Top 30 Board Games of All Time (2013 Edition)

Yay!  It is May which means I can make one of my favorite annual post, my top board games.  Since 2009 I have posted this list annually.  It started off as a top 10.  Last year, I expanded it to top 20, and this year I am going to top 30.  Currently, I have played a little over 650 board games.  That means that the top 30 is still less than the top 5% of all the games I have played.  These are all games that I really like, and that I am always willing to play some more.  Another reason to expand to 30 is that my game preferences are really starting to solidify, and there is not as much variance as there have been in past years.  For instance, there is only one new game in the top 10 and two new games in the top 20 (though the positions have switched some). Since I know everyone reading this may not be as familiar with board games, I have tried to post a picture that gives some idea what the game looks like being played.  All pictures come from boardgamegeek.com.  The number in parentheses is where the game is in relation to last year's list.  As always, the list is descending order for dramatic effect.

30.  Ca$h n Gun$

This made my list back in 2010, but slipped off of it since.  Cash n Guns is not a very deep game.  It is essentially Mexican Stand-off the game.  Often personal vendettas have more to do with what happens than making the best move.  The game involves pointing a foam gun at people.  That is fun, involves a lot of laughter, and makes for a good experience.  This is a game that can not be played repeatedly because the gameplay does wear a little thin, but this is a fantastic game to bring out every now and then.

29.  Frontline: D-Day

I have had this game for a couple of years now, but it is a new addition to the list because every time I play it, I think "wow! I like this game."   This game is a WWII skirmish game that is played entirely with cards.  This game has two major things going for it.  First, it is a card game that captures the feel of a miniatures game.  Players customize their squad with a points system, deploy them units, and the whole game set up is a skirmish like most miniatures game.  However, the game plays  nothing like a miniatures game.  Second, it is a good card game that just happens to be a war game.  This means this game is the closest Abigail will ever get to playing a miniatures game with me AND it is a war game that she legitimately enjoys.

28. Homesteaders
 
Homesteaders makes the list because this game has a lot going for it.  I am not the biggest fan of auction games, but this is clearly my favorite.  I like the auctions in this game because the amount is controlled by the game, so it is a lot easier to determine the value of a tile being auctioned since I have a limited number of possibilities.  This game also involves managing workers to collect resources, which are used to build buildings, which provide more options.  This game provides a lot of options and it is very satisfying to build something that works well in this game.

27.  Agricola (-15)

This game had the biggest plunge of any game, but it is also the only game on the list that we do not own.  We traded the game, because after many plays Abigail decided she really did not like the game because it was just too stressful.  This game is stressful, and it feels like it is always kicking me when I am down.  However, what I like about this game is no matter how stressful it is, no matter how badly things go, at the end of the game my farm is working.  I may not win the game, but I always feel happy because I accomplished something.   That keeps the game on the list, but the fact that my options to play it are far and few between has dropped it quite a bit.

26.  Citadels  (-6)

I have played this game a good deal, I just have not played it for a little over a year.  That lack of playing is probably the biggest reason for the drop, because I still like the game.  Citadels is a hidden role game.  Players are using money to build buildings, and to help accomplish this they take turns picking a secret role that grants special abilities.  I really enjoy the mind games that go with this as everyone tries to figure out what role people took.  This is one of the older games on the list, and at game groups usually new games are more likely to be played  That means it might be hard to get this one played, but I would like to soon.

25.  Village

This is one of the newer games on the list.  This can be considered a "cube pusher" where players use resource cubes and turn them in for something else, and then some how turn that something else into points.  One of the reasons why I like this game is that it adds several new elements to the standard mix of euro game mechanisms.  First, the action a player takes is tied to the resource they take.  Often player take an action to get a resource, but in this one it is switched.  Sometimes players will take a resource they do not need because they want the action.  Second, this game does involve placing worker and workers die during the game.  The fact that workers have a lifespan makes for some very interesting decisions.

24.  Hammer of the Scots

This is a fantastic war game that covers the Scottish rebellion led by William Wallace.  I really enjoy the asymmetrical play of the game.  England and Scotland play completely differently.  I also really like the block game mechanisms.  Units are represented by blocks.  This introduces a fog of war aspect, and the way the blocks and game mechanisms work together is very intuitive.

