Cardboard FOMO

 As it happens, I live and teach in John Steinbeck's hometown. From my lecture hall at the college I can see the roof of the home he grew up in. And he is buried less than the length of three football fields from my home. 

And there are no book stores or board game stores here. 

The nearest game store with anything but Pokemon or Magic: The Gathering is an hour away. 

So when I am travelling out of town, I often plan far ahead, save some coin, and plan my itinerary with a couple great game stores. 

Such was the cast this last weekend when I presented to a conference in Los Angeles. I visited a couple places, but the best experience on this trip was Geeky Tea's and Games in Burbank, CA. 

I ended up going twice. 

I spent too much money. 

Don't judge me - it was my birthday, and I was working!

Geaky Tea's is amazing. It isn't huge, but much like the Tardis gracing their entry, it seems bigger on the inside than the outside. And that was a problem. Because my brain was overwhelmed at the selection. 

They had everything. Seriously, there were maybe two titles I was looking for that they didn't have. 

In my defense, I struck up a conversation with one of the co-owners and they gave me a birthday discount of sorts. 

It was an amazing experience for me. 

Some of you may be thinking, what's the big deal? Well, I hate buying from the bigger online sites - Amazon and Barnes and Noble, of course, but my best backup has been direct purchasing from publishers like Asmodee or Stonemaier. And I occasionally build up enough credit at $5-10 a game purged and sent to Noble Knight that I can grab a couple items. And I have been known to shop on BGG as well. 

But this store made me realize how powerful FOMO can be - even for a guy who had the odometer tick up to a scary looking number this weekend. 

Why the FOMO?  

I think we all have experienced times where we lost out on a good game because we didn't get in on it fast enough. Remember a few months ago when people were willing to pay almost $300 for LOTR: Fate of the Fellowship? I waited - mostly patiently - for a few months, and was able to get my copy for $40. 

Becausee when it comes to board games, I have become a skilled hunter. 

Let me explain. 

I hate paying full price for anything hobby related. I feel almost guilty buying fun stuff for myself. There are bills to pay, after all. I spend it. But I feel awful about it. My DNA report says I am only 5% Scottish, but I picked up some of those genes for sure. 

This creates a bit of mental vapor lock when I walk into a place like Geeky Tea's. Plus they had cats.  CATS!! 

I was overwhelmed. My face must have been something because my wife laughed out loud. I ended up with quite a haul. My wife still loves me - likes me even - after 35 years, and part of this, non-gamer though she is, made her happy. 

But even after all that, during the long drive home north on I-5, I found myself wondering if I chose correctly. There were things on those shelves that absolutely called to me. 

But self-restraint is good. Because collecting anything - board games included - can be addicting. And you need clarity from your addictions from time to time. 

Saying "No" to yourself is good. It builds confidence, and it helps you really determine what it is that you want. 

Here is a good parallel. After being injured, getting a big bad medical diagnosis, and being medically separated from the military, I started gaining weight. Before long, I was 300 pounds. I got stuck there for a long time. Eventually, it got much worse. I don't know for sure because I started losing weight and then had a rough bout (twice) with sepsis. I lost my left leg below the knee (another 12 pounds lost! Yay me!) and had some issues with internal organs as well. 

Over time, along with serious medical intervention, I was able to decrease my needs for medication. My body began to regulate. At some point a little over a year ago, I realize I had experienced something new; the sensation of feeling "full" after eating. Say what you want - but I had never experienced this feeling...ever. Well - I felt pain if I ate too much at Thanksgiving or something. But after regular meals? Never. 

I am now under 240 pounds, and my BMI is under 30 for the first time in forever. 

And I have become a real snob when it comes to food and drink. If it isn't quality, good tasting, and nutritious - $#&@ it. 

I have been learning to take a step back and do this with board games. Do I feel the FOMO regularly? 

Of course. 

Crowd funded projects are especially bad. And the publishers definitely don't need my PhD in Cognitive Psychology to know how to use our FOMO against us. The excel at it. 

But now I know enough about this hobby to identify mechanics, themes, art and design that I like, and I am finding it easier to pass on every new, shiny, supercool thing that comes along. 

I also pause more often. And this makes it easier for me to say no to that $1000 miniature-laden, and expansion-rich, shelf space thief that just popped up in my inbox. 

And you know what? That feeling is powerful. 

