Growing up, I thought board games were for really weird, nerdy kids. Obviously, Monopoly and the Game of Life were classics— but if you played Dungeons and Dragons, I would have been a little skeptical about being your friend. “Board games” even sounds unappealing— I mean, come on— “bored” games? Count me out. But a couple of years ago during Christmas break, I realized how wrong I was.
Most of my cousins are older than me, so naturally I look up to them and think that everything they do is super interesting— except when they brought a board game over that was definitely not Monopoly. The game was all about strategy and was called Shadows Over Camelot. After hearing my cousin explain the rules, I was super unimpressed but agreed to play anyway.
Surprisingly, the game was super fun. I played with about seven of my cousins, and we were all really into it. The game was interactive, and it got everyone off of their phones. Ever since then, I’ve been obsessed with trying new games. I realized that the classic games, like the Game of Life, are nowhere near as fun as the super intricate ones.
I think most of the bonding I have done with my family has been through board games. Not all of them have to be super long or difficult either. My mom and her sisters usually don’t play games with us, but we found one called “Telestrations,” which was like if telephone and Pictionary had a baby. My aunts, my mom, my cousins, and I could not stop laughing at our atrocious drawings.
Now, my favorite thing to do with my family and friends is playing board games. I love introducing people to them and showing them how much fun board games can be. The variety of topics they come in are huge— from drawing and storytelling to intense strategy building— and I truly believe that there is a board game out there for every person. Also, I found that I am more open to new things and that I should not be so judgmental of other people’s interests. Because who knows? Their quirky interest could end up becoming one of mine.