23.  Crayon Rails Games  

This one might be cheating a bit, as it is a whole series of games.  However, each game is mostly the same (a few we do not have add new elements) but is just played on a different map.  The picture is of British Rails, which is the one we have played the most.  However, we also have Australian Rails and Nippon Rails.  Empire builder, which is the US map, is on our shortlist of games we want.  This is a pure pick up and deliver game where players build track connecting cities.  They then move on their tracks to make money by delivering goods between the various cities.  This game has a bit of a race aspect to it, as the winner is the first one to reach a certain profit level.  This game also has a a good sense of progress to it.  At the end of the game it is fun to look back and see how my railway developed.

22.  King of Tokyo 

This is a dice game where Godzilla style monsters play king of the hill.  It is probably the simplest game on the list, but it is so much fun to play.  Players bash each other and try to earn the most points by staying in Tokyo.  There is a lot of luck pushing, and optional power cards that can be purchased really add a lot of variability.  The game is been out awhile, but we just acquired it in January and it is one of our most played games this year.

21.  Settlers of America

Settlers of Catan made my first list back in 2009, but as I played more game it slid back.  This version of Catan is probably my favorite.  It has a lot of the same elements of Catan such as rolling dice to collect resources, trading resources with other players, and using those resources to build on a board.  However, it adds a pick up and deliver aspect as well.  Players have to build train track to connect to other people's cities and then deliver goods to them with their trains.  This added aspect to the classic Catan formula really makes an old classic something new and awesome for me.  We still have and play the original game, but this is really my Catan game of choice.

20.  Havana (-6)

Two years ago this was in my top ten, so it has fallen back some.  However, this is still a game I greatly enjoy.  Like Citadels this is a role selection game where players choose rolls to gain resources and build buildings.  Unlike Citadels, everyone has their own set of role cards and has two rolls each turn.  This creates a lot of trying to out guess and out maneuver other players.   I also feel like this is kind of a hidden gem game, because it seems that unless I have played it with them most people I play games with have never heard of this one.

19.  Empires of the Void

From last year, there are two games that are new additions to my top 20.  This is one of them.  This is a big space opera game where players build fleets of ships and fight for control of a dying space empire.  It is epic in scale, but plays in three hours or less.  The rules are fairly straight forward so this is an easy game to get into.  A lot of gamers prefer Eclipse for this sort of thing, and it is a good game.  Empires of the Void has a stronger emphasis on fighting and that suits me much better.

18.  Manoeuvre 

This game stayed in the same place it was at last year, and I feel about the same as I did last year.  I still find this to be a fun game that offers a lot of replayability.  I really enjoy the use of cards to control the units an dice for combat.  It may be very abstract, but it still feels like a wargame.  Plus, this is another game on the elite list of wargames that Abigail acutally enjoys.

17.  Glen More (-4)

I feel like this is a very clever game.  In Glen More players build their own little area of Scotland one tile at a time.  Players have to be very clever in how they place and activate their tiles.  Plus, players have a lot of control over which tiles they get.  However, taking a tile further around the line means waiting longer for the next turn.  This means every turn players face a decision where they have to measure their long term goals with the short term gain.  I really like the mixture of strategy and tactics this game presents.

16.  Kingdom of Solomon 

In a lot of ways this is just "another euro."  This game really does not offer anything new.  What it does though is take elements from a lot of different euro games and packages them into something new.  This game is a worker placement game, but it is more than a worker placement game.  It is an area control game, but it is more than an area control game.  It is a resource management/building game but it is more than that.  This game is a lot more than the sum of its parts and makes for a very enjoyable game.  

15.  Yomi

Yomi is a Street Fighter style fighting game played with cards.  The game makes great use of a Rock-Paper-Scissors mechanic, and simultaneous turns.  It really does capture the heart and soul of a fighting game.  This is a game that I would like to invest more time in, but I do not get to play it is as often as I like.  I know there is a popular online implementation, but I am a little intimidated by it to be honest.

14.  Last Night on Earth  (+2)

Last Night on Earth rises two spots, because Zombies shamble on.  I like Zombies and this is the best zombie game I have played.   The game has potential for a bad session when luck stacks up in a way so that one side has a super easy win, but usually this is a great zombie filled adventure with a strong narrative and a lot of dice throwing.

13.  Ninjato (+6)

I had only played this game a few times when it made the list last year at #19.  I have played the game multiple times since then, and it has climbed even higher in my liking.  This game offers a lot of interesting choices as players have very few actions throughout the course of the game.  It also has an exciting "push your luck" component that can make or break a turn if players are not careful.   The ninja theme is also a big plus, and it is implemented extremely well.  Mechanically, this is a pure euro game, and I wish all euro games had theme come out so well.

