Monday, February 11, 2008

My second life...as a gamer

by mr renn




Sure I played board games growning up. I loved Clue, Monopoly, Candy Land, and even a little Risk, but I wouldn't say I played them often, say on rainy days when playing outside was not an option. But then games became a bit more important in my life about five years ago when my sister and her husband introduced me to Settlers of Catan. I really enjoyed that game and it was the first game Em and I purchased as a couple. And we played it and found that some of our friends played as well. A great game with some strategy and a bit of chance, the way the dice rolls. Shortly after we moved out East, we were introduced to a new game. Puerto Rico. We would go down to our friends apartment and play several nights a week after we put the kids to bed. An amazingly complex game with much more strategy. These friends had an intersesting tradition passed on to them of signing the box top of the game and date when you claimed victory. This later morphed to what your score was, along with the margin of victory. I really liked the idea because then it gave you more to play for than just for fun, but "to get your name on the box". There were some pretty intense games and a few times when Em would be angry because i didn't let her ship her indigo or something to that effect. Since then we recieved Puerto Rico for ourselves, as well as Ticket to Ride, (another incredibly easy to learn and play game with such intensity it can give you an ulcer (if you happen to maintain helicobacter pylori as part of your gastric flora). One more game I really enjoy is a game no longer in print. It is called Acquire-hightly strategic dealing with stocks, hotel mergers, and making money. (Speaking of money, you can still buy it on Ebay but it's a pretty penny.) Well that brings me to Carcassonne. I had heard about this game a while back but had my first opportunity to play it this past weekend. A very fun game with alot of thinking involved yet very easy to learn, and pretty inexpensive. Okay so many of you say, I play games for fun, not the competition. Or you'd say I don't have time for games. I will say that Em is a very passive person, until she gets her railway line connecting two cities taken and she gets cut off from a 22point route. I myself am a very anxiety free individual until someone puts the robber on my number 6 when I only needed to get 3 ore to build my city to win the game. Case in point. If it's in you, at all, some competitiveness will come out. And about the time. There is always time for a game, (assuming your kids are in bed, your house is clean, the laundry is done, your homework is done, and you can spare some of your four hours worth of sleep.)


Honorable mentions: Bohnanza, Apples to Apples, and soon to play Killer Bunnies
Check them out, read the descriptions, and pick which one is right for you. :) p.s. Gin tell your narcoleptic husband about http://www.meeplepeople.com/

6 comments:

tracy m said...

I've heard of Settlers of Catan- but not the others... they are board games, right? Not computer games?

I guess we need to improve our game selection around here. It's always nice to hear from you, Mr Renn!

sgt. pepper said...

Thank you and thank you. It's always nice to be heard. And yes they are all either board games except for the honorable mentions are all card games.

Chell said...

hmmm I have only heard of and played settlers. The others sound like dun though. Now I just need to find me some friends toplay with.. there is always a rub...

Katie May said...

Clay is missing Ticket to Ride! Maybe we can plan a weekend out your way so we can play!

Ginnie said...

I really think that bohnanza deserves a little bit mroe then an honorable mentions; don't you think?

Anonymous said...

Those are all great games - we bought Mystery in the Abbey recently too - it's fun but not as fun as the ones you mentioned. My husband has recently gotten addicted to playing Carcassonne on X-Box Live. Some of the conversations you hear from these gaming crazies is way funny!

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