Now, when I do enter a game store, I may feel overwhelmed by all that cardboard-y goodness, but I know what I want, and I know what "good" and "great" look like. 

So the doctor's orders are simple to say, but a little tougher to do. Here's what I recommend:

- Pause always before clicking on "Pledge" or "Buy now."

- Take a walk. Sleep on it. Wait until the weekend. 

- Before you run out and buy the new hotness, take a good, long look at your collection. Is the new game really just a re-skin of something else you have and love?  Is the new game an improvment that would allow you to purge. It always feels better to inhale after you exhale first. 

- Finally, be honest with yourself about what you can afford. I am not a great "money person," but be careful funding your hobbies on credit. I budget with my wife, and honestly, it is nice knowing what I have agreed to spend before hand. 

- With crowdfunding projects really consider whether you know and trust the designers and publisher. Be careful about jumping at a game because it looks like something you would enjoy. A while back I passed on a game that turned out to be amazing. The deluxe, all-in was about $250 with shipping and VAT on Kickstarter. I found it for $40 on clearance at a game store about 18 months later. That felt better than finding it on my doorstep. And honestly - the first backers only got the game 6 months before me. 

- Finally, remember that life is beautiful even when you don't get everything you want. Waiting can be good for the soul. 

And who knows?  You might walk into a really cool store sometime and find the game you thought you'd missed out on. And maybe it will be even cheaper than you expected. 

Keep playing!

- Dr. Matt

"Spirits of Christmas" Board Game Review

Spirits of Christmas - Game Review

A Holiday Themed Game With Ten Variations That You Can Play All Year

 “If I had my will, every idiot who goes about making Christmas games would be boiled in his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart!”  - 

• Ebenezer Scroggie, the Scottish man whose tombstone inspired Charles Dickens to create Ebenezer Scrooge…probably. 

But even old Scrooge - or Scroggie - would have a difficult time finding fault with the latest project from Humble Bard Games. Charles Dicken’s popular novella, A Christmas Carol, about a miserly, old moneylender in Industrial Age London, has been the source material for at least a half dozen board games, including a Disney-themed version, where Mickey Mouse as Scrooge placed unbearable strain on suspension of disbelief. But Spirits of Christmas, a crowdfunded project fulfilled early, and released for distribution on September 10th stands apart. 

Designer John S. Bailey, is an educator in daily life, and he holds a special place for A Christmas Carol. 

According to Bailey, “This story's themes and treatment of morality are rich and deep. Each person will likely take away something different that challenges them. For me, I can empathize with Scrooge as a personality in many ways…my connection to Scrooge has nothing to do with money. His personality type, the way he sees the world, the types of frustration and disappointments he experienced, and how quickly he had forgotten the wonderful things in his past that could have changed his life for the better had he let them.”

And the game reflects these sentiments throughout. 

Description 

Spirits of Christmas is a mid-light weight, cooperative/solo strategy game where players use a rondel and take card-based actions to guide Ebenezer Scrooge on his journey from miser to saint in Victorian London.  Players familiar with  solo and multiplayer card games from developers such as Button Shy or Gabe-Barret of Solo Game of the Month, for instance, will find much that is familiar in Spirits. But what sets this game apart is the six difficulty levels, which escalate the challenge quickly, the seven “communication modes” for multiplayer, and the three story variants. That’s ten different modes of play, both solo and cooperative. It takes about five minutes to unbox and figure out the basic rules before starting your first game. And with the variety of potential strategies to utilize, the replayability is high. 

Components

The physical components of the game are high quality and extremely thematic. The various spirits that visit Scrooge on Christmas Eve are instantly recognizable, whether your favorite version of A Christmas Carol was any version from Albert Finney’s (the game designer’s favorite) to the Muppets (my personal favorite). The quality wooden components, linen-finish, black-core cards, and solid, cardboard coins add to thematic immersion. And this is important. Because while many see Scrooge as merely an archetype of the potential evils of capitalism, Dickens wasn’t attacking economic systems. The beautiful artwork created for the game was illustrated by the designer’s daughter and reflects the joy their family takes in the source material. 

As any good school teacher will tell you, Scrooge is a mirror for both author and reader, in “A Christmas Carol.” Dicken’s point is that every one of us has a Pre-Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning Scrooge inside of us, and this game reflects this notion by giving the player(s) all  the responsibility for transforming the “covetous, old sinner” into a man who is “as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man as any” the good, old City of London ever saw.  

