We play board games regularly, and yet my last board game post was an embarrassing year and a half ago. Since there are just so many games I would like to share with you, I’ve enlisted my husband to help me get back on track.
He’s what you might call a “board game enthusiast,” to say the least. “Board game obsessed” may still be an understatement, because Papa Bear lives and breathes board games. As a regular visitor on BoardGameGeek (BGG), he’s a wealth of board game knowledge. He’s plugged in to the global board game community, too, and is the reason we were invited to play games at a stranger’s house in the Netherlands earlier this year. He’s the best. (More on the Netherlands eventually, I promise.)
Needless to say, he was agog at the idea of doing a guest post when I asked him to review The Gallerist, one of our favorite games. Well, “agog” is a stretch seeing as how his outwardly emotional range is that of your stereotypical engineer, but if nothing else, his eyes shone with some semblance of excitement. His gleeful, one-day turnaround was indication enough that I needed his help. Before I publish said post, however, I want to take a minute to properly introduce him in all his board game glory.
Papa Bear: The Board Game Extraordinaire
Jason, because continuing to refer to him as “Papa Bear” feels borderline inappropriate, is worth blogging about for many reasons. After all, he’s an incredibly devoted father, husband, and friend. But his real passion–I say this mostly jokingly–is board gaming. I mentioned a long time ago that our journey into the strategy, or “designer,” board game world began around the time of our wedding more than seven years ago. The obsession grew slowly in those first years, until Jason discovered Power Grid in 2014. Seeking a rule clarification online, he stumbled upon BGG and has never looked back. Now, four years later, he’s an avid user and contributor on the site.
So much so that one the most highly esteemed board game designers quoted him about his own game.
I kid you not, this is probably one of Jason’s proudest moments.
The board game poet
Board games also make Jason’s creativity flourish (as do family bracket challenges, but that’s a story for another time). A year or so ago, he sent me an email with the following board game limericks. Limericks! Just because!
Hanabi
In Hanabi, you can’t see your hand
Others can, and insinuate commands.
They point to a card with glee,
Say, “You have a three!”
Then you play it, there’s no mental demand.
Five Tribes
It’s got yellow meeples, green, red, and blue,
And white, and soon purple, too.
Some applaud the game’s makers;
They added the fakirs.
Gee, who would’ve thought slaves are taboo?
Power Grid
Supplying the most power’s the goal;
Pure strategy, no luck of the roll.
When a good plant is auctioned,
Best proceed with caution,
Lest you run out of money for coal.
Power Grid*
So many expansion maps to be used,
This game never fails to amuse.
But my group still can’t learn,
Is it phase, step, or turn?
Wait, what round are we on? I’m confused.
If you haven’t played the aforementioned games and don’t understand why these are so clever, just take my word for it. If you have, then you can look forward to more of this wit in future post(s). If I’m lucky, he’ll write posts about these games as well. (Hint hint, J.)
*He just really loves this game.
Our Game-Playing Dynamic in GIFs
By now, I’m sure Jason has unknowingly won you over and you’re just itching to read his Gallerist review. Before I let him loose, and because no post as of late would be complete without them, I must first share this series of GIFs to shed some light on what it’s like when we play games together. I promise it’ll make you like him even more, if me a little less.
See, my husband is generally happy to play any game at any time with anyone. He doesn’t want to do poorly and likes to see improvement in his strategy, of course, but he genuinely doesn’t seem to care whether he wins or loses. While I also feel this way when I play in a larger group of people, I’m sadly not always the best loser when it’s just the two of us. Miraculously, he continues to play with–and love–me despite this unfounded and one-sided competitive streak.
It’s kind of like this. Maybe you can relate?
Playing with our friends
When I win
I mean, who doesn’t like to win? [Source]
When I lose
Pretty much the same except with snack sweats and not professional basketball sweats: “Good game, good game. Pass the chips, please.” [Source]
Playing with each other
When I win
When I keep my winning streak going. (Sadly, there aren’t many games like this.) [Source]
When it’s a close call and I pretend I’m not surprised I came out ahead. [Source]
When we total the score and I can’t believe my eyes. [Source]
When I have a snowball’s chance of winning and end up pulling ahead by the skin of my teeth. [Source]
When I finally beat him at a game he always wins. (Even the hair looks the same.) [Source]
When I lose
When he wins a game for the millionth time and I’m not even that surprised. [Source]
When I lose that close game by a couple of victory points, especially if he scored a bunch of those points right at the end. [Source]
When he wins after he totally screws my strategy.[Source]
When I finally am slated to win but then he gets some obscure bonus at the end. [Source]
When he wins
When he’s happy with himself, but only allows a brief smirk so as not to flaunt his victory to his fragile wife. [Source]
When he loses
When he loses, is happy to have played the game, and congratulates me on my victory. (Side note: this is also how my husband looks in a tux. Me-ow.) [Source]
Without Further Ado
My next post will be Jason’s review of The Gallerist. I know you’re biting your nails with excitement, so stay tuned! My hope is that you like it–and Jason–as much as I do.
[Source]
Baby Brown Bear 