Gaming

[ysabetwordsmith]

Did you grow up regularly playing board games (either with your family, or in other contexts)? Do you feel that this affected the prominence (or lack of prominence) of board games in your later life?


I grew up with casual tabletop gaming that included board games, card games, and others. I feel that most modern board games are better than what I grew up with, although there were a few really good ones, like the one where you built an island from cards and tried to evacuate all the people in boats before the erupting volcano card was flipped over. So I had the concept of gaming, and when more interesting games emerged, they caught my interest. My partner is an avid gamer and collector of board games.

The most recent board game we got was 12 Rivers. We really enjoy this one for its kinetic aspect, pretty art, and having lots of options for strategy, tactics, and chance.

Comments

[ehowton]

I grew up much as you but rarely play board games unless I'm with my children. My daughter-in-law is an avid board game collector so we often play her newest games when we're together. My son and I tend more toward video games and tabletop games like D&D.

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

I greatly enjoy roleplaying games. I haven't recently had a gaming group available, but I still love collecting the manuals. I just got my Kickstarter copy of All the Witches, which has a diversity theme. Last year's The Far Roofs won a Rose & Bay Award! :D

[thatjustwontbreak]

I've never really been much into board/card games, but as I age, I recognize the social value, specifically with my mother because it is a good way to connect with her.

My mother's family really only played Scrabble and Taboo so I would play those games with her and my sibling when asked to do so. We discovered Bananagrams (and that we could play a modified version on zoom together) in 2020, which then led to more flexibility with games. Now our repertoire includes Codenames and Skipbo, though I suppose Skipbo is a card game.

Through friends, I learned about Trekking the World, which my mom LOVES and has introduced to all of her friends, so that's been fun as well.

I would like to be more of a tabletop gamer, but I think I need to make more tabletop friends for that to truly progress.

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> My mother's family really only played Scrabble <<

I was pretty good at that, but my partner can beat me easily. I have a somewhat better vocabulary, but he has better strategy, and that typically wins. But I'm one of very few people who will play him at all. I've also played with Spanish and Cyrillic tiles in foreign language classes -- it's one of the best games for practicing vocabulary.

>>I would like to be more of a tabletop gamer, but I think I need to make more tabletop friends for that to truly progress.<<

Likely so.

Some game shops host gaming nights, but with dozens of people all talking at once, it turns into bedlam. :/

Re: Thoughts

[thatjustwontbreak]

How interesting to play Scrabble in a foreign language. That sounds so fun.

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

Here is a list of options:
http://www.gtoal.com/wordgames/details/

Nominal

[genderjumper]

I'd say I had board games around a lot but we didn't interact with them regularly (maybe a couple times a year?). I had much more social engagement around card games, especially my freshman year of high school, where I spent nearly every day playing cards at the same table with the same guys.

It feels like an under-nourished interest. I often WANT to do a game night or family game but almost never get to. Now, what's even weirder, is that I spend upwards of an hour or more a day on BoardGameArena, but since I don't know anyone there I may as well be playing the computer. It's more of a stim that helps my brain redirect during breaks.

I often want to play more AND YET on the occasions when I've dated or friended folks who went to, say, BoardGamerGeek Con, I had little patience or interest in the same games as them.

So what I'm saying is I have a mixed attachment style with board games. >.

Re: Nominal

[ysabetwordsmith]

>>I had much more social engagement around card games, especially my freshman year of high school, where I spent nearly every day playing cards at the same table with the same guys.<<

Our favorite card game is probably Fluxx. We own many variations of it.

>>I often want to play more AND YET on the occasions when I've dated or friended folks who went to, say, BoardGamerGeek Con, I had little patience or interest in the same games as them.<<

Sad.

What features make a game appealing for you? Some games have a broader focus or range of skill levels while others are more narrow. I like games that can accommodate diverse player skills and styles so I'll have something to suit whomever might be available.

>>So what I'm saying is I have a mixed attachment style with board games.<<

It makes sense.

Re: Nominal

[genderjumper]

Monty Python Fluxx is one of the greatest games ever invented. Others are okay, too, but some of the themed versions feel forced. I really like Phase10 and have only gotten to play through it like once.

I love Apples to Apples (the mirror version of Cards Against Humanity) and other games that involve getting to know the other players on some level. I don't like intricate strategy (I suck at Chess and Go) and spend a lot of time developing personal algorithms for the games I play on BGA that balance predictability and chance. Sadly, a lot of the games on BGA that exemplify this the most are blithely colonialism masked as "resource management" so the deeper I get into learning their strategies the more I have to ignore their ahistorical nature.

But yes, I agree with you about accommodating diverse playing skills and styles; that's part of what I love about Phase10: anyone can pick it up and become competitive within a single game.

Re: Nominal

[genderjumper]

Oh, and I tend to like non-Poker card games. I played a LOT of Blackjack, Spades, and Hearts in my youth.

Re: Nominal

[ysabetwordsmith]

I used to do Tripoly.

Re: Nominal

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> other games that involve getting to know the other players on some level.<<

Our favorite for this is Imaginiff.

>>Sadly, a lot of the games on BGA that exemplify this the most are blithely colonialism masked as "resource management"<<

Spirit Island focuses on defending an island from ravaging invaders. You play as an elemental spirit fighting off the invading force. I found the concept extremely attractive but the gameplay is so complex that I doubt I could keep up with it.

