Your Boy Friday: Games
by Lev AC Rosen

My twin sister came over recently and we spent several hours playing this strange board/card game she brought over, something like Monopoly, something like War.  I honestly don’t even remember the name.  But that was the inspiration for this article: a game.  Why don’t we play more games?  I don’t mean video games (though I enjoy video games) – those are still quite popular.  But board games; Monopoly, Clue, Life, to name the classics, but also modern games you probably haven’t heard of; Kill Doctor Lucky, Chez Geek, Unexploded Cow and the like.

A lot of my friends are big game players.  I used to be part of a weekly game night that fell apart with disjointed schedules, and whenever I visit my friends in Vermont, as there is no TV, we spend lots of time playing games and drinking (the two go very well together).  And they’re not just for kids.  I know we tend to think of games as childhood pastimes, but there are many, many adults-only games out there which can provide good fun without the family. 

Games are really the ideal group activity.  Everyone has a good time (unless you’re one of those scary ultra competitive people who can’t have a good time unless they’re winning, in which case, go away), and people actually talk while playing.  While I enjoy a good movie night as much as the next guy (probably moreso), talking during a movie can be rude.  Talking during a game is expected. 

Think of all those televised celebrity poker matches you see on the TV:  the people are beautiful, laughing, always having a good time, and exchanging witty banter (or at least trying to).  Yes, you too can be a celebrity.  Just bring back the games night. 

But where shall I find games which appeal to my adult sensibilities, you ask?  As much as I enjoy a good reclaiming of childhood through something retro like Clue, I really want to try something, new, you say?  Well, then let me help you out:

Cheapass Games (www.cheapass.com) are exactly what they say they are; games for cheap.  They don’t provide all the basic pieces (dice, pawns, tokens), which saves you money, plus you can just take them from another game.  They also have some of the strangest games you can imagine, and bringing one of those to the table will surely get you points for creativity and knowledge of esoteric playthings.  My personal favorite is ‘Kill Doctor Lucky’ (think of it as the time just before Clue starts, where everyone is trying to kill the good Doctor), but they also have much stranger games, including ‘Devil Bunny Hates the Earth’ in which you play as an immobile taffy machine and attempt to lure squirrels into your works, so as to prevent Devil Bunny from wreaking his vengeance on the world with his very unsatisfying brand of saltwater taffy (also check out Devil Bunny Needs a Ham). 

Loony Labs (www.looneylabs.com) is probably the most creative and interesting game making franchise in the world (okay, so I don’t really know enough about game making franchises to say that with any certainty, but bear with me).  Don’t be scared off by the games without boards.  I know the card games have a tendency to remind us of the overly simple ‘Uno’ or of the overly geeky ‘Magic: The gathering,’ but I assure you there is a middle ground.  Fluxx, for example, is a very clever game, where there is no winning until someone plays a ‘what you need to win’ card (which can be replaced by another ‘what you need to win’ card at any time), and for which there are no rules until someone plays cards which enforce them.  Sound complex?  It’s not, and it’s really a lot of fun.  Looney Labs also has an assortment of games involving plastic pyramids (including one in which you have to make up rules and see if your opponent can guess them, which is surprisingly fun and eerily zen), and will gladly give you the instructions for many games you can play with them.  They also have Nanofictionary, a game where you are given characters and setting and literally have to tell a story (great for us writer types, right), though I’ve always found the whole aspect of ‘winning’ such a game to be a little odd.  And, if you can get 8 people together, try out ‘Are you a Werewolf.’  Seriously. 

Steve Jackson Games (www.sjgames.com) are the makers of the amazing Chez Geek (and its various expansions).  Now, yes, Chez Geek is a card only game, and it does take a little while to learn, but it is a lot of fun.  The goal of the game?  To slack the most.  This one does stray a little closer to ‘Magic: The Gathering’ territory than the others, but if you’re willing to take the plunge into a strategy based card game in which you try to get laid and throw killer parties, this is the place to do it. I haven’t played many other games by Steve Jackson, but I am told that they are lots of fun, though many of them are fantasy or sci-fi based, which may not be your thing. 

Those are just the tip of the iceberg.  There are many more small gaming companies just waiting to give you and your friends a good time.  Just browsing the web will help you find many of them.  So, I’d encourage you to institute a games night, maybe once a week, maybe once a month.  A little wine, a table, some friends, maybe even food?  Nothing but good can come of this.

And hey, if you find any really fantastic games – mention them on the forums.  We can all share our various gaming experiences. 

Lev like games of all shapes and sizes, but if you want to play games with him in the bedroom, buy him dinner first.

July 28, 2006