Give me the money, ya filthy animal!

We went home this past weekend, mainly to check out a house. I was extremely exhausted, as work just ran me into the dirt, and Henry had not slept very well the entire week. But Saturday night, my little brother Jordan wanted to play Bootleggers. Cam graciously said he'd play, we called our friend Andrew, who brought over his wife, Jenny. As we were setting up the board, I asked my dad if he wanted to play. He said sure.

One of my most favorite things is getting to do things with my dad. I don't get to do them enough. But when he agrees to play a game, I may just be one of the happiest men around. The only thing that tops it is playing games with Audrey. But anytime my dad says he will play a game with me--that is just alright.

The game went well--I started to explain the rules, and people just wanted to play, so away we went. On-the-fly gaming is sometimes a rough idea, but it worked OK. We were around turn 6 (of 12) when I went from $3,000 to over $100,000 in two turns, ending the game rather unceremoniously. Everybody else paid too much attention to Andrew (as he was described by his wife as cut-throat), so I just waltzed on by. But I got to play with my dad, and 2 of my brothers.

And I am going to see them more often now.

I heart rulebooks

In one of the telling signs of weirdness, last night I said out loud that I just wanted to read the rules to a new game. Of all the things that I could do, of all the options at my disposal (we were going to watch an episode of Arrested Development--the greatest television show of all-time), I honestly just wanted to sit down on the couch, and learn how to play a new game. To pour over rules, tables, turn-orders, chits, charts, steps, phases, and endgames. I just wanted to read some new rules.

power struggle

i am really ticked off right now. power grid is a stupid game. i am seething. i am glaring at the blog master himself. he's counting the pieces of the game. i am counting how many pieces i would like to suck up in the vacuum tomorrow morning. might just suck up the whole stinkin' game.

obviously--i lost.

and the gamebler thinks it's funny when i'm a poor sport, when i call him names, & when i exhibit childish behavior. thankfully.

Hits like a wave

I tend to jump into things with both feet--if something gets its teeth into me, it will probably end up tearing me to shreds. This hobby has done so.

Starting in late December, I began to wander down a cardboard road full of tiles, chits, meeples, and bits. I had no idea what I was in for when I placed my first order at an online retailer with a chunk of Christmas money. It was fairly innocuous at first, and I thought that I just might like the games I had ordered (which included Memoir '44, Samurai, Power Grid, Bohnanza, Bang!, and Thurn and Taxis--which I soon traded for Age of Steam....). And then the box arrived. Not since my youngest days had I torn open something with such vigor and anxiety. I was not disappointed.

Fact was I was hooked. Little compares to tracking numbers, chock boxes, and shrink wrap. The potential that lies within a new game is staggering. The hours of thought and fellowship that are waiting, dormant, inside that colorful (or drab) cardboard container is unmatched. I came from the world of video games, and, little did I know, I was soon to burn my green card and take up permanent residence here.

Ask Carmen--she has seen the "mania" firsthand. She endures my stories, my thoughts, and the fact that I somehow find a way to sell something to get more games. Unused tools, baseball cards, and now--my Xbox 360. The big white box of whirring electronic wonder is now gone. And in its place: Tide of Iron, Age of Empires III, Twilight Struggle, Citadels, and a nice chunk of change. I felt a slight twinge as I boxed it up and realized that my video game days are finally over. But, as I left FedEx, a burden was lifted. It was gone. I am officially unplugged.

Boardgames have hit me like a skyscraper wave.

My name is Jason. I am a weirdo, a boardgamer.

Turn on the lights

For quite a while, I have really tended towards "American" style games--games where the theme is pretty prevalent, as is a fair amount of luck. This is in contrast to "European" games, where strategy and planning take precedence over theme. There are exceptions to each of these, but--for the most part--games tend to fall into these two categories. And, to start the hobby, I really was not drawn to European (or Euro) games at all. Until Power Grid.

The very first time I played this game, I knew that I had found something. I love the artwork for the game (especially the box and cards), and I now know why Euros are so attractive to many gamers--they require a certain amount of a player. To me, Power Grid forces me to plan (something that, in real life, I tend to lag at), to look at the future and go about my business accordingly.

I have played with my game group, with family members, and with my wife. I have enjoyed it every time, and it seems to me like everybody else has loved it as well. It has made Gloria realize that she really leans towards Euro games. Power Grid has a very balanced mix of player interaction, very slight chance elements, with a heavy dose of common sense math. It will make you think, but not make your head sore.

Ra!

We went home this weekend, mainly to get one of the axles replaced on the Silver Hornet. That went quickly, so we were left with a free day on Saturday. The kids got to run around at Grandma and Grandpa's house, and the rest of us enjoyed great weather. Some more family arrived in the evening, and, after the kids went to bed, I pulled out Ra. My brother-in-law, Darin, had played before, but Cam and Jordan had never played. We sat down to play, and asked Dad if he wanted to play. Dad had never played a boardgame with us (besides childhood and party games), so when he agreed, I was reservedly ecstatic. I am very happy to say that everybody had a great time. It was wonderful to play with a full table of 5, with all kinds of interaction, comments, and verbal jabs. But it was especially great to play with my dad. I love my dad, and it meant quite a bit for him to sit down and play with us. Kind of like a Cardinals ballgame. Or Cornerstone. Thanks Dad.