuts, Fluxx, or Love Letters). Then, we get a chance to talk about the day before bed. Without this gaming challenge we probably would be doing this through texts as we remembered things that happened.
On weekends when my oldest son, Nightwing is with us we try to play at least one game of Pathfinder Adventure Card Game. When Wonder Wife works Saturdays, Nightwing and I try to get a game in while Robin naps.
This has also produced some impromptu games. When I went to the Stadium Series NHL game in San Jose we played a couple games of Fluxx at the transit center on a bus bench while waiting for other people to arrive. I also [played Guillotine in the break room at work on my lunch break with a coworker who I had never played games with.
So, if you see me around and we both have some time on our hands let's sit down and socialize over a board game.I am usually carrying or have easy access to a game for the purpose of this challenge. I haven't played Go Fish or War yet if anyone wants to challenge me.
I Challenge You
I would like to propose a challenge to anyone reading this. You don't have to be as extreme as I was/am. But, I challenge you to play games on a regular basis. Set your challenge for once a week. Or if you already play games once a week challenge yourself to go every day for 3 weeks.Basically step a little outside of your normal game playing habits. Socialize with family and friends. Hell, If ya want, play a game with me, for those of you in Southern California. (unless you want to pay for air fare, food, and other travel expenses) Let me know how ya do in the comments.
No comments:
Post a Comment