Re: Nominal

[genderjumper]

I love Spirit Island but agree about the complexity. There's a Steam version now, and a friend was kind enough to buy me several expansion packs! In my recent levels of brain fog, I can barely manage a simple game alone, let alone with others, but I enjoy it when I can.

Re: Nominal

[ysabetwordsmith]

In case of brain fog, you might explore the category of games described as "meditative," "contemplative," or "relaxing." They tend to be much simpler and prettier. Lacuna and A Gentle Rain are examples.

Another useful category is the stacking-block games, which can be played solo as a fidget or to see how high you can get them. I like Bandu / Bausack Towers. Bandu is easier with unfinished wood blocks. Bausack has colored pieces that are notoriously slick.

We try to stock a wide range of games that cater to different skill levels and ways of thinking.

[freyjaw]

We played them a lot when I was a kid, and in the Bay Area, I had a friend in a weekly board game get together. Our family here likes them as well, so sometimes we play them. One of our favorites is Pandemic. We like it because it's not competitive, it's collaborative. We work together to stamp out epidemics in the world.

Card games are fun as well, like Cards Agains Humanity and Give Me The Brain.

[warriorsavant]

Played them. Wouldn't say avidly, but certainly did. Very rarely as an adult, except when the kids were younger and liked playing them with me. Don't think they had any major formative effect on me as an adult.

[wavesagainstrocks]

I grew up playing board games often with my mom, family here and there, but mostly with my mom. We loved playing Taboo, Scrabble, Scattergories, etc. There was one I don't remember the name of, but you mixed up this Rubix Cube-like dice and had to try and match the colors up on your own board by sliding the pieces together. It was very competitive lol!

We don't play board games as often anymore, occasionally we'll play Battleship or Chess but we mostly settle for playing party video-games like Mario. A lot of newer board games I see on shelves look a little overwhelming, haha! Maybe I'll rope my family into getting one and trying it out!!

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>>A lot of newer board games I see on shelves look a little overwhelming, haha! Maybe I'll rope my family into getting one and trying it out!!<<

Some are overwhelming. There are plenty where I just don't think I could track all the variables and tasks. I use Board Game Geek to research large games before buying them. It gives a great view of complexity and gameplay.

However, I will say that some complex games are that way because they offer multiple paths to victory, so you can pick and choose what you pay attention to rather than trying to do All the Things. Our newest game, 12 Rivers, has endgame scoring based entirely on who has the most points. But there are different ways to chase points. You can collect "wild card" villagers to store the most valuable pearls, try to fulfill each villager's bonus ability, or pack your alpaca with sets of 4 matching pearls.

Conversely, small games are also enjoying a revival. Our gaming store puts them in a section near the front. Most run $10-20, a few a bit more. There are lots of card games, some dice games, but also some small board games and a few that don't really fit a category. These are usually simpler than the big board games. We Didn't Playtest This At All is a favorite card game. If you want something less likely to be overwhelming, watch for this category.

Re: Thoughts

[wavesagainstrocks]

Ooh! I'll have to check that out, I didn't know there was a source like that out there!! Thanks :D

I think heading for the smaller games/card games will be the perfect way to get back into playing them. They're also a favorite of mine anyways :P

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> Ooh! I'll have to check that out, I didn't know there was a source like that out there!! Thanks :D <<

https://boardgamegeek.com/

>>I think heading for the smaller games/card games will be the perfect way to get back into playing them. They're also a favorite of mine anyways :P

Our favorite card game is Fluxx:
https://www.looneylabs.com/games/fluxx

But Looney Labs has many other delightful small games. If you like strategy games and 3D pieces, check out the Looney Pyramids that support many different games.

[thewayne]

I grew up playing bog-standard zero-sum games with my parents: Monopoly, Risk, et al. When I was a teen in the '70s I learned about table-top RPGs and board games, and I was off to the races!

When I put myself up on a dating web site in 2005, I mentioned gaming as a recreational activity. When Russet and I were first talking on the phone that December, she'd said she was a gamer in her post. I asked her what games she played. She said 'Oh, I was involved in a GURPs campaign for a while, I've played Cataan...' and I was actually pumping my fist in the air and grinning in joy!

21 years married in two months.

Congratulations!

[ysabetwordsmith]

That's quite an accomplishment.

[pronker]

We played board games especially up to age 7 or so because Snakes and Ladders is particularly memorable; mostly, I recall going to Best Friends' home (they were twins) and the whole family joined in in playing Pit. Much screaming, yelling and such, lots of fun to watch and sometimes join in. I smile about it now because both girls were exceptionally shy with outsiders, to the point where I had to be the one buying movie tickets, asking directions, and so on. We're still friends.

Youngest is nicer than I am because when we play board games such as Settlers of Catan, I push to win, where he is 'Mom relax it's cooperative ...' :D A valuable life lesson pertaining to gaming occurred when, a few years back, he and I played Eldritch Horror, set in the 1920s, for four straight days. We were both engrossed at day 4, when a card turn ended both our sides, something along the lines of 'you chose the wrong path, you're both dead.' We sat for minutes, stunned. It all could be over, just like that ... *ponders*

[barbaratp]

Eu cresci jogando xadrez e adorava, também fazíamos jogos de perguntas e respostas e na escola havia outras opções. Eu adoro esse tipo de jogos, infelizmente são muito caros para comprar hoje em dia.