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Boardgamers Guild-Season arrives to build games platform

While I am one of those people who would like to see mid-November come and go before Christmas creeps into everything, the early arrival of more toys in stores in fall in preparation for the gift-giving season. I very much remain a kid at heart.

While I am one of those people who would like to see mid-November come and go before Christmas creeps into everything, the early arrival of more toys in stores in fall in preparation for the gift-giving season.

 

I very much remain a kid at heart. It’s the simplest way to explain the joy of board games, miniatures, 1/64 Hot Wheels monster trucks, graphic novels and a few other minor passions.

 

So a store toy aisle draws me like the proverbial moth, much to the chagrin of the better half who simply rolls her eyes at her 50-plus kid.

 

It was such a case recently in Yorkton, where on a toy shelf I found a cheap checkers set which just happened to be a match for a set I had found at a thrift store some time ago. I had actively been looking for a matching set, so I was thrilled to find it.

 

Now the set in question is not a high quality one. It was less than $10, so the pieces are lightweight, cheap plastics. It lacks aesthetic appeal to be sure.

 

But having two sets simply opens the door to a wide range of games, and that was what I wanted, a low-cost play set which gave me access to more games than a single set would.

 

As a game the familiar checkers most of us likely played at least a little as a youth on an 8X8 board is not particularly appealing. There is an extensive list of checker variants and the one widely known as American checkers is not very good in my opinion.

 

But double up on the number of checkers you have 24, instead of the 12 you get with a single set, and suddenly that 8X8 board becomes the foundation to play a number of games which are elite abstract strategy games.

 

And the great thing, watch at this time of year, and you can create a play set by buying two sets for about $20. To me that is a great value to be able to play a range of games that get people off the television, video games, and at a table with family and friends socializing over a board game.

 

Now you may be wondering just what games the dual set will allow? Most have been reviewed here in the past, and so I won’t go into detail, but there are a few that you should web search in terms of rules. The list starts with a trio of great games, Dameo, Lines of Action and Bashni, all games that have amazing depth and can be enjoyed for a lifetime.

 

Then add in India, Croda. Armenian checkers, Breakthrough, and with just a little ingenuity Gounki, and you have a vertible treasure chest of fine games, playable for under $20.

Seek out a couple of low-cost boards and delve in with your family and friends.