12.  Core Worlds (-1)

Core Worlds is a deck building game, but it is different than most deck builders available.  In this game players will build their space Empire by recruiting forces and invading worlds.  Players have to be smart about managing resources, and since cards are drafted from a common pool it is important to pay attention to what other players are doing.  This game has a fun sense of progression.  It is neat to go from having grunts and fighters to battle cruisers.  All the while the number of planets under my banner slowly grows.  I already like the game, but we have read multiple places that the expansion really makes the game better.  We recently got it, but we have not had a chance to play with it yet.

11.  ElfBall  (-3)

This game dropped out of my top 10 this year.  The biggest reason is that ElfBall is the type of game that really rewards a lot of repeated plays.  There are rules for team progression and upgrades (and some would argue they are  the real meat of the game) that I have not even played with.   Despite that, I still really like this game of Fantasy Football (or Rugby really).  I like that this game is fairly easy to play while not feeling shallow and that it has a lot of back and forth.

10.  London  (-1)

Sadly, due to all of game playing/blog project it has been a year since I last played this game.  Despite that long of an absence this is still one of my favorite games.  While there is an area control element present on the board, this is primarily a card game.  The game requires careful planning and allows for some really clever combos as cards interact together.   It is a shame that it has been so long since we last played, and that needs to be fixed soon.

9.  Blood Bowl: Team Manager (-3)

Last year, this was still a fairly new game and I think the new game shine had not quite worn off yet, which is why it jumped so high up in my rankings.  Now that I have had it for another year, it drops a bit but it still one of my top ten favorite games.   I really like the the fantasy football theme, and I like the tactical duels that take place every round.  The game has multiple teams, and each team plays a little differently .  This is a fairly light and quick game, but it is always a very fun game.

8.  A Touch of Evil (+2)

This continues to be a game that I thoroughly enjoy.  Last year, a new expansion came out making the board even bigger (as pictured).  Despite the fact that there games that are objectively better and less clunky I love this game because it always has such a strong narrative.  This game tells a story, and it is a story of high adventure and thrilling horror.  I like playing role playing games, but Abigail hates them.  Playing a Touch of Evil is probably the closest I will get to playing a RPG with her.

7.  Small World

This game is one of four games that has been every single one of these lists that I have made.  There is a good reason for this, because the game is so much fun.  This is an in your face conflict game, but the lack of player elimination softens the fighting a bit.  This game has a perfect mix of long term strategy and short term tactics.  It also has a lot of variability in the way the races and powers combine.

6. Resistance/Resistance: Avalon  (-1)

The Resistance and The Resistance Avalon are essentially the same game with a couple of variant rules built into the different boxes.  This game is all about social interaction.  Some people are bad, some people are good.  The good people are trying to complete missions and the bad are trying to prevent it.  This game has a lot of arguing, a lot of lying, a little back stabbing.  This is one of the favorite's of our game group, so I have played it quite a bit.  Every time it is a lot of fun.

5.  Dominion (-2)

This is another game that has been on the list every year.  This is the classic deck building game, where players start off with a small starter deck, buy cards from a random set of available cards to improve their deck and get the most points.  This is a classic design that has proven to be something special based on the large number of games it has inspired.  We have all of the expansions so we are guaranteed to have a different experience every time we play.

4.  Race for the Galaxy

Race for the Galaxy moved back ahead of Dominion for me, which kept it at the same spot as last year.  Dominion does have a lot more variation and options, but that is only because of the expansions.  Race for the Galaxy, even with just the base set, is always fun and never feels played out for me.  The game has a perfect mix of strategy and tactics, luck and skill, player interaction and doing my own thing.  For me this is one of the best designed games there is, even if the learning curve is high.

3.  Federation Commander (+14)

Last year I had only played this game a couple of times, and put in my #17 spot.  I have played it a good deal since then and I absolutely LOVE this game.  I could gush and gush about how good this game is.  To put it in a nutshell, this game transcends the counters and hexes, it rises above the mechanics, and really makes me feel like I am in the captain's chair on a starship.   The only reason why this is not my #1 game is because Abigail HATES this game, and how much I can play the game with her really influences my opinion on a game.

2.  Warhammer: Invasion 

This game continues to be my second favorite game ever.  It also continues to be my most played game.  Chances are that by the time Gen Con is over in August, I will have played this game over 500 times.  I really like that it is easy to keep up with the Living Card Game model and get all of the cards.  I like building my decks, and I really like the interesting decisions in resource management this game provides.

