 I haven't used BG Stats consistently, but it DOES tell me I like to play on Saturdays! There is plenty of 2017 left to enjoy, but autumn is here, and that means that soon this year (and this 10x10 Challenge) will be coming to a close! I never bothered to track my plays at all before January 2017, and I am still not consistent about it. The data I have collected, however, tells me a lot about myself and the changes that have taken place in my life over the course of the year. I wish I had more data from previous years, because relocating and looking for kindred gaming spirits has to have made interesting changes to my playing patterns.
Here was my original list of games to play more often in 2017: Mage Knight Runebound (3rd ed.) Castles of Burgundy: The Card Game Legendary: Alien Encounters Race for the Galaxy Valley of the Kings Agricola Imperial Settlers Sentinels of the Multiverse Terraforming Mars And here is the list of games I had played 10+ times by June 2017: Race for the Galaxy Castles of Burgundy: The Card Game Onirim Splendor Ivanhoe Jaipur As you can see, I ended up playing a lot of games with other people (usually students), and frequently I played the same games often enough to push me over ten plays. Since June, I have added a few games to the list, and again not always the games I expected: Sentinels of the Multiverse - On my original list. Yay! Agricola - On my original list. Yay! Dead Man's Draw - I enjoy this game both with my boyfriend and with students. Betrayal at House on the Hill - Very popular with friends. On the one hand, yay me! I have completed a 10x10 challenge this year! On the other hand... Only four of my 10+ games are on the original list that I made all the way back in January. My 10x10 list is not the story of what I played on my own, but of what I played with others. That's not necessarily a bad thing—it means that I have friends to play with and that I've had a ton of fun this year! But it's also a sign that I'm not taking enough time for myself as a gamer, and that's something I would like to change. Going forward, I am trying to be better about logging my plays in BG Stats, which is an app I have but have been lazy about using. Who knows what better data-collection habits will tell me about myself?
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 Hurricane Irma brought a tropical storm to Atlanta, and we've missed two days of school. But at my house, that has just meant more books and board games!
I don't have any games that are explicitly about hurricanes, but these are close enough: 1. Robinson Crusoe Even without weather disasters, Robinson Crusoe would be brutal. You have to cope with possible injuries, wild animals, limited food supply, and various other disasters. On top of everything else, you have to roll weather dice—and you'd better believe I've lost a palisade or two that way. At least I get to ride out hurricane Irma in my apartment! 2. Arctic Scavengers OK, so maybe this deck building game would be more thematic during a snowstorm. But Arctic Scavengers is all about survival in a harsh environment. Since I'm sitting in here with my flashlights, radio, cases of water, and nonperishable food, I have survival on my mind. Since there is nowhere else to go at the moment, why not turn it into entertainment, too? 3. Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective Rain and candles might signify that a disaster is happening outside, but they also put me in the mood to solve mysteries. This is the perfect time to make tea, read by candlelight, and catch a criminal. Or, if you'd like to freak yourself out, you can play Mythos Tales, which is basically Consulting Detective in the world of H.P. Lovecraft. 4. Shadowrift Another deck builder (my favorite mechanic). Turn the raging storm outside into an apocalyptic battle! Hurricane Irma might well have ripped a hole between this and another dimension, and Shadowrift allows you to do battle with monsters who come through those dimensional rifts. Protect your town from forces of nature and even from forces beyond nature! 5. Onirim Do you feel trapped during the storm? Are you getting the creeping feeling that you'll never escape? Gamify that feeling with Onirim, a solo card game about being a dreamer caught in an endless labyrinth. Will you find all of the doors and escape, or will the nightmares get you? It'll take your mind off of being stuck in your home for however long... On a serious note, I hope you're all safe out there. Be well, fellow gamers. I've been super busy lately with a move and with a new job, but life is slowly starting to settle down. Which is good, because I have a lot of board games that need my attention! Kickstarters like Hostage Negotiator: Crime Wave and Triplock have finally arrived, and now I just need to sit down and bask in their glory. Aeon's End: War Eternal is also set to ship soon. My Kallax runneth over!
My gaming life at school is also going to continue. When club day rolled around, I was seriously happy to discover that my school already has a game club! In fact, students who heard I liked to play board games made sure that I met the sponsor. (Pretty much the first thing we did was compare shelfies—I think this is a match made in heaven.) This Friday after school, I will once again get to game with students and get to know them better over some cardboard. I also have a group of advisees who love to play UNO. I will eventually corrupt them... I love sharing my hobby with my students. I want them to game now, game in college, and game as adults. If you love good challenges and good company, you won't find a better hobby. |
AuthorMy name is Liz Davidson, and I play solo board games. A lot of solo board games... Archives
March 2020
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