Challenges in Board Games

I've had a dream... or rather, a series of dreams. However, as I've been in heavy board game mode (obsessed right now), I've been having specific board game dreams. I've stumbled across a couple challenges (and have an idea for my own) that would allow me to play more board games than I do now... which would be a dream come true!

Daily Games

I heard about this man named David Guthrie, who set out to play 100 games in 100 days approximately three years ago (I believe it was 2018?). He was particularly interested in playing the Top 100 Games, as determined by the Board Game Geek community (at the time of starting the challenge ... because he did not realise the list would change over the course of the 100 days, since it is dependent on community votes).

David quickly understood that he wouldn't be able to bother his buddies on a daily basis — people have lives! The gaming community rallied behind him, not just to help him discover more people to play with, but also to help him borrow games that he didn't own (since, in case you didn't know, owning board games is a costly hobby!).

While I'd love to participate in a challenge like this, I believe I'd make it my own... 121 Games in a Year. However, I'd want to be more specific: 121 UNIQUE GAMES IN A YEAR (no expansions or variations, so my half-dozen copies of Ticket to Ride variants wouldn't count). For many reasons, 121 is one of my favourite numbers, a year seems more doable (though it's still one game every three days), and, like David, I'd attempt to reach out and find new people to play with (this is, of course, a when-things-return-to-"normal" dream).

1v1

While viewing a series of @1minuteboardgames TikTok videos, one of the account's founders (Rain) mentioned a challenge board that she had custom-made for her and her partner... and I'm completely smitten with this product and concept!

There are a variety of sizes available, but I prefer the 10x10 (which I assume Rain received). You may use a dry-erase marker to write the names of the games on this board and play them 10 times... AND it includes (at an additional fee) double-sided meeple markers, so you may have one colour for yourself and one colour for someone else.

Featured Games

TableTop is what got me into board games (like, REALLY into board games — anything that isn't Monopoly, Clue, Game of Life, or the classics) in the first place. Wil Wheaton produced a web series called TableTop in which he played several tabletop games with various guests. The show lasted four seasons, with a total of 79 games played, if my calculation is accurate.

I might also add Game the Game, a web series on the same channel hosted by Becca Scott that I believe was created as a substitute for TableTop when it stopped (but don't quote me on that). On BOTH presentations, there have been amazing games — in fact, I've already purchased and played a bunch of them. I'd like to make it my purpose to play them all. (I could probably combine this with the first challenge I stated... but there are a lot more games than 100 and 121.)

Result

What good is it to participate in any of these challenges? More games to play! My mother has expressed multiple times how pleased she is that I discovered TableTop and Game the Game... essentially, that I was introduced to games other than the three she grew up with, and that I introduced them to her, expanding our board game collection and enjoyment. (I've also introduced my boyfriend to new games, and his brothers were exposed to Ticket to Ride, which has become a family favourite... and the reason we have so many today.)

I'm also glad for discovering new games, and I'm grateful to all the creators who have taken the risk of releasing these games into the wild. What better way to pay tribute to these talented individuals than by playing their games? I'll take the challenge.