On the table, the game looks gorgeous, and has a relatively small footprint. It could easily be played on a standard “TV tray.” Layout is straightforward and the rule book is thorough while remaining easy to learn.

Gameplay

Players begin with a hand of “spirit cards” which are used to pay for actions and complete scenes in each “chapter” of the famous story. The number of cards varies by game mode and number of players. So a solo player has 5 cards, and the hand size goes down to 2 cards for a 5 to 6 player game. “Scene cards” are laid out in tableau either randomly for most play variants, or in order for the diabolical “Story Variant.” 

Each chapter is based upon one of the three spirits who visit Scrooge on Christmas Eve; these are the well-known Ghosts of Christmas, past, present, and future that give the game its name. Each spirit has a unique token that occupies the rondel during their chapter. Players move the spirit token by spending coins, which evaporate quickly in this game, so choice and pushing your luck are factors here. The coins also factor into the end of chapter and game scoring. This is an ingenious mechanic, because no one wants to be a “miser” like old Scrooge - but the game forces you to be one, at least a little. 

The chosen action on the rondel allows the player(s) to move scrooge to a different scene on the tableau, give or trade cards, play cards, or draw 3 cards. The player or player’s hand of “spirit cards” requires deft management, as completing scenes in each chapter requires payment of varied combinations of spirit card traits (contentment, compassion, and charity). And as the game progresses from chapter to chapter and spirit to spirit, the necessary balance of these traits changes significantly. I won’t spoil how, because it would deny the pleasure of discovering the best strategies as the game heads towards its climax.But know that you will be searching for different combinations of spirit traits in each scene and chapter. Once a scene has been paid for with the correct combination of spirit traits, that scene is cleared, and once you have cleared enough scenes, the chapter is complete, and the game moves on to the next chapter and spirit. 

Completing a chapter can be accomplished by clearing all of the scenes or just specific ones. On each scene card for each chapter, there is an illustration of a bow - much like holiday bunting. And some of these bows are shadowed while others are not. If you clear all of the shadow scenes in a chapter, you may choose to move on. For those desiring deeper immersion or greater challenge, it may be preferable to complete all of the scenes. But these shadow cards bring up the only complaint I have with the game. It can be difficult in low light, or for middle-aged eyes (I’ve been told) to distinguish between normal cards and shadowed ones. This is why it is not recommended to play this game in a smokey, candle-lit, 19th century, drawing room. 

In addition, there is a “Torch of Plenty” token in the game. This token can unlock scoring bonuses when activated and placed on the rondel whenever its card is occupied by Scrooge. The game also includes “gift cards.” One of these may be chosen randomly or deliberately at the beginning of each game, and they provide the players with special benefits in the game. Again, the variety of modes, difficulty levels, and strategies keeps the game fresh and appealing. This is no small task with such a familiar theme and premise, as Dicken’s source material is likely the most well-known and widely adapted novella ever published in English. 

Endings

Chapters end when players run out of money, complete all of the shadow cards, or all of the cards for the chapter. Scores are determined for each chapter by tallying coins, exhausted coin cards, and the location of the Torch of Plenty. Then the next chapter is set up and the game continues. 

At the end of the third chapter, or earlier if you run out of money or cards, the game ends. If the player or players have completed all three chapters without going bankrupt, the game is won.  Points are then tallied and compared to a chart indicating the level of victory. 

Just be warned. Winning may be relatively easy with the simplest play variation and the lowest difficulty setup. But things get much harder as you increase difficulty and attempt different gameplay variants. Remember the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come may show you terrifying things, but they are only “shadows of what yet may come to pass.”

Bottom Line

Spirits of Christmas is a solid entry from the designer of Holdout, Song of the Seas, and the Roll-With-It System . For those who enjoy card-drafting games. Those for whom thematic elements are important will not be disappointed. Spirits serves up a deep and rich milieu of industrial, Victorian London, along with the emotional lightness of Christmas. It would pair well with a late night solo play by the fire on Christmas Eve after several hours of wrapping packages and assembling gifts. Just watch out for talking door knockers. 

