Recently I have been obsessed with board games. I haven't had a chance to play them so much as the internet has kept me fed with videos of game play, podcasts of reviews and gaming theory. I have picked up two new games that I hope to write about in the future. I also have some plans for some game nights that will also provide some fodder for the blog.
S asked me why I have gotten so interested recently in board games. What trigger my mind to focus on it. The kernel of it is probably Wil Wheaton's new web series Tabletop. A show where low level celebrities play board games.
Taking a step back and giving it some more thought, I believe it's my missing the social element that video games use to have for me which is driving me to the dice and cards. When I was younger, it was not unreasonable to expect a bunch of the guys to get together and play a video game from start to finish one weekend. Or to sit around playing a video game while talking about the our individual video gaming sessions. It was as if we were hunters sitting in our Africian lodge to discuss our latest exploits.
It might be the passage of time, the chains of responsibility I chose to add to my life, or the fact there simply too many good games out there, that my video game experiences have become more solitary. I have made attempts to play games at the same time as others. But I simply don't have the time, or rather the blocks of time, to complete a Japanese rpg like I use to.
That is not to say that one's time could not be swallowed in board games. The Internet has shown me the dark rabbit hole I cannot enter. But I don't think it matters as much with board games. The social play of a board game is a means to itself. It doesn't feel like a medium of long drawn out thought, but rather puzzles to be mulled over with others. The biggest difference For a board game is that you play the table, the players around you. Video games haven't quite mastered that yet.
I newly back into the hobby, so I assume my feelings towards it will change with time. I am having a game night tonight at snakes & lattes. Should be fun!
S
Posted with Blogsy
No comments:
Post a Comment