A Reflection Of How I Got Into The Hobby

This last Sunday I took a moment to contemplate on the term "game-day" and the excitement it's surrounded by. The Superbowl is a nationwide event, lauded as one of sports greatest traditions. Families, friends and strangers gather round the living room to partake in what can only be described as a boisterous good time. The months and weeks of preparation in advance make for a singular and spectacular evening of highs and lows. You're dealing with something special when grown men and women giggle in anticipation for what essentially boils down to...a game. But there’s where you'd be wrong.

I have a theory: the prevailing reason for everyone's excitement is not the game itself, but the opportunity to spend an entire day following something you love with people that share your same passion. It's an invigorating feeling to find your tribe. Actually, it's intoxicating. The chance to strip away every reservation and let your mind loose. A place to share every tidbit and every nugget of knowledge you've gathered throughout the years about this particular slice of life. As well as having an audience willing to listen; and above all, reciprocate! It's no wonder why we glorify a game. Sports have that ability to inspire camaraderie in almost everyone. 

I'll be honest, I've never understood the draw of sports. I fall into that rare percentage of people where passing a ball from one side to the other doesn't inspire more than an eye roll and the occasional yawn. But there's an unequivocal fact about sports that even I have to concede to: they bring people together. However, for me they've always pushed me further away. Sports were a burden and were a way for others to demean me. I've felt like this most of my life. For that reason, my early years were spent in a dark room living out epic tales of heroics through a constant shuffling of pixels. Sure, I would meet with friends and have some great times together, but most of it was spent looking at that same screen instead of each other. I'm still close to most of those people but sometimes, at this later stage of my life, I wish I could have spent more time with THEM instead of their digital counterparts. Thankfully, just before the end of my high school days, I found a whole world of wonder tucked into a series of cardboard boxes.

It all started through our obsession with superheroes. A friend had seen some small miniatures at a comic book store and bought them on a whim. To his surprise, these weren't just any collectibles. They had rules, maps, and powers. My friend had accidentally taken his first step into board gaming. And just like that, as most board gamer’s do, he immediately brought us with him. We all fell head first into Heroclix. It was every comic fan’s greatest dream: the opportunity to re-create or invent the comic-verses most incredible conflicts. This was our gateway into the hobby, and we never looked back. 

I started researching for more experiences that happened on the table. My collection started to balloon: Munchkin, 7 Wonders, Mansions of Madness, Kemet, and Betrayal at House On The Hill. Each of these games became a revolution in my friend group. Suddenly I had the camaraderie I'd been in search of for so long. My friends and I were engaged and focused on this singular activity together. Every week on game night we would go through the throws of emotion, constantly shifting the balance of power on the board and challenging our minds like never before. We would share new game discoveries and begin planning immediately for the next day to test out this new universe of cardboard sensation. It was the best of times.

Then...it hit me. Were sports and board games really all that different?

Well, yes of course. But, the social-emotional devices they both use, I would argue, far outweigh their differences. Each boils down to a way of facilitating basic human connections and how  these activities strengthen interpersonal bonds. Sports, for example, have served a quintessential role in our society. They reinforce critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork, social skills, and create a sense of community. They are one of the most effective ways of unifying different types of people into a singular mindset. Our hobby, unsurprisingly, functions in a similar manner. Games teach us about problem solving, adaptability, how to work together, how to be respectfully competitive, and how to interact with others in all these different contexts. Sound familiar? With that being said, there is one key difference between them, but not the one you'd expect.

Due to the nature of sports, how taxing they can be and how complicated they are to coordinate, fans don't have the luxury of celebrating their hobby on a weekly basis, much less together with many like-minded individuals. Large sports events can be an extremely expensive affair that serve mostly to alienate fans from their passion. Which leads to the creation of a nationwide "game-day" where every person, regardless of their financial standing and location, can celebrate in unison a once in a year event. Board gamer’s though, are truly lucky. They celebrate "game day" every single week. Board games as a whole facilitate an environment of welcome-ness without the divisional tropes found so frequently in other activities. To illustrate, board games are extremely versatile and inclusive. A game session can be held absolutely anywhere with a flat surface. I've attended board game days at malls, food courts, stores, homes, convention centers, and even the great outdoors. In addition, we've nurtured a culture of acceptance and integration. Regardless of where I've been, I've always been received with open arms. I’d be asked to sit and play a game with a group of strangers smiling back at me, anxious to welcome another lost soul into their flock.

At the end of the day, is there a point to all this? Was my attempt at creating a connection between two seemingly polar opposites bring any benefit? I would say so, just to remind you of just how special the board game community is. The board game community is blessed to have fostered such an incredible space worldwide for creativity, friendship, and intellectually stimulating challenges. The next time you visit game night or "game-day" take a look around. Internalize just how lucky you are to have found your tribe. But whatever you do, remember to do the important thing: go out and play some games.

Honk.