Players will be challenged strategically, and find ever-increasing challenges with the different modes and variations included in the game even if they have no interest in Dickensian literature. But we are talking about “A Christmas Carol,” and few people dislike the story. That’s why I am also recommending this as a great gift for the holidays. With a small table footprint, quick and easy play, along with deceptively challenging strategy, Spirits of Christmas will take you from “Humbug!” to “Joy to World” in minutes. 

Settle in with this cozy challenge, and “God bless us, every one.” - Tiny Tim, who (spoiler alert) did not die.

Caption: Cherish the gifts of Christmas, but try not to forge any chains in this life, for while it may save you from bankruptcy, it harms your soul…or at least your score.

 

Caption: The box and card art captures the ambience of Victorian London’s Cornhill financial district. The rondel, with the Torch of Plenty, token creates a challenging economy of choices and actions for players. 

Caption: “Scrooge is a warning to not let bitterness and resentment creep into your heart, for it results in distrust of others, leading to lack of concern for others, and that selfishness breeds misery and self-loathing. One excellent passage from the book is spoken to Scrooge by Isabel, his ex-fiance, in the past: “You fear the world too much...All your other hopes have merged into the hope of being beyond the chance of its sordid reproach. I have seen your nobler aspirations fall off one by one, until the master-passion, Gain, engrosses you." - Designer John S. Bailey

    

Caption: Story and thematic elements have been richly and dramatically illustrated by Emily Baily, the designer’s daughter. And the cards and all components fit neatly in the box (even sleeved) with no lid lift. 

Caption: Spirits of Christmas boasts a marvelously compact table presence.

Spirits of Christmas is a crowdfunded game now available from Humble Bard Games. It has no rating on Board Game Geek at this time, however, Dr. Matt has rated it an 8.5. It is a fun and challenging play that will hit the table long after the lights and tinsel have been taken down. So put the goose in the oven and get yourself a copy.  

Are you Addicted to Crowdfunding?

 Are you addicted to purchasing board games in general?

A quick note about this blog…

Remember: Dr. Matt is not a clinician. Nothing in this post is intended to diagnose or treat and disorder or illness. If you think you need help with your mental health and wellness, or are experiencing an emergency, seek qualified care immediately. 

Anyone who has ever played an RPG knows that choices have consequences.In a multiplayer scenario, we may tend to make difficult game decisions more quickly than when we are playing solo, because we don’t want to slow things down for everyone. But it can be agonizing to ponder the fate of a beloved character you have spent months developing. Sometimes the dice seem to stick in your hand. 

“But what if they die?”

Real life decision making also comes with consequences.And I have noticed a tendency among those of us who love geeky things to hoard them. It seems like there is an entire geek-onomy that is determined to separate all of us from our money by creating niche merchandise for our various fandoms. Yay, capitalism!  

Then there is FOMO. What if that game on Kickstarter is going to be really, really good? It will be so much more expensive in retail and I probably won’t be able to get that cool, first player token made out of genuine, some-kind-of-metal!  

Then there are the minifigures, and the expansions, and the neoprene playmats, and the deluxe materials (even thicker cardboard!), and dozens of other things that activate our board game greed. 

And as a cognitive psychologist with colleagues who work in marketing, I can promise you; developers and publishers know exactly what you want. And they know precisely how to market those things to you. Crowdfunding sites, and to a lesser extent online auction sites,  are masters of this. So we need to ask ourselves, to what extent are we addicted to this aspect of our hobby. 

Feeling the pull of a new game or any other thing that we like is normal. But few of us have the resources to indulge every wish and desire. Board games are amazing, but it’s also nice to eat and enjoy the shelter of a roof over our heads. But crowdfunding punches us right in the impulse control center. And it can feel almost painful even as adults when we see something we want, but either can’t - or maybe shouldn’t - spend our limited treasure upon. Choices. 

Addiction, as defined by the American Psychological Association, is defined as “a state of psychological and/or physical dependence on the use of drugs or other substances, such as alcohol, or on activities or behaviors, such as sex, exercise, and gambling,” and this can include hobbies like board gaming. 

So here are some things to ask yourself about your board game purchasing:

• Am I maxing out my credit to purchase games?

• Have I ever been unable to purchase necessities or pay my regular bills (rent, food, utilities, clothing, tuition, etc.)?

• Am I embarrassed about how much I spend on my hobby, and do I ever lie or hide what I am spending from others, especially significant others?

• Do I have any more physically safe space to store my games?