1.  Memoir '44 

For the third year in a row, this continues to be my favorite game.  I really like how much this game offers.  At this point this game is really more of a system for simulating WWII battles than a game.  The rabbit hole goes fairly deep.  For example, in December my wife and I played this game and in order to play the scenarios we played required five different expansions.  This game offers a whole lot, and every time I play it I find myself liking the game a little bit more.  Memoir '44 continues to be my absolute favorite game of all time (for another year anyway).

The Issue That Divides Our Times

My post list is littered with drafts of post that I have attempted to write on this topic.  On multiple occasions I have started a post and then abandoned it.  The topic of course, is homosexuality-specifically homosexual marriage (or marriage equality if that is the way you prefer to address the issue).  I always stop because I am aware of my position.  As an ordained pastor, I need to be very mindful about what I post on the internet because it is all public.  I am mindful that everyone has an opinion, and I usually just assume most people disagree with mine.  I have stopped myself, because I had to ask, what fruit does throwing my opinion out there.  If a member of the church reads what I have to say, will it be edifying or will it be divisive?  The answer of course, with this issue anyway, is that it will be divisive.  This is an issue that EVERYONE has a firmly entrenched opinion in, and no matter how eloquently I try to explain why I am right, it is not going to really change any minds or build anyone up in anyway.     

However, this issue is coming to a head and one way or the other will be a watershed moment in our collective history.  I am sure you are all familiar with this symbol by now.


If you have a facebook account (or twitter account, or instagram account, or you know a computer) then you have seen this equal sign plastered everywhere.  It's ubiquity shows that this issue has gone from a fringe issue to one that occupies the public consciousness.  The popular way to deal with this issue is through simple inaction and delay, but I do not think that will work much longer.  As I said, it is coming to a head.

I will not be offering my opinion on the subject in this blog post, and if I do it right you will not know which way I fall (feel free to try and read between the lines if you like though).  However, I have a couple of observations on the issue that I feel are usually overlooked in the debate (and mostly name calling) that surrounds the issue of marriage right now.

The thing with marriage is that it is a very complex term, and when someone refers to marriage they are using the one word to simultaneously refer to three different institutions.

First, marriage is a religious institution.  I realize people who do not claim any faith get married as well, but for many people marriage is a first, and foremost a religious ceremony and spiritual event.  Often the people who oppose homosexual marriage oppose it from the religious basis.  I do not need to quote chapter and verses the scriptures that reference homosexuality as a sin-we all know they are there.   I am also very well aware that for every single verse, there is an interpretation or rationalization as to why that verse does not truly condemn homosexual marriage as a sin.  Since I am not giving my opinion I will not comment on the legitimacy or fallacy of those interpretations.  I think if the people (especially the people of faith) who are in favor of homosexual marriage are honest, then they have to admit that it is fully possible that someone can honestly come to oppose homosexual marriage on religious grounds.  What I wish we could all agree upon is that some people oppose homosexual marriage out of religious conviction.  That does not mean these people are bigoted or homophobic, it means they are trying to live a faithful life by not comprising their faith based beliefs.  

Second, marriage is a legal institution.  When two people get married they change their legal standing and their legal relationship.  There are certain legal rights and responsibilities that come with agreeing to be bound to another person.  There are hundreds of homosexual couples who live their lives together, like heterosexual married couples, but are denied basic things like family hospital visitation.  Often, when people speak of support of homosexual marriage, they are speaking from this legal perspective.  I think that if the people (especially the people of faith) who oppose homosexual marriage are honest, then they have to admit that this is unfair and that it can even be unjust.  I do question if the current conflict over homosexual marriage has the same weight and significance as the civil rights movement did, but there are clearly some issues of fairness that need to be resolved.

Third, marriage is a social institution.  To be married in our society means something.  People view and understand themselves differently if they are married rather than single.  Society has a certain understanding of what it means to be married, and what marriage is suppose to be like.  The current conflict over marriage is largely about the social institution of marriage, and how we as a society understand marriage.  If the conflict over homosexual marriage was based in the religious institution  then only churches would be having the debate.  If it was only the legal institution of marriage that was being debated, then those on the pro-side would be perfectly happy with civil unions.  However, it seems that ship has sailed.  Those in favor of allowing homosexual marriage do not just want the legal rights, it is now about having social acceptance.  Those opposed to homosexual marriage, oppose how society defines marriage because a change in the social definition will put a more traditional understand of the religious institution of marriage at irreconcilable odds with the larger culture.  

