The Board Game Faith Newsletter, Issue 31
Hello, Board Game Faithful!
Kevin: And January 2024 is in the books. I’ve started doing a daily Bullet Journal, and doing that along with reading the wonderful Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman (thanks Daniel for the recommendation!) sure makes you think of time as it passes. It also makes you think of about your life as a story. The Bullet Journal method has you title each day with 1 significant thing, and then transferring that to the month. So suddenly the month has … a plotline? Fortunately mine had some nice moments of learning, travels, fun times with friends, and some games! I even attended another board game convention – TantrumCon, in nearby Charlotte NC. I will soon be a board game master.
Daniel: I know we’re already a month in 2024, but I’ve just decided that one of my resolutions for the year is to try to make less demands on the future. The idea behind this resolution comes straight from the Four Thousand Weeks book that Kevin mentioned: Burkeman argues that the less we insist that the future must conform to what we think it should be, the more peaceful and content we can be. At the very least, I want to want to give it a try.
Behind the Episodes
Kevin: We still show steady growth for the podcast – January 2024 was our highest monthly download ever. We are so very niche but we do have an audience, and you are growing! So thanks for that. We are coming up on our 2 year anniversary!
Coming Up
Daniel: Kevin and I have also started to make connections with a new center that uses play for clergy renewal. It’s great to meet “play evangelists” who believe in the power of this serious stuff called play to create positive change in people’s lives. Stay tune for more details!
Kevin: We’ve got plans oh yeah. A small group curriculum, applying for some grant funding, and … a new podcast about play in general? Waaaaat
Games We're All About Right Now
Kevin: So weird – I’m bouncing among light games like Welcome to the Moon and Scout, to slightly meaty games like The Cat in the Box, to nutty legacy games like Frosthaven and now, finally, ISS Vanguard that just arrived. I didn’t game all that much in December, and I think that break has given me a refocus on what I like. I’m a bit choosier about my gaming experiences. You gotta pair those games with life, man. It’s like peanut butter and jelly, you gotta have both. I’m doing Vanguard as a solo experience and it’s pretty solidly awesome. Frosthaven keeps getting stuck in the queue because I have to coordinate with one of my kids when we can play and feel like playing, and that is harder than you think.
Daniel: I’ve also been going through somewhat of a gaming desert recently, but one new-to-me title I did get to try is the new edition of El Grande. I am a big fan. The components are beautiful, the gameplay is fun, and the packaging and materials are very eco-friendly (there’s barely any plastic ….even the wooden meeples came in waxed paper bags). I’m normally not a fan of the confrontational nature of area-control games, but the game play is so quick and the ability to come back so robust that I find I don’t mind.
Spirituality
Kevin: The gospel of Mark just took its dark turn for our Sunday School class – in chapter 8 Jesus predicts his death and resurrection, and begins to speak of suffering and taking up your cross. The disciples are still confused about it all. It’s menacing and sad and beautiful. I’m still astonished at times at how amazing the Bible is. These ancient documents have survived millennia and continue to speak to us today, despite all the intervening centuries, history, and technological changes.
Media We're Digging Right Now
Kevin: Godless on Netflix is good fun (but it could have trimmed down a few episodes – most shows should stop at 6 episodes or so). I’m watching True Detective Night Country (AKA season 4), and it’s really unforgettable. Against the immense darkness, Native peoples interact with a mining company in a remote location. And there’s a monster, maybe? I love shows with style. I do wonder how people don’t get lost on the ice though. I would carry like 200 flashlights and 4 phones and 10 batteries everywhere.
Thank You!
Thanks so much for being a part of the BGF community. We are grateful for each of you and the ways you make the world more awesome. And if you haven’t had a chance to tell us a little about yourself yet, we would love it if you could fill out this form please!