Hello, world! I’m Atticus, named after the infamous book character in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Yes, I got teased. But then it didn’t help that I carried my set of chess with me in my backpack everyday, either. I’ve been obsessed with board games ever since I can remember – at least since the age of 4. At the age of 51 now, it’s been a lifelong passion of mine. I actually managed to turn it into a career, thank goodness, and have spent the past 27 years working as a board game designer and tester for one of the big game brands (I bet you can guess which one).
It’s been a pretty great life, and I’ve managed to travel to gaming conventions all around the world. This helped me expand my board game designs, using influences from all over, and also thinking up new game ideas based on what I’ve learned. I’ve also learned that American games are very, very different from games in other cultures. Our heavily manufactured and cheaply generated board games are so trivial in comparison to the games that have rich history – like Go in China, or Parques in Colombia. These games have become a symbol for the culture, and that’s something that we don’t really have in the United States.
When I was 29, and just a few years into my career, I was playing Monopoly with my mother one night when I thought, “Everyone hates this game! And it’s still the best selling game of all time!” Even then, Monopoly was outselling its competitors. I even hated the game, and I love board games! Since then, it’s been my career goal to create a game that everyone loves- one that speaks to different age groups and allows families to come together. I think me and my company have managed to create a few options, but nothing has come close to touching Monopoly, sadly.
Six years ago, I started a website to review and curate a list of games I had played in other countries, as well as here in the United States. I let other people review that list on this website, and add their own (with my approval). This website has managed to take off, showing me that I’m not entirely alone in my passion for board games, which is a huge relief. I think board games are becoming more and more obsolete as people begin to play games on their screens rather than other their tables.
I’m sad for the future, because I think there is magic in gathering around a board game at the table with your family and friends. You learn new rules, you maybe fight a little, but you have fun and it’s non-physical competition. You can play games that help your children learn, or games that make your friends blush. There’s really a game for everyone, and I love helping people explore new options. Board games are not obsolete – keep playing!