Rowan Tree and Red Thread

Since Ken left Cork Sam and I have been very lax about playing boardgames. When Ken moved to Cork a couple of years ago we experienced a renaissance in boardgaming; his presence acted as a catalyst and we established a little boardgame clique that met about once a week to play the increasing numbers of excellent German boardgames now available. Adam Spielt became our electronic Mecca.

The last few weeks we haven't got a game together. Not anymore. A friend from work, Barry, and his partner Shirley, who also works in UCC, dropped over last night. They arrived around 8.30 and we chatted for a while before playing a game of TransAmerica. It's a good game to introduce people to the German boardgame style; quick and simple to play, nice components and not a heavy thinking game like Puerto Rico that might scare off someone new to the more cerebral sort of boardgame that we enjoy.

Barry and Shirley both seemed to enjoy themselves, and they were good company. We chatted about various things, books, education, university politics and the like, while laying tracks and complaining, as usual, about those out-of-the-way towns like Helena and Jacksonville. Poor Jacksonville always comes up for a bashing when we play TransAmerica. Barry won the game, pulling off a sudden last turn connection of two towns at once that grabbed the lead from me.

Everyone enjoyed it, and I suspect that Barry will be heading to the Adam Spielt website to see if he can buy a copy of his own. He and Shirley have just bought a house of their own in Cork, so I feel a little guilty about exposing them to the crack cocaine that is Adam Spielt. Still, in terms of your entertainment dollar/euro/pound, boardgames are a cheap source of entertainment, and one I particularly like for the social and intellectual stimulation they provide.