A Bad Game / A Good Story

Being a huge fan of dice games, I'm largely aware of the amount of luck that can occur in each game. Whatever your best laid plans are, the additional random variable of dice always gives that uncertain factor in each turn. But have you ever had a game where the dice became ruthless? I'm not talking about "low chance of success in Death Angel die," but a complete shutout, like in baseball. Pull up a chair, and let me tell you about a game two nights ago...

Playing Games Solo VS Becoming A Solo Gamer

Checking a board game to see if it has solo play has become second nature to me, and has been mostly the driving force behind my purchases lately. It's not only whether or not I'll enjoy a game, but how often can I take it down and play it on my own when I can't gather enough people to reasonably enjoy the game with others. However, a recent purchase decision has put that thinking to the test.

Repetitive Plays

Earlier this month, I sat myself and finally learned how to play La Granja solo. But instead of just playing it the one time for one night, I tried something different: I played again the next night.

It's Not You, Kickstarter, It's Me

It's easy to claim that I just don't have the funds to put up front for Kickstarter projects, or even that a project doesn't appeal to me enough to contribute. For me, though, I feel it's deeper than that. I'm not sure what to say, other than I've grown out of Kickstarter. Or moreso, grown out of its marketing scheme.

I LOVE _______, A Segment Of Board Game Infatuation: Sylvion

There are A LOT of board game reviewers out there, and a lot of them employ very similar review styles - a quick overview of rules, final thoughts, verdict. That's all fine and good, and I have my own favorites in which ones to watch, but they all should be taken with an objective grain of salt. To me, reviews are only an aid to you and your own tastes. What is a treasure to them may not be a treasure to you, and it's important that you - yes, YOU - know what you like, or else you'll spiral into a never-ending money drain of what everyone else says you should enjoy.

Recently, I've re-assessed my board game purchase choices, boiling them down to one simple question: will I enjoy it? The same goes for the games currently in my collection because, obviously, I enjoy it in some form or another. But what, exactly, do I enjoy in each one that keeps me playing them? Each game in my collection has (or should have) that one spark that keeps calling to me, keeps me interested in bringing the game to the table. Here are some games that have that spark, and is usually the starting point in which I'd rattle on about why these games are my favorites. I've put them in a segment I like to call "I LOVE _______!"

[Please note - these are NOT REVIEWS; these are just reasons why I enjoy these games in my collection.]

A Blogging Test

Hello, folks!

Just thought I'd try something new here for a change. You see, this blog's been running for some time now (jeez, 2007??), and only recently has it mostly shifted gears towards board games. However, the lack of consistency is deteriorating, and it shows.

Sleeving Cards: My Story

Everyone has a different opinion on whether or not to sleeve or not sleeve cards in board games. There are some valid points made for either end, and I respect every one of them. Rather than writing an article that highlights all these thoughts and views, I want to write what sleeves mean to me. It's not as simple as you'd think.

Generic "Best Games of 2015" Title Goes Here

I don't believe in "best games of the year" lists. Mostly because of the abstract naming of the list itself. It's really a biased list based on the plays the person who's compiling the list. When I come to terms with that, THEN I'm fine with reading these lists.

At first, I thought making my own wouldn't really benefit anyone else reading it. Given that my plays were very sparse and mostly solo, I honestly thought it would do no one good except for myself. But a number of people made a good point - that people read these lists to get a feel for others' choice and taste in games, not as anything "definitive," by any means. So, without further ado...here's mine. (Hint: The number of plays shown above is in no way an indication on how this list is ordered...much.)

The "Real-List," Revisited

Earlier this year, in an effort to attain some realistic goals for myself in my board game acquisitions, I replace the "wishlist" with something called the "real-list:" a limiting list of board games that met a certain number of requirements. I believed that by doing this, I can preemptively restrict my urges and wants to a finite and physical list that I will mark off as games get acquired over the course of the year. Now that the end of 2015 is upon us, it's time to see how well that list has come along.

