I used to think being a board game geek meant owning every new release

For a long time, I felt pressure to buy the hot new game each month to stay 'in the know.' Then, at a game night in Portland, a friend pulled out a worn copy of a 10-year-old game I'd never played. We had the best time, and he said, 'You know, the real hobby is playing, not shopping.' That hit me hard. How many of us get caught in the collector's trap instead of just enjoying the games we already have?

2 comments

2 Comments

kelly.robin3d agoTop Commenter

Oh man, this is so true! I had a whole shelf of shrink-wrapped games I was "saving." My wake-up call was when my nephew kept asking to play my old copy of Forbidden Island every single visit. We must have played it fifty times, and it was way more fun than reading rules for a new game I never opened. That collector's feeling is a real trap. Now I try to host a game night twice a month just to get the old favorites to the table.

mason.cole3d ago

Look, I get the point, but calling it a trap feels a bit much. It's a hobby, people spend money on hobbies. Some folks really like the thrill of a new game, the unboxing, learning the rules. That's part of the fun for them. My buddy drops cash on new golf clubs every year, I buy a new board game. It's the same thing. As long as the bills are paid, who cares if a few games stay on the shelf?