Innovation & Game (Blog Series)

Once upon a time, I—your humble narrator—found himself on a blind date. We procured our table for a taste bud tour of all things sushi. The lighting was soft. The restaurant was quiet—we had arranged to meet before the typical dinner rush. The woman, a short blonde, came in on crutches, appearing to be athletic, sporty, and does not shy away from the typical first-date-getting-to-know-you-questions. She is talkative. She is expressive. She knows things. Things were going great. The mood was perfect and the table full of conversation, sushi, and smiles. It wasn’t until I got around to the part about my lifestyle choice (is it a choice? Or was I chosen by God for a deeper board game purpose?) of being a hobby gamer that the waters became……..slightly ill-tempered.

In short, this sporty blonde limped out on me. She literally left the date, never to return. Her final words were something about not wanting to be with someone who “sits in his mother’s basement playing Monopoly all day.” I attempted to explain to her how

1. I would never be caught dead playing roll-and-move trash like Monopoly.

2. Board games these days are incredibly innovative.

I pronounced the inno—and before I could finish the sentence she was beyond ear shot (she moved quickly for a lady on crutches). I never saw her again.

For those of you just joining us in the tabletop gaming world, welcome. I have spectacular news for you: You are about to jump into a hobby that is—and has been for the past five years—in its absolute prime! What publishers and designers are doing within the hobby is outstanding. Gone are the days of roll-and-move trash! Gone are the days of cheesy artwork and Styrofoam components (well, for the most part). What we have going on, ladies and gentlemen is a board game renaissance.

Innovation & Game is a mini-blog series explicating a selection of innovative games that fascinate us for their unmatched innovation through either narrative, components, or gameplay. Episodes are written by different authors (with a few repeat bloggers such as yours truly) and, hopefully, will inspire somebody out there to look into and explore a new game that—in our opinion—has a lot to offer!

Kevin Lien, As Per My Ability member, will direct your attention to Fantasy Flight’s Living Card Game system; Brad, a frequent contributor, will be discussing innovation within marketing and purchasing “unique games sets.” Others have not picked a topic yet, while others may join in as the episodes roll out. Keep your eyes, and tiny epic gamer hearts, fixed on this blog in the coming months. You may be surprised at what you find!