Why I Game

If you know me, you've probably played a board game with me.  I do a lot to make board games an ongoing part of my life.  It's only fitting I start this blog with a simple question: why all the games?

Board games are fun!  Game designers continue to refine the game play to make games more fun, and companies hire excellent artists to illustrate their games.  These days you can find the perfect game for any taste.  Do you like solving puzzles?  Getting immersed in a compelling story?  Making weird jokes with friends?  Managing resources and building economic systems?  Negotiating deals with other players?  I enjoy all of the above.  If the game isn't fun, you just have to try something different until you find the right game for your group.

Board games are a great social facilitator.  They provide a focus to sit around and enjoy time with friends. In a world driven increasingly by the ability to multitask, board games give you something to look at an interact with while enjoying the company of other players. They provide a distraction to fill those awkward silences, and a more interesting conversation topic than the weather. Board games are a great ice-breaker when meeting new people. Whether it's the rush of friendly competition or the shared tension of facing your co-operative doom, board games allow the players to share an experience.

Playing board games can be a great way to mentally keep in shape.  Euro-games are often about planning, resource management, time management, and negotiation.  While games abstract these principles, they teach ways of thinking about problems that can be applied to everyday life.  Games provide a kinesthetic way to learn about history, economics, or biology.  They let us experience literature interactively, or immerse ourselves in popular culture.  There's something remarkable about anything that can so enrich our lives.

Board games have come a long way since Monopoly.  They continue to explore new game mechanics and more diverse themes. But the reason I game above all others are the exceptional people involved in this hobby.  From Board Game Geek to our local gaming group, from conventions to Facebook, I'm lucky to have met all of them.  So for years to come I'll be saying:  Happy Gaming!