Dominion

I have always been aTCG fan, so this game is perfect for me. You build your own deck by buying new cards with the ones you draw in your deck. How cool is that? Now if only they had a One Piece or Zelda version...

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Finding Bigfoot

I recently searched the internet for a good cryptozoology game to meet my wife's Seattle-bred interests, but there were no board games to be found. So while we wait for our baby to be born, the two of us have been making a game: Finding Bigfoot. We may call it something else, but that name sums up the point of the game. Bethany says that the game is very realistic. Players gather evidence of Sasquatch activity that is often lost or ruined, and after 4 games neither of us have actually had a face-to-face encounter with a Sasquatch. She also says it is realistic in that she is better than me at the game. We may eventually make expansions to add other cryptozoology creatures to the hunt, but for now we are having a blast.

Although my folks may find it odd when they overhear someone shout "Yes! Fresh feces! 8 points!"

Cooperate vs Compete

Which is more fun? For me it depends on who is around. I wonder if as a culture we favor competitive games because we mostly play single player games.

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Group Effort

Bethany and I are playing Hand and Foot today with my parents. It is a fun game where we play with partners. Naturally we play as couples. I just do not see any good coming from she and I being on opposite teams. And we have a lot of fun together. We are at the point where we are just about even with my parents as far as skill level, so we win about as much as they do.

A pity we don't have more people that we can play team games with, or even co-op games. One of the greatest hinderances that the two of us have found with our gaming choices is that many of them just are not as fun with only two people. I would love to see what Small world is like with 4 or 5 people, and Tom Vassel has videos on some very neat-looking multi-player games (Ghost Stories, Castle Panic, Heroscape, etc).

Once again, I must pause and wonder if there is any way to incorporate the social aspect of gaming into the ministry. My wife and I have talked about it a lot, but there just doesn't seem to be a way to do it here in Arkansas.

Inventing Games

Bethany and I are working on a simple 2-player game. We don't have a name for it yet, but the idea is that you need to get to the center of the maze before the other player does. Each player starts out on the outside and makes their way to the center by crafting the maze as you progress. We've been using tiles from a different game for the pieces. Doors let you go through walls. Traps kill you if you step on them. You can also set up walls and warp points as you go. Thus you end up with a different board/maze every time you play. Unfortunately I think the game is more skill then luck because my wife wins more than I do. Still, it is a lot of fun to play.

Small World

I've mentioned Small World a couple of times, so today I thought I would just post a couple of thoughts. Small World is a conquest game, somewhat like Risk, in which you use fantasy genre races to conquer the world. The title Small World comes from the idea that the world is just too small for all of the different races. Each race comes with a special ability of their own, plus you randomly match each race with a special power each time you set up the game.

For more info on how the game actually works, check out Tom Vasel's review of the game...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RQ9iI3ORig

I really appreciate this guy's reviews on gaming, just as a side note. He is a Christian, a minister, a family man, and a lover of games. You can see how we might have similar tastes.

What Bethany and I love most about this game is the quick replay-ability. For 2 players the game only lasts ten turns, and we tend to go through 3 or 4 races each game. She is a big fan of the flexible strategies (personal ones, not memorized ones like in Chess). I am a huge fan of the fantasy genre (who doesn't enjoy squishing elves with giants?). So it works well for both of us. I am sure we will be starting Isaiah on it sooner than possible.

Spoiled on Graphics

It will be another month until we can afford a PS3, which is hardly an issue considering our new son will be here before then. But in order to help pass the time, my wife and I got a used PS2, and I must say I am quite disappointed.

Oh, I knew the graphics wouldn't be as good, but the vast difference astounded me. While Kingdom Hearts 2 was still a classic favorite, games like Marvel Ultimate Alliance paled in comparison to their PS3 counterpart. I wonder if I haven't just been spoiled by the PS3 to the point of no return.

Social Gaming

I am amazed at how much my gaming experience has changed over the last few years. Sure I enjoy a good long Final Fantasy story now and then, but since my time alone I have come to truly appreciate the social aspect of gaming.

If only there was a way to to channel that social aspect into the church.

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What makes a game fun?

I would be interested in hearing opinions on this, but since no one actually reads my blog yet, I will go ahead and give you mine. Some items that make a game fun are creative design, likable theme, replay value, risk-reward ratio, and challenge.

Creative design is important, especially in board games and video games. Table-top RPGs rely a lot on imagination, so its not as big a factor there. But regardless, a visually appealing game goes a long way. Like people, a good looking game can still be ruined by poor mechanics or content, but if we are going to look anyway it might as well be good looking. Talisman and Mousetrap good examples of games with great creative artwork.

Likable themes can make or break games. There are a lot of games with elves and dragons out there because we like those themes and expect certain things from them. The same is true for space games, war games, and so on. Themes need to tie in with the mechanics as well. Catan wouldn't work well with a cowboy or Eskimo theme, but it works great with the settlers theme. Monopoly is a good example of a game that has come to fit many MANY themes.

Replay value is also very important. Lots of games are fun the first time, but a good game keeps you coming back for more. I particularly appreciate Small World in this area. Because the races and powers are changing each time you play, you have to come up with new strategies every game.

Risk/reward goes with mechanics. No one wants to play a card game or dice game that you put together a complicated strategy together for, only to end up with the same reward as the 8 year old collecting simple things. Ten thousand or Hand and Foot are good examples of games where risks can be devastating or rewarding, and that makes those games fun.

Challenge is last because it varies more than the others. Challenge is often what separates games into age groups. Snakes and Ladders is a kids game because it has no challenge, and Candy Land is only for "All Ages" because it is completely based on luck. Chess and Risk are "grown-up" games because they require lots of rule knowledge and adult strategies. It is difficult to find games that challenge people of all ages, but if you find a game that is challenging for everyone playing than you have a lot of fun. Deal or No Deal has a lot of imagined strategies, yet for the most part it is just as much a game of luck as Candy Land, yet all ages enjoy it.

If you don't know about any of the games I have mentioned, feel free to ask and I will explain.

The Family That Plays Together

Originally Posted on July 08, 2010

The most important part of any game, no matter what kind of game it is, how much fun the game is. People do not play what they cannot enjoy regardless of art, mechanics, rules, pieces, or even creativity. It is a simple concept that almost everyone knows. However, this simple concept can become quite complicated when the game needs to be fun for more than one person. Rare is the game that the whole family loves. But don’t lose heart. Finding games that everyone can enjoy is easier than you might expect.

I think it was Mary Poppins that said, “In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun, and SNAP! The job’s a game.” Well a game that isn’t fun to play works the same way. If you focus on the fun parts, the game its self will be fun.

In this blog, I will talk a lot about how and why we should enjoy games, but let us start with that ever-important first step: knowing that it is possible.