"Hmmm...OK. Monopoly? Cluedo?"
When I mention I LOVE boardgames, I often get exactly that question. Let me answer it, once and for all. "No!" would be a perfectly suitable answer. However, it's not as simple as that.
"Another 9 1/2 Weeks? Gigli?" That's a similar question to the title, but about films. Obviously I don't consider the J-Lo joke masquerading as a film as the quintessential example of a beautiful film. That's RIDICULOUS.
In a very similar way, I don't consider Monopoly and Cluedo fine examples of design. Perhaps they were decent at some point, I don't quite know when, but they're certainly not right now. They're vaguely OK. I have played and enjoyed them. But they're quite simple. I suppose that is part of the appeal for a casual audience.
In fact, that's a good way to group them. "Casual games." That's exactly what they are. I suppose I'd rather play one of those with the grandparents on a Sunday afternoon, than a game that requires quite a bit of thinking. Certainly, that's NOT because I consider my grandparents to be of lesser intelligence. Just that it's been my experience that older people often struggle to adapt to some of the rules and concepts that our generation takes for granted.
Games like Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne and the inspiration for this post, King of Tokyo by Richard Garfield (the designer of Magic: The Gathering), are much more interesting from a design point-of-view. I somewhat recently became aware of King of Tokyo and seriously desired it, so you can imagine my surprise and excitement (and jealousy) when I was told by a good friend that another, E, had purchased the aforementioned at the rAge Expo and it was on its way to Games Night at my pad.
At least two of the games I mentioned are prime examples of so-called "German-style board-games". They are characterized and defined by...(just scan the Wikipedia link). I recently had the good fortune to introduce my boyfriend to these. He took to them like a duck to water. I would contend that these are currently extremely good examples of design.
I clearly have a very firm interest in game design that has come from pretty much being a baby. I remember schooling my father in my very first game of chess at the age of 3. He contends he didn't let me win, but I'm not terribly convinced. Whatever the case, I was massively into intellectually-stimulating games and pursuits as a child. One cannot argue that games are for kids. Far from it. They're an essential part of us, even as we grow older.
When I discovered my love for design and the theory that goes into it, I also discovered The Rules of Play, a non-fiction work of art by Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman, at varsity. Wynand pushed me into buying it, because he was also fascinated by game design. It's an intricate, interested and involved topic. Obviously this entry is running rather long already, so it might require another entry in future.
HOMEWORK: Check out King of Tokyo. It really does look like an amazing party game. On Friday, I'll very likely let you know how my first experience with it went. :-)
"Another 9 1/2 Weeks? Gigli?" That's a similar question to the title, but about films. Obviously I don't consider the J-Lo joke masquerading as a film as the quintessential example of a beautiful film. That's RIDICULOUS.
In a very similar way, I don't consider Monopoly and Cluedo fine examples of design. Perhaps they were decent at some point, I don't quite know when, but they're certainly not right now. They're vaguely OK. I have played and enjoyed them. But they're quite simple. I suppose that is part of the appeal for a casual audience.
In fact, that's a good way to group them. "Casual games." That's exactly what they are. I suppose I'd rather play one of those with the grandparents on a Sunday afternoon, than a game that requires quite a bit of thinking. Certainly, that's NOT because I consider my grandparents to be of lesser intelligence. Just that it's been my experience that older people often struggle to adapt to some of the rules and concepts that our generation takes for granted.
Games like Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne and the inspiration for this post, King of Tokyo by Richard Garfield (the designer of Magic: The Gathering), are much more interesting from a design point-of-view. I somewhat recently became aware of King of Tokyo and seriously desired it, so you can imagine my surprise and excitement (and jealousy) when I was told by a good friend that another, E, had purchased the aforementioned at the rAge Expo and it was on its way to Games Night at my pad.
At least two of the games I mentioned are prime examples of so-called "German-style board-games". They are characterized and defined by...(just scan the Wikipedia link). I recently had the good fortune to introduce my boyfriend to these. He took to them like a duck to water. I would contend that these are currently extremely good examples of design.
I clearly have a very firm interest in game design that has come from pretty much being a baby. I remember schooling my father in my very first game of chess at the age of 3. He contends he didn't let me win, but I'm not terribly convinced. Whatever the case, I was massively into intellectually-stimulating games and pursuits as a child. One cannot argue that games are for kids. Far from it. They're an essential part of us, even as we grow older.
When I discovered my love for design and the theory that goes into it, I also discovered The Rules of Play, a non-fiction work of art by Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman, at varsity. Wynand pushed me into buying it, because he was also fascinated by game design. It's an intricate, interested and involved topic. Obviously this entry is running rather long already, so it might require another entry in future.
HOMEWORK: Check out King of Tokyo. It really does look like an amazing party game. On Friday, I'll very likely let you know how my first experience with it went. :-)
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