I'm not a game fanatic anymore.
Truth be told, I haven't been one for years now. Don't get me wrong, I'm still an enthusiast. But the maniacal drive I used to have is long gone. I maintain an interest in what's coming down the pike, but it's more that of an informed consumer than a rabid devotee. It's been years since I've tracked what games I play. I don't keep a database of my collection. I read the Boardgame News RSS feed and scan BoardGameGeek a few times a week, but I don't trawl the forums daily looking for morsels to pick over and discuss. I've jumped from the leading to the trailing edge.
I don't need to have the newest, greatest thing Right Now. There was a time when every gaming session would see a new game unwrapped, but the number of titles I've picked up in the past year could be counted on two hands-- perhaps even one. The joy of exploring something new has been replaced by the joy of savoring something old. Just as I don't write much about games anymore because I feel like I've said everything I have to say, it feels like new games are mostly more of the same. There are seldom real surprises anymore, few genuine delights. In contrast, the satisfaction of revisiting familiar games repeatedly and the camaraderie of doing so with a familiar group of people has increased. Over the past year I've played quite a lot of Tichu, Big Boss, Puerto Rico, Mü, and Password (and Lost Cities online). These days, they're the gaming equivalent of comfort food-- games to which I'll never say no. The experience of these games for me is so much more than the game itself. It's the in-jokes that have arisen from repeated play, the shorthand banter bred by familiarity, the relaxed socialization that becomes possible when everyone not only knows the rules, but how to play.
I'd like to think this is a sign of maturity. Though considering my gray hairs-- and all my missing ones-- I'm not sure I need any more signs. I've come to view my gaming time as too valuable a commodity to squander on games that aren't up to snuff. Let other people snap up every new release hot off the boat. Let other people race the wind. I'll just be here in my rocking chair, sipping lemonade on the porch, waiting for the Wells Fargo wagon to deliver the handful of must-haves. And liking it.
Posted by Peter at March 31, 2006 3:32 PM