• Has anyone ever criticized how much I spend on my hobby?

• Am I stuck in a cycle of emotional highs when I acquire a new game, alternating with  emotional lows when I cannot acquire a new game or back another campaign?

• Am I secretly feeling like my interest in board games isn’t what it used to be, and my new purchases are only providing momentary joy?

Board game “addiction” which is not really a clinical thing, would necessarily have a negative impact on your activities of daily life. Remember, I am not a clinician. I am a researcher. 

As I have written many times, board gaming can be very good for you. That’s essentially the primary recurring theme of this blog. But any good thing can be taken too far. I get it. RIght now, there are two projects active on Kickstarter that I am powerfully drawn too, And when I look at them honestly, I would be disappointed with anything less than the “all-in” bundles which will cost around $400-500 each with taxes and shipping. Is $1000 really worth it?

I am a teacher in my day to day life. That is and always has been a lot of money. So, I research games a lot before I buy them. The more it costs, the more I force myself to delay and think about it. I look at my game shelves, and consider those boxes that haven’t been opened in a long time. What happens if I pay another $1000 for games that gather dust? 

Hard questions when they involve things we love to do. But responsible adults have to ask and answer such questions all the time. And when it comes to financial health, I definitely do not recommend rolling a d20 to determine your path.  

In my case, I deliberate which decision makes the most sense.I ask myself things like:  Is either game really worth the price? Will I actually play everything in the boxes that arrive? Is this similar to other games I like in regard to theme and mechanics? Do I like the designer? Does the developer have a good track record of delivering on promises? Has the project been funded already? How many times will I need to play this game to make it worthwhile? 

I love calculating how much each play costs for a game. A popular app lets you track these statistics when you log a play session. Getting a games cost to be under $2 a play is a reasonable goal. But for a $500 pledge, I would need to play it 250 times. That means playing almost nothing else. And this fact helped me make my decision. I am not purchasing either. 

Is it going to sting when people post about how much they love it? Probably. But, as I said before, it’s good to eat and live in a house. 

I have also become more likely to accept standard components. As I browsed a few game stores last weekend, I couldn’t help but notice how dusty the hundreds of  Warhammer minifigures were. And I was keenly aware of what 8 year old me felt when The Empire Strikes Back hit theaters, and when the toys hit the stores. They literally printed pamphlets that you could take for free from the Kenner toy display. They were glossy, perfectly-sized for a child’s hands and gorgeous. “Collect them all!,” it said. And, boy, oh, boy did I want to. But alas, my parents were educators. The $40 AT-AT was never to be mine. 

All of us have these stories. I am convinced that this is why the vintage toy market is so insane these days. So many of us want to make up for past disappointments. But we don’t need everything. The contemporary political landscape should remind everyone about what happens when no one ever says no to us, and we never say no to ourselves. We just tend to get away with excess when it is “harmless.” Board games are not illicit substances that we inject into our veins or anything. But too much of anything is never good. 

I love board games for their art, design, mechanics, themes, immersion, puzzles, challenges, and even the way the pieces feel and sound. And if I am honest, I actually tend to be a little overwhelmed by some of the bigger boxes. Wood and cardboard just seem to make me happier somehow. You may be different, but it is very important in life to define what you like, what you want, and what you don’t. And if we look honestly at a lot of the things we buy, there are some that just do not provide the experiences we crave. 

It’s okay to make mistakes in game purchasing. But if you find you are buying dozens of games a year that you never play, then maybe it’s time to be a little more discriminating. 

No, your board game hobby and your crowd-funding habits are probably not symptoms of addiction. But they can still be problematic. I always like to feel that I can enthusiastically share about my games with my wife, friends, and family. I am sure I bore them with my energetic descriptions of games like Wingspan and Harmonies. Fortunately, I am an absolute delight to everyone who knows me. But if I were to be ashamed of a purchase, I would want to be able to talk to my wife about this as well. We have a dollar amount over which we will always discuss before making a purchase of any kind. That dollar amount happens to be right around the average cost of a board game. 

Maybe this is a good idea for you. But even if you live alone, it’s a good idea to set a budget for your hobbies. It can be a lot of fun to know on payday how much you can spend down at the game store. It also has the positive side-effect of helping you to really hunt for the games that will have longevity on your table. 

