Our current games

The following games are ones that at least some of us are involved with on anywhere within close to an ongoing basis.  This doesn't include something like chess, which we might pull out and play here or there between two people. Or other games that drop on the table once in a blue moon.  These are the ongoing games we're currently involved with, to some degree or another:

D&D:

The family game dating back years.  I didn't really play it growing up, but when the 2000s hit, I knew my sons would come across it one way or another.  We began playing with it with the older two boys as Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings and the subsequent Fantasy Reassurance II was in full gear.  That was around the late mid 2000s.  We've played it off and on for years, sometimes going months at a time without, sometimes even longer.  I do believe there was a stretch of well over a year that it was set aside.  It's one of those 'plan on it whenever possible' pastimes.  To that end, it's been on hiatus for some months now as major shifts in the family, including the arrival of yet another grandchild, make it a bit tough to get through.  Nonetheless, we're hoping it's only on hold, and most everyone seems to want to pick up when we can.

Flames of War:

Our one Miniatures Wargame.  We recently played through, with me and three of the boys.  If nothing else illustrates the difficulty of getting together for such things, it was that.  A game designed, in its basic form, to last a few hours to a couple days of playing at best, stretched out multiple months.  Still, the sheer models and scenery element keeps the boys always coming back to this, especially our creative and artistic second son, who took over the painting duties as my age and tremors made doing so myself less practical.

Empires in Arms: 

The big boy of long term games.  We began playing it back in the early 2010s.  It was when my third son was old enough to at least put forth the effort.  And knowing his competitiveness, we assumed that would offset his age.  The boys wanted my wife to join, but that is not her cup of tea.  Our youngest was just too young, so the first many years was the four of us.  Some great times, and I wish I had thought of something like this, an ongoing journal or something, because at one point it was asked that I keep a log of the game (for practical purposes if nothing else).  But that wasn't easy to keep going when our collective memories did the job, and there was no other reason to do so. Nonetheless, this is the one game they can all say 'let's try to play' and everyone is on board.  Whether we can or not, we'll see. 

Wolfpack:

A very, very small scale U-Boat/Battle of the Atlantic game my third received as a gift.  He and I are currently trying to hammer this out when we have that time.  To that end, it has sat for many weeks since we were at it last.  I'm not given to tactical games much (the above Flames of War being an exception).  Nonetheless, it seems fun from what we can tell, and appears to do a good job capturing the feel of its historical point of reference - which is what I ask the most of the games we play.

World in Flames:

Not just a game, but a hobby.  Or so the tagline from the game's designers says.  And they're right.  A beast of a game, three of my sons have decided to dust it off and have a go once more.  This, as well as the above D&D, is where the 'deal me out' approach will be most obvious.  There just isn't a way for even four of us to get together regularly.  So it will be as long as one of us on either side is available - most likely my third (whose game it is) and me.  Our oldest and youngest will jump in when convenient.  

And there you have it.  There are many more. These are by no means the only games we've played, even over a long period of time.  Nor are they the only ones we plan on playing if possible.  But these are the ones either currently being played in an ongoing manner, or the ones we have played so much it could happen again with little effort beyond being able to gather together. 

Oh the games we play

A sampling of the family (or at least boys') favorites

This page will be my 'Hobby Page'.  Though I don't have hobbies per se, I do enjoy time with my family.  I realize we no longer have the time or schedules for grand excursions or lengthy outings or adventures in vacationing.  Things we used to do as part of our leisure times. Those times also included sports, OSU games, camping, hiking, going to concerts, ballet (that is, the Nutcracker), or other similar activities together.  Beyond that, we built a hefty library of movies, music, and, most importantly, games.  Video games and PC games, but most of all, board games - board games galore.  This page will be a page for me to blow off steam by tracking different games we are playing.  

We reached the peak of game playing during the Covid lockdowns.  After all, there wasn't much else to do.  We live in a state that embraced the lockdown strategy, so for the better part of a year or so, it was walks in nearby parks or watching movies and playing games. 

Now, we had played games well before that time.  And I was blessed by a good relationship with my sons, so that we often played the bigger games together.  Chief among these was Empires in Arms, a grand strategic Napoleonic wargame.  Some call it the best overall wargame ever produced.  With one glaring flaw:  It has a workable diplomatic element that plays into the actual game mechanics.  That means, you need at least four or more players for it to really work.  And getting four or more players together to play a game that might take several months of Mondays is easier said than done.

Nonetheless, in times gone by, the three older sons, and eventually our fourth, set time aside to play it over the years.  I posted a couple times about it on my main blog.  Truth be told, I wish I had done more such posting - those were fun times worthy of a few tales.  The boys still hold out hope that we can get everyone together again for another round of EiA, despite everyone sort of going their own directions in life. I'm skeptical, but will always hold out hope.  After all, there are worse things in the world than your sons wanting to set aside time to play a game with their old man or the family as a whole.  Even if the odds are slim of it happening.

With that said, we still do play some games, although not all and everyone at once.  We've gotten games that require fewer people in recent years.  Likewise, in other cases, we have adapted a 'deal me out' approach.  That is, with the ongoing games that take long months or years, as long as there are enough around to play, we play.  Often they are team games, as long as one is there for each team, it's onward with play.  The others jumping in or out when they can. 

Again, times for the big outings and family excursions, and the amount of things we can all do beyond the simple cookout or holiday feast, are growing thin.  But we still do spend time.  Sometimes the brothers all get together themselves, and that's a fine thing.  I will happily step aside so they can have their times together, knowing that someday I won't be around and by the grace of God they still will be able to get together.  But on those times when we can get together, whatever the combo of family members, we still manage the simpler pastimes, and that includes games.

And that is what this side-blog will be.  A 'Hobby Blog' such as it is.  Mostly to muse over and kick around and unpack different games we're playing.  Sometimes it will be games we have played, or might even try in the near future. I'm aware that even with our altering the standards for how we play the longer games, the current availability of all the boys is running on borrowed time.  The odds that they all get settled into careers and professions within a stone's throw is a bit much to ask.  And I wouldn't anyway, as I only hope they go where they need to in life, and don't pass up opportunities just for another family game of RISK.  

Nonetheless, while the time is now, and I have any extra time to kill - which is seldom - I'll start unpacking different games, why we like them, and maybe even playthrough reports.  Who knows?  But that's what this will be about.  My fussing will be for the old blog, my fun and games for here.  

One of the stacks of shelves containing some of our games in our downstairs book hoard