Games People Play

So I was catching up on my blog reading today...

One friend of mine, Chuck, recently made the paper in recognition of a gaming club he started.

Another friend, Olivia, is a avid Scrabble player and recently participated in her first official tournament.

It got me thinking about how games, particularly non-computer games, have had a significant role in my life and how they've consistently strengthened the friendships I have in life. Games have even played a significant role in my marriage. When my wife and I were doing the long distance relationship thing, we would spend almost every night chatting online. To help pass the time, we'd play checkers through Yahoo Games. It became one of "our things", so much so that I used a custom made checker board to propose.

In college, many nights were spent playing Dungeons and Dragons. After college, my best friend Paul got me into Legend of the Five Rings. And sprinkled throughout were games of Scrabble, Clue, Chess, Settlers of Catan, and Cosmic Encounter, among others. Each game was fun, and provided nights filled with laughter and pure, unhindered fun.

Computer games are fun, don't get me wrong. I still play Snood regularly, and count my Atari 2600 among my prized possessions, but I never really got into it at the level others like my brother have. Truth is, and I may get my geek membership revoked for this, I really don't care for the major online games out there, especially first-person shooter type games. They really don't compare with board and card games.

I really need to start playing more. Perhaps I'll look to see if there's a group in the area, or maybe I'll take a cue from Chuck and start my own. Time's precious, especially when you have a baby, but it'd be worth it making time for this.

I hope that as Victoria gets older, I'll be able to pass along my love of games to her. Cheesy as it sounds, I can visualize future family game nights and giving her a game every Christmas. Maybe she'll like them, maybe she'll outgrow them, but she gets half as much out of them as I do, it'll be worth it.

Allow me to end by giving a short list of my favorite games. try them if you haven't already. My favorites, in no particular order:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checkers: a classic game with simple rules, this is one my wife and I bonded over.

Pentago: A variation on the classic Tic-Tac-Toe, this game involves a good deal of strategy. I picked this game up last year and have enjoyed it immensely.

Legend of the Five Rings: My all time favorite collectible card game, L5R is the 2nd longest running CCG behind Magic. Steeped in samurai lore and fantasy, it was unique in that it told an ongoing story, with the story developed directly by the players. How many games have their own story team?

Kung Fu Samurai on Giant Robot Island: Another card game, this game is just flat out silly and fun.

Settlers of Catan: A game my friend Chuck got me into online, it's another game of strategy.

Munchkin: For those of you who love D&D but don't have 6 hours, this is a great compromise.

There are of course many others, but to list them all would be too much. Happy gaming!