Games are a good thing, but we can love them too much. Sites like Kickstarter are a powerful driving force in the development of outstanding new content. But there have been many notable failures. So use crowdfunding wisely. Enjoy those days when the UPS driver has to use a forklift to drop off the haul on your front porch. But please be mindful of what you are spending. You will be happier in the long run. 

Play on responsibly, friends!

See you next time. 

• Dr. Matt

Wargames and the Veteran

 Wargames and the Veteran

             Conspiring to destroy the Roman Empire on my lunch break (Game: Rome Must Fall - a solitaire, roll & write PnP by Martin Melbardis)

To begin with, I am not a "combat veteran." This often leads to awkward conversations when people see, old on-legged me, stumping around in a US Navy Ball cap or t-shirt. No. I wasn't blown up or shot. And the only shots I "fired in anger" were from hundreds of miles away from any enemy. But I was injured in military service, and because I am an alum of the nation's oldest military college, I have lost friends in every single branch of the military. Additionally, my father, an uncle and both grandfathers are veterans of some of the fiercest combat of the 20th century.

So I am sensitive to some things. I tend to be very choosy about wargames. I don't think I will ever be able to play games based upon the battles in Fallujah, or Operation Gothic Serpent (Black Hawk Down), or anything that takes place in Afghanistan circa 2011. There are too many faces and names that would be brought to mind by association with those events. I enjoy board gaming as an escape and as a form of therapy. Reenergizing those painful memories would accomplish neither goal, and could even result in my having to contact a therapist again. 

Wargaming can be a LOT of fun. But historic wargames that are based upon real events can be triggering for those of us who experienced those events. In my case, I was often sitting in some far away CIC or TOC. But make no mistake, it was the late 20th century. I saw friends die on video feeds from Predator Drones. I listened to the radio reports when someone was injured or killed. And while I can see how some people find that playing games related to their own combat expeirence can be healing, for me and most of the vets I know, it can be triggering. Sure - it might be great to play a scenario and imagine saving my friends' lives this time. But what if they die again. I don't care to relive those moments that way. And in my experience, neither do most combat veterans. 

This is where historic context comes in. The anonymity of the counters in most historic wargames keeps me comfortably distanced from relatives who fought and were wounded or killed in historic battles. Sure. there is the Captain of Pennsylvania Cavalry, Patrick Fleming, buried at Arlington mere steps from General Lee's mansion. And my Dad's uncle died on Bataan. But those are far enough back in family history and lore that it doesn't feel the same as if I were moving cardboard members of the 75th Ranger Battalion down a dusty, Mogadishu street in 1993. 

I love Mike Lambo's solitaire games for this reason. He balances the planning and tactics of combat, whether on a large scale (Battles of Medieval Britain, Battles of Napoleonic Europe), or the smaller unit or individual scale (Lone Sherman, Long Range Recon Patrol). As it happens, I did have ancestors and older relatives involved in all of the wars represented by this game. But, I had to endure reading about my ancestor being behaded by Richard III in high school class reading Shakespeare, so these games don't touch any nerves. 

What wargaming does for me is to scratch a certain itch, and allow me to exercise the mental muscles I developed as a junior naval officer who then, as now, probably liked to think of himself as a better strategist and tactician than he really was, or is. Playing a game like Compass' Golden Age of Piracy: 1718 (Joe Carter, 2025) is an outlet for my role playing enjoyment and a challenge for the part of me that enjoys puzzling out international intrigue and conflict as well as military strategy, tactics, and the most important aspect; logistics. Dan Verssen Game's Leader Series (my Favorite is Phantom Leader - Dan Verssen, 2010) let's me revel in the play of intelligence gathering, planning, loading out, and executing strikes just like the old days. but in a "safer" way. The same goes for many other wargames set in the past or future. Something about charts, tables, and detailed lists of each turns actions and choices clear my head and let me focus on the things I once sought to master in real lifem but now - no lives are on the line, I can enjoy combat for a couple hours, and still be calm and ready for bed after.

As I have written before. Board gaming is a health hobby (as long as we don't become addicted to chasing and purchasing every new title, or crowdfunding every cool looking "big box").  Board gaming, including wargaming, has been found to benefit brain health, and emotional well-being. As a solo pursuit, it can strengthen neural networs and synaptic function, and may delay or prevent age-related cognitive challenges. As a multi-player experience, it can be enormously life-affirming, provide a strong envrionment for laughter and joy and provide all of the benefits of solo gaming as well. Even the visual and tactile elements of playing board games can be grounding and aid with emotional regulation. And all of these points have helped me justify my own purchases and crowdfunding support. Make of that what you will - but don't tell your SO that I said you had to pledge that $800 "all-in" bundle you've been lusting after. That's the subject for another post. 

