Board games you might enjoy
Playing board games can reduce stress and draw you into an imaginary world. Included is a list of some board games you can try.
We may not have autonomy over many things, but we have the choice to dream. I am spending a lot of time dreaming now.
One of the ways I am expressing my dreaming is through board games. Board games have been a fun distraction lately. It's been fun entering imaginary worlds and learning to play various games.
What do I like about playing board games?
- Social aspect - Playing board games with others has been a fun way of interacting while at the same time learning new things. It can be a good way to get to know new people while taking the pressure off conversation and social skills.
- Stimulating, but not serious - I like feeling challenged but not overly stressed, knowing the outcome is moot/unimportant/for fun.
- Learning - It’s refreshing learning the rules of the new games to discover how new games worked. Learning how to quickly understand the rules of the new game I am trying has been interesting and meta. I figured out my system for learning new games is a combination of reading the rulebook included in the package and watching a youtube video about the game I am trying. Now, I am finding youtubers with a lot of my same interests.
- Off-screen time - Working remotely can be very isolating and stressful. Spending time away from the computer screen and my phone has helped a lot. I really crave time away from my computer for a part of each day - whether that be exercising, reading or playing board games.
- Mentally active - Playing board games is an mentally active hobby (unlike watching tv, seeing a movie or maybe attending zoom meetings) and I liked that about it. You have to initiate playing. You have to spend time learning the rules. Then, you have to try to win!
Normally, I don't find playing games like wordle or crossword puzzles very interesting. This is perhaps because you play those games by yourself and there isn’t any tangible reward. Board games are enthralling because you can play them socially (though some games are also playable as single player games). There is a social aspect/dopamine hit from playing the games that is satisfying.
For the last couple of months, I have spent nearly every evening devouring board games that I have checked out free from my local library. We take time learning the rules and then watching a youtube video about the rules. It's been fun learning to set up the various games and struggle to play triumphantly. I have listed some of the games I have played below.
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Board games you might like:
Splendor
Collect gems and gain a fortune
Codenames
Search for the assassin among 25 operatives
Marrying Mr. Darcy
Display cunning and character to marry the man
Machi Koro
Dice rolling, city-building strategy game
UNLOCK! Heroic Adventures Card Game
Requires smartphone app to play
Escape room like adventures
Raccoon Tycoon
Gather commodities to build towns
Kingdomino
Enjoyable territory building game
Scrabble Spanish
A classic
HODL UP: A Bitcoin Mining Game
I met the founders of this game and played the game with them.
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When working remotely, I spent a lot of time in my home office. It was where I spent most of my day. It began to feel like such a treat not to be jailed in that room. Playing board games gave me a cool and interesting outlet for my social and intellectual needs. It also gave me broader horizons about board game culture and aspirations to one day create my own board game. Playing board games also gave me an escape from myself and my incessant thoughts so that I could rest. It helped me very much to find this hobby and I hope you will also consider it the next time you need a healthy escape.