Gaming!

Gaming means a lot of different things to different people, sure there’s video gaming, but then there’s board gaming, and even more abstract “gaming the system”. For today’s post, I wanted to touch a little on gaming with Alex and what it means to both of us as well as maybe open up the conversation a little about the subject. At the very least, it’s getting to be that time of year, where no doubt you’ll be meeting up with family and friends, and a good game here and there is always fun!

Growing up we certainly had a mix of everything when it came to gaming, from the actual board games (we played a ton of Risk and Monopoly), to video games (which we also played a ton of), and then sometimes we just sort of would create games on the go that maybe wouldn’t involve a board, but they were all ways to keep us busy. I’m happy that gaming in general I think has moved past the point of being viewed as some kind of distraction, as there’s many benefits to it no matter which medium or type of gaming you’re involved with. I think at the very least, it encourages imagination and creativity to involve yourself in on a game.

As mentioned, we certainly played a lot of Risk and Monopoly, they’re both great games that can entertain and go on for some time, and both of which will usually create some bickering as time goes on, which for better or worse does at least show you’re taking the game seriously! It’s funny in hindsight, as my wife doesn’t allow me to play Monopoly with her, I guess playing with my siblings caused us to play the game a little too cutthroat!

We also played a ton of video games, especially once the Nintendo 64 came out, with it allowing four players at once, and having so many games that focused on multi-player, it proved the perfect companion for a family of four kids. We tended to mostly play a lot of Mario Kart 64, both in the battle mode and then in the races. I specifically liked playing Mario Kart 64 as there was a lot of skill and randomness to the game,, which I think kept the game fresh and kept you coming back for another round. Related to that, was of course GoldenEye, a game which admittedly hasn’t held up well at all, but I will fully admit I haven’t played the latest version of it either. We would sometimes get creative with it and add additional modifications to the game such as giving other players time to set up either remote or timed mines to defend themselves.

Outside of the console space, we used to play a lot of real time strategy (RTS) games on the computer too, way too much Command & Conquer (sad that franchise has basically died entirely), as well as Age of Empires, which I will admit to having played a game with Alex within the past 12 months!

Finally too, there’s the games we’ve played as adults! There for a while when Alex was in college, my wife and I would host “game night” where we’d have friends over to drink and play board games as it created the perfect excuse to dodge the Sunday evening blues. We played Settlers of Catan a lot, along with games like Apples to Apples, and I think later on we switched to Cards Against Humanity.

We’ve also of course played some Dungeons and Dragons with a few of our former guests! Although it’s been a while since we’ve played, but hopefully we’ll be able to get back in a session in the upcoming months!

I guess all of this is to just remind everyone to go out and enjoy some solid gaming during the holidays, they have a great way of bringing people together!