Enjoy your week! PLAY ON!

--- Dr. Matt

Winging It!

This post is about the now classic Stonemaier Game, Wingspan. Others have long ago provided excellent reviews and "how-to-play" resources, so I will not be "Wingsplaining" those to you. This blog is primarily concered with the mental health benefits of board gaming. But before I explain that, I need to provide some background.

When I entered the world, my parents were recently re-married. All of my half-siblings were still negotiating their new reality as a blended family. But they were all teenagers or entering their twenties. For most of them, I suppose I was a novel distraction at times. One sister had me riding on horseback long before I could walk. Another used to take me absolutely everywhere with her like a trophy. But soon, everyone was building their lives and moving on, as it should be. That is, as they say, "life."

The good thing, the aspect of my life that kept me from feeling lonely and isolated was that my parents managed an outdoor education facility near the central California coast. Dad was the director of outdoor education for a central valley school district and simultaneously ran the facility year round for schools and YMCA summer programs. Mom was the head cook and kitchen manager. I was still pre-school aged, but my life was rounded out by learning to swim and being in nature. 

Once it was time for me to start school, we had to move to the city of Lodi, CA. My father became a science teacher again, and my mother, predictably, became a school cook. But although this meant that my time in the California Redwood rainforests was now limited to the summer, Lodi was about half the size it is now. And my family rented a home on my godparents' ranch. Now my childhood playground was hundreds of acres of cherry and almond orchards, and vineyards (which explains my stong interest in another Stonemaier design, Viticulture, which I hope to get my hands on soon). Some of my best memories include sneaking up on the men harvesting grapes by crawling through irrigation ditches, or climbing a cherry tree to read and just...be, the blossoms falling on the pages like fragrant snow. And there were birds! So many birds!

Lodi's location in a large watershed made it a crossroads for so many species. I knew them all as a child and would call out their names whenever I saw them. I can recall waking up to the sound of Canadian Geese returning, and the gangly Snowy Egrets lifting off from flooded fields. Until my voice dropped in adolescence, I could mimic many bird calls. I specialized in Corvids. For a time, I seem to have believe I could actually talk to Crows. Even now, I toss them little goodies while walkig my dog.  As a schoolteacher, I have noticed that Brewer's Blackbirds love school campuses. I never realized how many people are afraid of birds. And Brewer's can be pretty aggressive. But not with me for some reason. 

 

I recall as a child that I played alone and with friends, wandered miles everyday, and experienced the bliss that only an elementary school aged child can; absolute freedom from responsibility. As I said, my parents continued to work in summer camps almost every year, and I still spent a lot of time in the woods. Usually alone, and always absolutely engrossed by the life around me. To this day, a half century later, I am in love with nature. And when I have to reset my hear, mind, and soul, I go to the trees. 

The thing about trees is that they are so full of life. Not just the tree itself, but all the things the tree supports. If you have never been up high in a tree, I cannot recommend it enough. Yes - it is a bit scary ascending a Redwood, but the canopy is something that must be experienced. 

But this post is about Wingspan. The reason I began by talking about nature is that one constant in all the woodsy  biomes I've experienced has been the birds. It saddens me that for many, birds are reduced to pleasant background noise that is never consciously attended to. Birds are among the most diverse and amazing vertebrates on the planet. There may be 20,000 different species and subspecies! (Wingspan isn't going anywhere with that much room for expansion) It was Aves that perhaps more than any other taxonomic class that famously inspired Darwin's development of "natural selection." Beaks, plumage, and diet. Birds are critical in every web of life we can find no matter the biome. 

And perhaps that is why I loved Wingspan before I ever played it. Just looking through the cards is a treat. The artwork is marvelous and exceptionally detailed. The game is partly an interactive field guide thanks to the efforts of  Ana Maria Martinez Jaramillo, Natalia Rojas, Elizabeth Hargrave, Greg May, and Beth Sobel. But it is more than that. Embedded in the mechanics of gameplay are several realities of the interaction between the ecosystem and each bird represented on the cards. Ecology is the foundation of the strategy. This understanding of each species' niche must have been a focus when Hargrave was designing this "niche" game. And it is obvious that everyone involved in this project loves birds as much or more than I do. This is a game I savor every time I play. And I am not agonizing over strategy, I am admiring the birds. 

