I have been playing a lot of Hadrian’s Wall with some friends recently. It’s that heavyweight roll-and-write game, though it’s actually more of a flip and write in the form a massive efficiency puzzle. We have been playing online on Board Game Arena because, while two of us live in Cincy, one friend lives in Akron, one in Houston, and another in LA. I’ve been playing games with these friends for years—Dominion, Fairy Trails, Magic Maze, all of it fair game for them to defeat me roundly, it seems. Notably, I’ve even played Diplomacy with one of them and we are still friends!

It’s not just that play is important, it’s the relationships. Of course there’s a plethora of good-natured ribbing and trash talk, there’s the challenge of doing well against good players, but it’s more than that. That we are able to be together in some way despite the distance is a gift. Covid quarantine gave us the reliance on digital video and audio connections which are both positive and negative: everyone’s tired of Zoom calls and the distance they imply, but the ability to play the same game and chat across the country is wonderful! And these are people who know me inside and out, who I know inside and out. We have been through some hard things together and the early vulnerability to get to this place was not easy. Scary, even. But it was also necessary to find our way to a place where we don’t just have in-jokes, we have intimacy.

Community gathering spaces are important for us to mix with people we might not normally, to show up for each other when we do start to know one another, to lean into new friendships, new connections. Have you met new folks at the bar who you see and recognize elsewhere? Have you made friends at one of our Community Game Nights? Or Magic: The Gathering Tuesdays?What do you love about them? How can we help you make those gaming friends? Stop by sometime and let us know!

Alice C, board game librarian

Play Deception: Murder in Hong Kong

If you like Werewolf or Mafia (or whatever you call it in your hometown), but you’re frustrated when the games seem to inevitably come down to vibes without evidence—“you seem shifty” or “you keep accusing other people”—Deception is for you!

There is a murderer among you (aka werewolf, mafia member, etc.) but figuring out who that person is isn’t enough, you’ve also got to determine what the key clue and the weapon are related to their crime. Players are also only allowed to make one accusation over the course of the game, minimizing constant finger-pointing and ramping up the tension—if none of the accusations are correct or if the players run out of time, the murderer wins! The flow of the game might feel a bit similar to a game of Werewolf, but here the Game Master of a round of Deception, known as the Forensic Scientist, offers clues with a series of event and scene tiles, trying to help the players solve the crime. The entire game is both meatier and more teamwork-based than other versions.

Alice C, board game librarian

Order our special Smokehouse BBQ Smash Burger

Chef Anthony has done it again: it’s our classic smash burger, gussied up with melty cheddar, house-made brisket, smoky bacon, tangy BBQ, and crisp onion rings and lettuce. Mouth-watering and satisfying! Try it this weekend with some friends over a tense game of Deception.