My Other Passion

I have another confession to make...

One of the reasons I stopped reading as much is due to my other hobby. These days I often spend my precious spare time playing board games. That's right, folks. Board games.

"You mean, like Monopoly?"

Well, not exactly. While I've been known to sit down for the occasional game of Monopoly, there is a whole niche out there that most of the world is unaware of: a thriving designer board game industry.

I always enjoyed board games when I was a kid, but I also felt that there could be more to them. There didn't seem to be many games that gave players real choices or control over the outcome of the game, while immersing them in an interesting and thematic world.

As a writer and a reader, I like to be submerged in other worlds, I like doors that open my imagination. And like a good book, a good board or card game can do that. Not Monopoly, not Risk, and no, but the beautiful, well designed, works of art that we call modern tabletop games. 

Image source: https://boardgamegeek.com/image/1325252/takenoko

These are games that will entertain you again and again, challenge the intellect, stimulate the mind, and, on occasion, grind the gears of your brain to powder. They come in all shapes and sizes, tailored to many different tastes, personalities, and age ranges. In fact, if you know someone who doesn't like games -or you yourself aren't crazy about them- just tell me a little bit about the person in question, and I will find a game they will most likely enjoy.

Another thing I like about this hobby is that you don't feel you're wasting time by indulging in it, because -like writing- you learn a lot while doing it, whether it's a historical fact about the era a game is set in, or simply how to implement strategies. As a gamer I'm always growing and learning, and I can honestly say it's made me look at life differently. Plus, it's a great way to spend time with others!

Now, I'm not saying playing games is this amazing breakthrough that will cure all of the world's problems-- then again, if people just unplugged, sat down, looked each other in the eye over a beautiful array of cards, boards, bits and dice more often, maybe the world would be a better place.

When I see what other board gamers say about how they got into the hobby, again and again it goes something like this, "My family hardly watches TV anymore and we actually spend time together now that we play board games!" And it's so true. Before games, my husband and I struggled to find a hobby we could participate in and enjoy together, so we'd just end up watching a movie in the evenings instead. We rarely do that now. And, while my husband is still more of a video gamer than a board gamer, we've come to cherish the time we can spend together while playing games, especially if it's a cooperative game we can work through together.

I'm not saying this hobby is for everyone, but I do think if most people were aware of the wide array of tabletop games available to them, beyond just what you see on the store shelves, they would look at gaming as a whole in a much different light.

What about you-- do you like playing games? If not, what would it take for you to enjoy it more? Feel free to comment below. Perhaps in the future I'll showcase some fun games that are BOOK themed!