The fight is over the social institution of marriage.  The problem though is those opposed to homosexual marriage argue with understandings of marriage from the religious understanding, while those in favor if it argue from the legal understanding.  This means, that both sides essentially talk past each other.   Both sides feel like they have simultaneously fully articulated their point and been completely ignored by the other side.  This is more than comparing apples and oranges.  It is like one side is using apples the other side oranges, and they are trying to describe a pear.

Because the social institution is what the debate is about, then I think that society should decide.  A lot of people are hoping that the Supreme Court decision on California's proposition eight and DOMA will give momentum to their side.  I hope the supreme court does know such thing.  This is an issue that we the people need to decide on, not a court.     This is happening in 2012 three states voted to allow homosexual marriages.  Of course,  in that same year North Carolina  joined the list of states that added to their state constitution provisions that banned homosexual marriage.  That is why this is the issue that divides our times. With each election more states are going to pick their side, and we are going to keep picking different sides. Right now 29 states have constitutional amendments defining marriage as only between a man and woman, while ten states allow same sex marriages.  The  other 11 states (including Indiana) are going to have to go one way or another, because public opinion will demand it one way or the other.

I am very interested in how this develops.  I read every news story related to this issue, because it has PROFOUND implications for the church as an institution   However, since I am not giving my opinion I will not comment on that.  

I am not sure if this post has any real meaning or  really adds anything.  But it has been floating in my head for years at this point and I finally glad to get it out, so thanks for reading (or at least scrolling down to the end and reading this).

The Comic Book Post

The last time  I wrote about comics was a little over a year ago   At that time I had been reading a few issues of the New 52 relaunch for about six months.  Since then I have continued to stick with it, so this post is about what I am currently reading.

In September of 2011, DC comics hit the reset button on their entire universe creating a new jumping on point for people, and it worked. I am one of the new readers they drew in, and I know I am not the only one.  As of right now, I monthly read three titles.   Batgirl continues to be my favorite.  I explain why in my previous post, I liked to.  The story telling in Batgirl continues to be very well done, and Barbara Gordon is very easy to relate to.  She has a certain "everyman" appeal to how she is being written.  This series has me completely hooked, and more than any other I am in it for the long haul.

I also continue to read Batman, because it is Batman.  Batman has continued to be excellent.  I occasionally check in on some comic blogs/news sites and the word "legendary" is getting used a lot with this current run of Batman. For the most part the Batman series has consisted of two long story lines.  The first, the Night of the Owls, but Batman against a new foe, the Court of Owls- the secret controllers of Gotham City.  The second big story line was Death of the Family which was the biggest Joker vs. Batman story ever.

  I have continued to stick with All Star Western as well.  This is a Western(ish) series that places bounty hunter Jonah Hex in a 19th century Gotham City.  I have enjoyed the series, but I feel like the stories keep ending to quickly.  Each story arc has a great set up, an outstanding cliff hanger, and then a super rushed ending.  It has not helped, that for several months the back up story was one that I really did not like or care for.   I think at some point Hex is going to have to leave Gotham, and when he does that might be a good jumping off point for me as well.

One of the main reasons, why I am considering dropping All Star Western is because I want to keep the number of comics I read down to a manageable number.  If I am not careful, I could easily see my monthly "pull list" ballooning.   I read these on the iPad, which has several advantages.  One of the disadvantages though is pressing download and entering a password does not always feel like real money.

There are a couple of series I am considering branching out in.  For the past couple of months, I have been reading Red Panda.  This is a very pulpy hero who uses science to fight against supernatural forces.  The first two issues have been really fun, and they have also only cost 99 cents, which has been a big plus.

I also the past couple of months have checked out Green Arrow again.  Green Arrow is a super hero I like, and who I started reading at the beginning of the New 52 reboot.  However, I dropped the series for a variety of reasons.  The series got a new creative team, who are giving it a strong noir type of feel. I really want to get back into this series, and I like the idea of sticking with the current arc and seeing where it goes.

Last month, I also picked up the new Justice League of America (with the Indiana cover!)

This was a fantastic first issue, and I really want to read more.  However, I want to keep the total number of series I am reading down to four.

