I played Chess from pretty young, but I got into Go in my late 20s and I had a hard time caring about a game of Chess now, it felt so ticky-tacky compared to the beautiful depths of Go. Strangely, that feeling went away somewhat in about 2016, when computers started beating the best Go players in the world. Some of the magic left, and it renewed my interest in Chess. I still mostly play Go; when I play Chess I play Chess960, which partially randomizes the pieces, making the early game more dynamic and unpredictable.
I played a good amount of Monopoly as a kid, which is best played it with freewheeling deal-making and negotiation and lots of arguing and shouting. In college I went through a phase of playing Risk, also good for shouting about. I briefly got into Diplomacy, but itās hard to play because you need exactly 7 people who will commit to spending hours shouting over the board. If you can get a committed crew together, itās amazing, but too time consuming to do regularly. My wife and I used to play Pandemic regularly (before we had kids, back when we had quiet time alone together), which is maybe the best cooperative game Iāve ever played.
Recently my kids are old enough to play. I taught them Chess and Go, but I either need to pretend to lose or win every game, so thatās less fun. Iām trying to get them playing each other, 5yo is coming into her own so might get this working soon. In the meantime we play:
Life, a little rote but good for reading a math practice, and talking about life and choices,
Labyrinth, simple but fun planning and strategy game; the little one is actual quite good at this one),
Prime Climb, which I got explicitly to teach them math but is a fun game too, and it does a really amazing job of visually showing how prime factors work,
Taboo, which is pretty fun but a little too easy,
Charades, a classic, amazing for how it gives insight into how people think about things (also great when Iām tired and just want to zone out and they need to be up and buzzing about),
Pictionary using the Charades cards, fun and silly,
Two Recent additions that are quickly becoming:
Boop, a chess-like two player game about cats pushing each other off the bed. Great depth, great strategy, itās one of those games that after you play for a bit you still see the patterns every time you close your eyes.
Hues and Cues, a guessing game where you have to use one and two word clues to get people to guess one of a few hundred colors. Similar to taboo because you arenāt allowed to use color words. Another one for insight into how other people think and communicate.
Iāve never played Yahtzee, but I bet that would be fun with kids.
I donāt think Iād get much out of Name That Tune. I canāt play an instrument, canāt sing for shit, and donāt know the names of some of my favorite songs (streaming has had some weird side effects). And the songs that everyone in my family is familiar with to even make it interesting are limited to things like āMary Had A Little Lambā, so weād run out quickly.
I do sometimes play āDo you recognize this artist?ā when weāre listening to a song my kids have never heard by an artist theyāre familiar with. But thatās more of a one-off than a game.
Never had a toy, until well quite until was into big boy toys like motorcycles, then accompany that with reads in strange places, and romantic solo places:
Pick up sticks was the only game I had, that I can remember, spent hours and hours and chess, never could rate until the only claim of any kind, coprez of chess club senior year, junior master, fun while it lasted. My kids and their kids think me kind of old fashioned:
Ghosted games like ghost busters , but is it really a game?
The thing is the game of survival (a game?) probably,
But wasnāt gonna upset you by sayin the bestest game is imagined, probably another game, imagine wanting to switch to āwhat books are you reading now, -but that would need a new format if not yet made āwhat books would you like to read now, and it would be
Gary Snyderās āHouse holdā
Why?
Because feeling now it could be appropriate, figuratively and literally.
Another good chess source is chess.com, been stuck there at between 1,300 and 1,500.
Iāve tried pick up sticks, never really clicked for me. Felt like hoop rolling.
I just joined, challenge me, 3 days/move. Username Carleas.
Iām there as well, Username Wax.
I have this one. Iāve only played it a few times, but had fun. Too advanced for the kids last time I played but I should try again.
I like this general class of games, something like spot-the-liar. Secret Hitler is another one that Iāve played a lot more of and liked. I guess Balderdash sort of fits this category too.
I actually have Forbidden Desert, I totally forgot about that. I think I was disappointed because it doesnāt live up to Pandemic.
Many a night in college with this one. Cards Against Humanity surpasses it, though.
I wish libraries had board games, though I see why that doesnāt really work. But the new cool ones like Ticket to Ride are pricey, itās a big commitment to buy one blind (especially when now I feel like Iām buying one ever few weeks).
lol I do not present a challenge. But anyone who wants to play me is welcome.
Username Ichthus77M. I play this whether I am fully conscious or not, and I donāt care about my score (I could start to care if someone cared that I care). Also, Iām just bad at chess. That never stopped me from doing anything I love. Like chess.
I use the chess.com app on my phone. I shant be using that other one.
.
ā¦having started playing chess [againā¦ having only played about 3 games before, but knowing how all the piecesā move] under the tutelage of monsieur HumAnIze, I can say that Iām not half bad.
Iāll post my username when Iāve created an account.
Today Iām tied up tomorrow all clear, everyone interested to set up agreement on rules, who starts, how to go about it if not really acquainted with chess.com; about whoāll be black or white, time per move limits, (within 3 days?), etc.
So how goes it? Pls start the process of agreeing to some agreed format.
You wonāt believe it , but Iāve been playing with a bot, I clear forgot my username, itās late and about to go to bed, but for sure will find it and send it.
If You andIschthus are the first match, who follows the winner, or how is that decided? Anyway Iāve been trying to plug up the house we live in, and it took most of the day. But I like to open p-k3 to begin with. The bot Iām playing with on chess.com is pretty predictable, loosing his queen or rook after a few moves, and it canāt learn to avoid the same mistake, and so itās not so smart. You can play with a Judith , rated around 2700 and there is no chance in hell beating her. Incidentally she was the host to Bobby Fischer after he was unable to go back to the US because he defied a presidential order not to play I think Spassky in Yugoslavia.
Nelson - username is the bot Iāve been playing for a year, if anyone care to try him, see how you measure up. He is weak but can be challenging before finding its quirks.
For everyone here interested please list your
Carleas whatās your name @ chess.com? Itāll have to wait an hour thanksgame name here:
