A Brief Gaming Profile

Today I just wanted to share a little bit about myself. I think there is a lot you can learn about a person from their gaming habits. I figured I would do a quick Q & A with myself, and share some interesting things about myself as a gamer. If you have any questions for me, feel free to ask away!

Quick Facts:

• Player Color: Red
• Favorite Mechanic in Games: Worker Placement/ Engine Building
• Favorite Publishers: Stonemaier Games and Red Raven Games
• First Game: Zombicide
• Favorite Game: Scythe
• Favorite Classic Game:  Masterpiece
• Game I Always Win: Sagrada
• Favorite D&D Class: Barbarian and Wizard

Questions:

What is something surprising about you as a gamer?

I almost never win engine building games. They are one of my favorite kinds of games, but I frequently have the problem that I get too caught up in the engine building aspect that I forget about the winning aspect. I am especially bad about this in games like Century: Spice Road where I can visually see my upgrades. I tend to get into a habit of just trying to make the best engine…regardless of whether it actually gets me victory points. I still absolutely love engine building games though because I enjoy the process of building the engine.

What is something I struggle with as a gamer?

I have an innate urge to be an alpha gamer…I know, terrible right? I think it comes from constantly trying to guide students in the right direction. I have this natural urge to speak up and offer guidance. The good news is I am aware that this is a problem when gaming, especially when gaming with experienced adults. I actively work to keep my mouth shut, with the exception of if I am playing with a new gamer who is seeking guidance. By now, I am pretty successful in not coming off as overbearing. Most people do not realize I have struggled with being an alpha gamer now.

What is something that makes me smile in games?

I love animeeples. If a game has animeeples I am about 10x more likely to purchase it. It does not matter what kind of animeeples are included, whether they be sheep, cows, horses, cats, dogs, or dinosaurs…I am happy with all of them. Often times in games like Agricola, Caverna, and Dinosaur Island I get way too caught up in collecting as many animals as possible.  I really like Agricola: All Creatures Big and Small for this reason.

 

Something I don’t like about games?

I hate reading rule books. This is hilarious though, because I am the person who teaches all of the games at our house. In fact, each week I read anywhere from 1-5 new rule books and reteach myself anywhere from 1-5 games.  It is a tedious process, but I do enjoy teaching new games to others. I just wish I could plug a rule book into my mind and have it transfer over. I like when there are how to play videos that I can reference while learning to get a visual of game play. However, about one out of three games I learn are for review purposes, so I am on my own there. I love reviewing games and giving feedback, but do not love reading the rules.

What is my favorite accessory that is board gaming related but not used in games?

This was a question Jamey Stegmaier asked in one of his weekly live streams that I really enjoyed. The answer is clear for me now, I absolutely adore my Meepillows produced by Top Shelf Fun. I currently have a red, purple and green Meepillow, but I want to get one of each of the ones that are available. When I am having a bad day, you can find me huddled in a lump of Meepillows playing a board gaming app. It is a lot harder to be depressed when you are surrounded by bright, squishy meeples.

 

How do you decide what games to review?

Well this is a mixed bag for me. I do two types of reviews. The first is of games that I own, and that I am excited to discuss. This does not always mean it is my favorite game, but it does mean that it has some interesting mechanics or aspects that I think would make for a good review.

The other half of reviews I do is for people who have reached out to me and sought out a review. I love working with publishers to do reviews of a variety of games. I do not get paid for reviews, and I almost never reach out to publishers and ask for review copies. That being said, when I do have the opportunity to work with a designer and provide feedback I get really excited. It is wonderful being a part of that process. When designers reach out to me, I will mostly decide to work with them. The only exceptions being if I feel that my audience will not benefit them or their efforts.

How have my gaming habits changed over the last 4 years?

When I started as a gamer, I was obsessed with Dudes on a Map. I loved games that came with a lot of cool looking miniatures. I would sing my praise of games like Blood Rage and The Others from the rooftops. However, in the last year or so that has really worn off for me. While I still enjoy those games occasionally, I have begun to really strongly prefer Euro games. This can be somewhat problematic though, because my other favorite part of the hobby is painting miniatures…Most Euro games do not come with miniatures. I often buy games for the miniatures to paint and they do not get played as much as they should. Playing Dungeons and Dragons has helped with this though, because  I can always  buy miniatures for those games. I especially LOVE the new Nolzur’s Marvelous Miniatures line.

 

I am sure I will do more of these quick answers as time goes on..but I figured I would just give you a further glance into who I was. It is nice to know the person behind the blog sometimes. Please if you have any questions for me please reach out!