Playing games, be it card games, board games, role-playing games or even sports can and should be a unifying activity and an outlet for social interactions.

Having experienced this phenomenon for most of my life, I’d like to use this platform to share some musings on this, as well as provide an ongoing narrative for specific games I’m playing now.

Games are uniquely designed to encourage interaction by bringing a group of people together with a common goal. “Let’s play a game” are four of the most compelling words in the English language. They allow you to instantly identify other people of a similar mindset, but also serve as a call to action, a rallying cry for those who value not only competition, but camaraderie and the satisfaction that comes with knowing that, at least for a time, the other people in the room with you are all on the same page, focused on the same type of fun that you are.

I will not bore you with reviews or in-depth breakdowns of all the games I’ve played. I used to do that as part of my job and it is not why I’m here. What I’d rather do is put down in words the emotions that my hobby elicits, with more than a few tangential anecdotes, in hopes of sparking a larger conversation, or at least putting some structure to the wildly erratic and random thoughts I have on the subject.

With all of that in mind (assuming I haven’t lost you yet), I will be speaking about anything and everything that comes to mind about the world of Gaming. What games mean to me, specific types or genres of games, and some narrative storytelling to accompany some of the active tabletop role-playing games I am currently fortunate enough to be participating in.

Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Starfinder. These are my go-to TTRPGs, and I will have A LOT to say about all of them, including DM tips, rule quirks, and role-playing oddities from several decades of playing.

Board games. I’ll play anything once, but there are more than a few that I consider standout “winners” in their respective genres/types. I’ll talk about some of my favorites, with an eye toward homing in on exactly what it is that excites me about each.

If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, then come on along and see where all of this leads, and let me know if there’s anything you’d like me to discuss here.

Let’s play a game!