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FDQ: What Are Your 2013 Gaming Resolutions?

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Honestly, I find the topic of “gaming resolutions” a little silly in at least one sense. There are enough positive lifestyle changes I would like to implement–getting up earlier, writing more, reading more, eating better, exercising more often–that focusing on a change in a hobby can seem a bit…frivolous.

But G.K. Chesterton defends frivolity in many, many places. And today I side with him.

So what are my gaming resolutions for 2013?

Well, first, I’d like to play the games I have. As a reviewer of board games, I often have to play games broadly at the sacrifice of playing them deeply. This means that I play a lot of different games, but not a lot of the same game, even if I like the game. (Soon I’ll publish my 2012 nickel and dimes, though, so you can see those few games that I just kept playing over and over again, heedless of my review schedule.) In 2013, I would like my play to go deeper. I’d like to focus on those games that seem to have hidden depth and explore their mental terrain. Before I was deep into the hobby, I played game after game of Acquire–and I liked it. I’d like to do more of this in 2013, and I hope that is reflected in some of my reviews of older games.

Second, I’d like to use the hobby for some other good. Yes, it’s fun to play with friends and family, and it’s a good way to get people talking. But surely there is a way to use board games to help others! And I mean beyond participating in charity auctions, which costs me money, to something that costs me something real. Time and effort. How can I use the hobby to reach out–not just in the “create new gamers” sense, but to really make a difference in people’s lives?

I don’t know if these are really “resolutions” (I don’t usually make them), but they are things I’d like to try this year: slow down on the new gaming, speed up on the giving back.

What are your gaming resolutions for 2013?

I'll try anything once, but my favorite games are generally middleweight Euros.

Discussion4 Comments

  1. A few years back, I made a resolution to play X minutes of gaming (I don’t remember the exact number). I kept track of it on the blog and achieved it at the beginning of December.

    It was a fun little side project, but ultimately more hassle than it was worth.

  2. For a while, I’ve wanted to try and get a few guys together for a semi-regular gaming night – a peer group to game with in addition to my kids. So I resolved to work toward that this year and have already sent out the first inquiry.

  3. My resolution this year is to try and host at least one big game day. When I lived in Indianapolis, I had a friend who twice a year hosted a MASSIVE game day at his house where he’d invite pretty much everyone he knew. To get in the door you just had to bring a side dish to share. He owned upwards of 400 games and you could come and go as you pleased all day. It was incredible. I’d love to recreate some of that awesomeness now that I’m away from that.

  4. Slowing down the acquisitions and playing the games we have more deeply definitely resonates with me. In the 18 months since we discovered designer board games, our family has acquired 17 games. This doesn’t count the stuff that our friends have brought to the table. They’re all great games, and we’re happy with every purchase. Now is the time to play the hell out of them, find the nuances in strategy, and find out which ones are enduring.

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