A Progressive Top 10 to Introduce Player Interaction

Competition is at the heart of any game.  Indeed, it’s a characteristic that often defines the very word “game,” and separates the board gaming hobby from other leisurely forms of entertainment.  In some games, this is manifested in a cooperative element where players work together to beat the system.  Others instill a style of competition in which you solitarily strive to better your opponents at the same task, independent of any influence from each other.

But the great games include some form of direct interaction.  I’m going to attack you, steal from you, lie to you, block you, gang up on you, or generally wreak havoc on your pretty, well-laid plans of building a quiet cottage in the mountain meadows where the larks sing you to sleep in a gently swaying hammock on a warm spring day after sipping your sweet tea with mint.

Some people really like their sweet tea.

But, if you’re a gamer who appreciates direct interaction – even some old-fashioned, sucker-punching spite – just how do you entice wary casual gamers, younger children, or maybe even that hard-nosed Euro player in your group?  Well, you’ll have to ease them into it, of course.  So before you hit them with Bang!, Cosmic Encounter, or Diplomacy, here’s a list of ten progressively recommended titles to turn your peace-loving friend or relative into the Gordon Ramsay of gaming!

The Year of the Dragon (Reflections Upon My Anniversary)

One year ago today, I posted my first review on iSlaytheDragon.  What a busy year it’s been!  As I take stock over the last 365 days, I’m amazed at how much I've grown in this hobby…or maybe, rather that should be how much it has sucked me in!

FDQ: Conventional Thinking

So, the world’s largest hobby gaming convention is currently going on right now. And I’m not there. Essen Internationalen Spieltage. Or, simply Essen, for short. The show is conveniently named for the city it takes place in: Essen, Germany. That goes a long way in explaining why I’m not there – in that it’s a long ways away. To be exact, Essen is 4,389.4 miles from where I live. It is simply cost and time prohibitive for me to attend.

Having said that, I’m not sure I’d attend even if I had more adequate resources to do so. Sure, Essen is THE gamer’s gaming place to be. No doubt, it is the most influential and commercial of all of the industry's events. And yes, there will be innumerable things to do and hot new releases and insider information and great sales and nearly 150,000 fellow gamers! But that’s all too much for me.

I prefer the smaller, generally regional conventions and gatherings with less hustle and bustle. There’s a greater chance to do what you want and when. There’s more opportunity to meet one-on-one with game designers and publishers. Cost isn’t sky-high, access isn’t crazy, schedules aren’t overwhelming, elbows aren’t jabbing, and they smell better, too. Furthermore, the big conventions are rather irrelevant for me. I’m not a card carrying member of the “Cult of the New.” And new releases, of which there are far too many for me to keep track of and let alone buy, are a central focus of Essen and other big shows. I’m not even that keen on GenCon and Origins, the American counterparts to Essen (though still not nearly as large). But given their geographic proximity to me, it is an option I will always keep open if it ever becomes available. I’m not arguing it wouldn’t be a good experience. I’m just too laid back to press it.

What about you? Ever been to, or plan on attending, Essen? Do you think it’s personally worth all the hype? What about other big conventions? If so, which ones are accessible and worth the effort? Or is your gaming life content with less grander fare?

This Post Has No Hook Other Than Its About Video Games

This post is dedicated to Adrian, also known to me as the Cousin Formerly Known As Frank.
 
You probably wont see me write too often about video games on this blog. I doubt I'll ever do a full post on any video game here, although I will occasionally make reference to them. In fact I have made several references already to video games in general, though so far not really in a positive light.  Woops.

I have nothing against video games.  In fact, at this point in my life my history with video games is much longer than my history with board games.