Life is crazy for basically everyone, always. We have jobs, families, friends, and TV shows to keep up with. When I was a kid, I looked so forward to that after-dinner time with my family because I would always insist on playing a family game. Clue, Monopoly, Life – all of the classics. My sister and I grew up and learned new and more strategic games, but then eventually graduated to video games. It was the way of the world, and we started to shy away from all those classic board games.
Once I got to college, I brought some of them along. We didn’t play often, but when we did, it was usually turned into a drinking game. For better or worse, we always had a great time. On the surface, it sounded pretty lame. Spend a Friday night inside with a deck of cards and some of your friends instead of heading out to the bar to meet the man of my dreams? I may still be single, but had a lot of fun.
This past weekend, I invited some friends over for board games at my apartment. It was a Sunday and had snowed the day before (yep, I said snow. A lot of it. Yep, it’s the end of March. Welcome to upstate NY.) which meant that it was the perfect recipe for sitting inside in pajamas all day. I don’t own any of the classics anymore, but it gave me the opportunity to teach friends some new games that I loved. Throw in a potluck, and you’ve got a perfect day. We played Settlers of Catan and Cards Against Humanity, which meant that there was a lot of smack talking and inappropriate conversation as we chowed down on chicken wing dip and a crock pot chicken recipe.
So, readers, here’s why you should go out to the store right now and get a new board game:
1. Try something new. Maybe you had never played a game as a kid, or never thought that an intense dragon themed game would be any fun. Grab something off the shelf at the store, and try it. It could become your new favorite thing.
2. It’s cheap. We live in a society where we have to get together to catch up over lunch, dinner, drinks, and coffee. Skip the pricey meals and get together over a deck of cards or a dice game.
3. Smack-talk is fun. Seriously, it’s a blast.
4. It gets your friends together. It also serves as an amazing ice breaker, especially when no one has ever played the game before. Playing field is leveled, and everyone is trying something new.