Member Mumble #2 Pauw Vos

Leaves of all colours are once again floating downwards, the nights lengthen and the temperature drops. It’s obvious, autumn is upon us. For some this might be a time of bitter cold, and last-minute trips to warmer locations, but not for me. These long and dark nights present the perfect opportunity to play some board games.

Just imagine the scene. You’ve invited some friends over, had a nice dinner, some beers and now you’re preparing for a night of backstabbing, yelling and flipping the table if things don’t go your way. Or at least, that’s a big part of the appeal of board games for me. A good board game offers you the opportunity to behave in a way that you’ve always wanted to, but seldom have the chance to. You can laugh at your friend for being just one resource away from victory, and in the next turn yell at him for stealing that resource from you. It allows you to plot and scheme, betray and conquer like you’ve always wanted to since you’ve started watching Game of Thrones. Speaking of which, there actually is a Game of Thrones board game and, boy, does it allow for some betrayal.

Another sub-category of board games which you might try out on one of these long and dark nights, are drinking games. Drinking games, for me, aren’t even about getting drunk. They are about combining the social aspects of alcohol with the silliness of the drinking game. This often quickly leads to a point where almost everyone is equal in their stupidity and comic befuddlement. Drinking games, just like regular board games, manage to create the weirdest tales and the strongest stories. I could imagine no better way to spend a cold and dreary Saturday night.