Yesterday night I got the sudden and random urge to play an old RTS kingdom building PC game. While in my excitement, I realized that I shouldn’t be surprised I still enjoy these games, as the same theme still excites me in board gaming. I love sitting down to build a kingdom, and watching as it grows. I started to consider the themes I most enjoy in board games and realized that many of them are consistent with themes that I enjoy in my various other hobbies.
Many of these themes are the same as those I enjoy reading about. I am an avid reader, 
and frequently go through 3-5 novels a week. While I will read pretty much anything, there are some themes that I tend to gravitate towards. Topics like dystopian societies, high fantasy, mystery/supernatural and Norse mythology get me really excited to read. I will often sit down and in one sitting finish books with these themes. Reflecting on board games, I see these same topics over and over again. Some of my favorite games like Euphoria, Mysterium, Dungeons and Dragons and Raiders of the North Sea transport me to a similar world that I am able to go to while reading.
Not just the topics will draw me into a game but the feeling as well. This is why Red Raven Games is one of my favorite publishers. Their games imitate the feeling of reading a novel that focuses on discovery and adventure. With my love for reading, it should not surprise me in the least that I also enjoy these games.
I just found it interesting that despite being very different hobbies, my interests remain consistent. Are there any ways in which your other interests are consistent with your board gaming interests? Where do you see overlap in your life?
The Meeple Street 