Staff

"Hello friend!"

"Hello friend!"

This greeting has become pervasive at home as my 1-year-old hits buttons on her talking toys repeatedly clearly in search of a flaw in the machine.

"Hello friend!"

"Hello friend!"

...

I happened to be opening a new board game when I last heard this. Popping out the cardboard tokens, sorting the meeples, and putting the pieces into zip-top baggies - there's a unique joy in this ritual. Even when you've done it as much as I have cataloging hundreds of games for the Spielbound library. Still, while I have some favorites, my love of board games comes not from the material possession, but from the play with friends*. From the confused look after getting the "Do Something" token playing Magic Maze to the relish of winning a close game of Majesty where everyone scored ~150 points to the look of disbelief when the village removed an innocent villager (again) in Werewolf - the games are the medium (or even the MacGuffin), as the memorable experiences all require the participation of friends!