Breaking Point

I side-glance at the digital clock on the stove. 10:13 PM. I have some time.

Kids are in bed. Wife is asleep. I'm still wide awake, finally starting my day. I've made it through work, chores, and child-tending to reach this exact point. The dark silence, with only the light patter of cat paws heading towards me. Lenny always approached when everyone else is asleep. He knows he'll have my undivided attention. But not tonight, for I'll play some cool solo board games!

Well, I could. Or I can catch up on some shows I'm behind in Netflix. Oooo, there's that one video game I was stuck in. Maybe tonight I can spend a solid half hour to pass it. I guess I can play board games the next night.

Re-assessing Buying Board Games

Forget about "The Cult of the New." Forget about saving money. Forget about lack of time. Forget about #10x10in20-whatever. Forget about gathering friends to play with. This article about re-considering board game purchases is about NONE of that.

I'll tell you what it IS about. And it's the new core to which I'm basing all my purchases at this point - at least until the end of the year. One simple question, that's all.

Will I enjoy it?

Playing Right on Time

I'm an indecisive mess when it comes to choosing what board games to play solo. Every night, when I have some free time to myself, I get so caught up in going through my selection that I end up throwing my hands up in frustration and watching TV in the end.

Not this week, though.

Crafty Gamer - DIY Dice Trays, A Modified Method

I've come a long way from my first DIY dice tray, back in the day. Back then, the only thing that drove me was NOT paying a premium to roll my dice in a fancy compartment.

The Cost of Waiting

There's no doubt that accruing a board game collection is costly, with some board games almost as high as $100 for just the base set, not to mention any expansions that come afterwards. But the satisfaction that comes from acquiring a game you've wanted ever since it's been announced is unparalleled; it's a rush that is both gratifying and fleeting at once. And whatever price you're willing to purchase the game, you know it's money worth spent.

Materialistically, this is sound. A proper exchange of monetary units for a desired good is straight-forward, simple...at that very moment. But what of the time before then? How long did you wait to purchase the game? Did you buy it the same day it was released, or did you wait a week? Two? Three weeks? Three months? Did you still even WANT the game still, after all that time?

A Humble Request to Board Game Kickstarters

There's a growing trend of official solo variants for board games, and as a person who often only has time to play by himself, I couldn't be happier with this. Having played my share of these, solo variants are a nice nod to those fans who sometimes can't gather enough people to enjoy the game at its peak. Whether they're official or custom-made in BoardGameGeek, solo variants increase a board game's replay value, and are as equal as any other mode of play.

Which is why I must insist - PLEASE don't feature solo variants as Kickstarter stretch goals.

Nobody's Perfect: A Guide to Playing Imperfectly

There's an old adage that I started, a method in which to get your games out of their shelf slumber - emptying the box. It's a rule of thumb I still stand behind because it's a great disruptive push to get you to learn how to set up your games. But what else can you do to keep pushing that procrastinating envelope? Here are some ways to get your games to the table faster, both when teaching yourself and during game nights!

Solo Gaming is Fine

[Editor's Note: I realized too late that I DID do a rant before about solo gaming. To clarify, this is more a disdain to people that outright dismiss the concept of it.]

I have some personal board game pet peeves, some more specific than others. One of the former is when people say "I don't do solo gaming," both the phrase and the breath that it's said under.

I Want to Bring Something to the Table...

The table.

I Received a Curious Envelope Today...

Curious, because this flat, rigid envelope came from the Netherlands.

I know no one from the Netherlands.

Being a Realist, Making a "Real"-List

Buying new board games is as exhilarating to me as playing them, but sometimes "the cult of the new" can get out of control. I've went into detail once before about stepping back and analyzing if you REALLY want to buy that game or not, and it's that same frame of mine I'm adopting in my New Years Resolution for 2015 - a board game list.