Prescott Game Night!

Seven years ago, when we lived in Colorado, we had two separate groups of people with whom we played games each month. The goal was usually to have fun, but there were definitely some serious gamers there. There was usually a variety of games played, from strategy to trivia to party games. It was always great fun. Since we moved to the Prescott area lo those years ago, we’ve been mostly unable to fill the hole in our lives created by not having regular game playing. We have quite a number of friends down in Phoenix that play each month, but we’re not usually able to make the trip. And the groups we’ve gotten together in town either haven’t stuck with it, or wouldn’t play more than one game.

I’ve recently discovered a fun and interesting group of people, here in Prescott, who play games together regularly. They used to meet at a game store in Chino Valley (how did I not find that one?), but now they meet every second and fourth Wednesday from 5pm to 8:30pm at the Prescott Public Library (in the Elsea room upstairs). Two weeks ago I stopped by just to see what kind of group it was. It looked promising, so this week we all went with games and kids in tow. We were the only people to bring kids, but no one in the room seemed to complain.

As people trickled in, seven of us sat down to a very exciting game of TransEuropa. It’s a train-building game, different from Ticket to Ride. I much prefer it (and its sister game, TransAmerica) to Ticket to Ride, but I seem to be in the minority. Anyway, the game is designed for up to six, but playing with seven seemed to work just fine (we used pennies for the extra pieces). One thing I liked about playing with this group of people was that everyone was paying attention and mostly knew their next move when their turn came around. This helped the game move quickly.

After the group was a bit more established, we split into two groups and played two separate games. The other group played a game called Colosseum where you had to draw spectators to see your events in the arena. My group played a game called Stone Age where you compete to build buildings, feed your people, and accumulate points, all in a stone age type of way. I’d never played it before, so it was a challenge for me to absorb the game rules while running interference with my kids, who were somewhat entertaining themselves, and somewhat not. I guess I absorbed the material well enough, as I got the hang of it after a couple of rounds. By the end of the game, I could see that there are quite a few different strategies one could take. I picked one that presented itself, and went with it. I ended up winning! Beginner’s luck, possibly.

I’m sure there are more of you out there who long for some real game playing with others who share your passion. It seems the group mostly plays strategy games, but if enough people come who are interested in other types of games, I’m sure there will be room for all. If you read this blog, perhaps you’re a geek as well, so give it a try! The people there were all incredibly nice, welcoming, and approachable. Come and bring your favorite games!