As I prepared this piece, I had Wingspan on the table for over a week with nature sounds and gentle instrumental music playing. Certain cards brought to mind the birdsong of places that I have not seen in decades and may never see again. Sentimental? Perhaps. I recall seeing the card of a curlew that has recently been declared extinct. Games like Wingspan remind us of our responsibilities and our own dependence upon the natural worlds. Science learns a lot about the state of the environment from observing and studying birds. The "canary in the coal mine" gets a lot of mileage. 

Let me pause here:

I have heard people complain that WIngspan is too complicated to enjoy. In my opinion, it earns the mid-weight classification that reviewers have given it. But the more you play these types of games, the easier it becomes to learn and master new ones. This is not a tough game to learn or teach. I recently unboxed and played a game that I will not be writing about. It was created by a scientist, and had some outstanding mechanics to represent astrophysics combined with a solid, "heavy" Sci-Fi theme. But it was a huge tablehog, had at least five times more pieces than it needed, was extremely fiddly, and had about 25 actions per turn. It was NOT relaxing or entertaining. Wingspan is the polar opposite of this.

The experience of playing Wingspan can be extremely relaxing and centering. I tend to play using the brilliant Automa that Hargrave invented. Aside from offering a serious challenge, the Automa creates so much variation that replayability is very high for me. I do not get bored with this game despite playing it more than 20 times. When I discussed setting up a game night for some colleagues, Wingspan was by far the most requested game. 

Despite the intricacy of the game's mechanics, it is relatively easy to learn and teach. I still make little errors here and there, but nothing monstrous. For a game with a serious reputation it still manages to feel "cozy" somehow. 

And that is important. 

One of the consequences of my life choices (the military, playing high school and college sports even though I am a lousy athlete) led to some serious injuries that later led to infection and loss of my left leg below the knee. Thanks to sepsis, I nearly died. And no matter what Nietzsche says, that which doesn't kill you is not guaranteed to make you stronger. In my case, I was left with chronic pain and frequent insomnia. My bedtime routine requires 90-120 minutes of careful avoidance of the things which irritate the wrong parts of my nervous system. 

Last night I was able to get home early. I teach college courses after work at a nearby prison, and evidently someone was misbehaving. The lockdown cancelled my lecture. This let me hit the table for almost two hours with Wingspan. 

This put me in the best headspace and the most relaxed physical posture I had experienced in days. Now, middle-aged men, and the women who sleep with them will understand this. I did not wake up once. Not one single time. I had no phantom pain, no mind racing, no worry - and no biological imperative. 

The game was the perfect antidote to the horrifying news cycle, lousy weather and traffic, challenging students (and adults at work), and even my old, busted body somehow. 

A lot of us wonder if we are contributing. I wonder about it all the time. Meaning and purpose has always been more important to me than title and salary. And I don't know the designers and artists for Wingspan, or the people at Stonemaier Games apart from their work. So, I cannot know if they share this specific anxiety. But if they do, I can assure them; their work matters. It really does make a difference. And judging from the number of expansions, accessories, and sales volume of Wingspan and their other games, I am not the only one who feels this way. 

A good game melds a good interpretation of its genre as well as things like strong and reliable mechanics, mental challenge, escapism, and art. In those areas, Wingspan checks every box at the highest level. It's a game that lets you immerse in the marvelous beauty and complexity of birds and their place in nature. And this, I have found, can be both calming and healing. 

So this doctor can enthusiastically recommend Wingspan for its challenge and therapeutic nature. And when I checked today, it was still on sale at Stonemaier Games. Go take a look if you haven't gotten your hands on a copy yet. 

And hopefully, I will soon be able to offer my thoughts and experiences with Finspan and Viticulture. Many of the same clearly brilliant people are involved in those two games as well. 

Until next time:

- Get away from the screens as often as you can.

- Set boundaries for your consumption of news and other media.

- Get outside; walk in the woods, listen and look at the birds.

- Be present.

- Rest.

- And PLAY!

Dr. Matt

The game table in my study, ready to take flight...