The New 52 reboot was so successful for DC comics that Marvel (the other big comic company) wanted in on it, and has the Marvel Now initiative going on.  This is not quite a reboot like the DC one.  All of the Marvel comics universe contuinity is still present.  However, they coordinated it so that all of their flagship titles are at a good jumping on point, and to show that they re-titled many of them and started them back over at #1.   This was a few months ago, and as a promotion they recently made all of the Marvel Now #1s free for a limited time.  I read them all, and I only really liked a couple of them.  Even though they had series at good jumping on points, I still fell lost in some of them.  This was especially true for FF #1 and New Avengers #1.  I did like Savage Wolverine quite a bit, and the first issue did leave me wanting to read more.

Of the Marvel books, the ones I liked the most were Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers Arena

I liked the Sci-fi super hero take of Guardians of the Galaxy.  Other than Iron Man, who was kind of squeezed in, I was not familiar with many of the characters, but the 24 pages that introduced them made them all seem interesting and left me really wanting to know more about them, and what was going to happen next.


Avengers Arena is essentially The Hunger Games with super heroes, which sounds like an awesome concept.  Of all the Marvel books this is the one that I would want to read.  Reading the Marvel books is a hard sale for me though.  One of the advantages of the DC comics is that a month after they are released the price drops by $1.  This means that I have been reading the issues one month behind their actual release.  Marvel does not drop prices like that, and many Marvel books cost $3.99 (as opposed to the DC $2.99).  Still, Avengers Arena  is one that I might like to get when the issues get collected into trade paperback form.

I was really big into comic books in middle school and early high school.  My involvement with them this time is much more restrained, but I think I might be in for the long haul.  Connor is really starting to show an interest in comic books.  For example, this evening for a bed time story I "read" him two Batman comics.  That, by the way, was his choice (and it was 100% unprompted).  We have taken two trips together to the comic book store, and he absolutely loves going there and looking around.  Since his birth, one of my small hopes is that comic books is something that Connor and I could share together, and it looks like that might be happening.

Mandatory catch up post

I think that it is now an established tradition that in February/March I sort of just disappear from this blog.  I think it has happened more years than not.  

This year it happened for a couple of reasons.  First, February kind of kicked my butt.  I spent the majority of it on crutches, and I also spent it super buys getting ready to be on paternity leave.

Second, Callie was born.


Since her birth, I have been on paternity leave and it has been a true blessing.  For the past four weeks, I have been home and I have been able to help Abigail with the care of Callie.   This was extremely important the first couple of weeks home from the hospital because Abigail needed some extra assistance, and it was good the next two weeks because Connor did not have preschool because of spring break.  I have a little of anxiety about being away from ministry for so long, but I know that that is anxiousness I need to let go of.   We have a college intern covering youth group, and ministry can survive with out me being present for a few weeks.

I am very thankful that the United Methodist Church is willing to support families by having such a generous leave policy, and I am even more thankful that they did not reserve it just for mothers but extended it to fathers as well.  I am also thankful that Avon UMC has been so supportive in me taking the leave.  I suppose someone somewhere might be upset about it, but I have received nothing but positive affirmation of it.

So far Connor has been the best big brother.  He is always sweet and gentle with Callie.  He is always wanting to hug her, he says "awww" everytime she opens her eyes, and he is quick to share toys with her (as long as he can take them back!)   He does not stress out when she is crying and overall has been a great kid.

Callie is not quite yet sleeping at night like we would like, but she is only one month old so that will come.

Now that Connor is back to pre-school, I feel like there is now a little bit of time to do things like write blog post, which I plan on doing now that I got this one out of the way.

What I want to do this year

This is a little late. . .well since the year is already 1/12 over I guess it is a lot late.  I sat down to right this blog post multiple times last month, and every time I would get started the motivation instantly left me.  These really are not goals, because often goals imply some sort of higher, making yourself a better person or accomplishing something purpose.  For all intents and purposes these are just things I want to do throughout the year that do require a little bit of intentional emphasis to make sure they happen.

1.  Read More
One thing I do not want to do anymore is waste so much time endlessly clicking around on the internet, so when I have a bored half an hour here and there, I would rather read a book.  I knew that this something I wanted to do, so I laid the ground work by soliciting for book suggestions here.   Then for Christmas I asked for several of those books.  It worked because I ended up being gifted seven books.  I have already read two of them including Lost Fleet: Dauntless, which was an absolutely awesome military sci-fi book.  I just started reading Boneshaker, a steam punk book (with Zombies of course).  I have a couple of other books to read like Dune.   So far I am off to a really good start on reading and I want to keep it that way.   

2.  Read a History Book
I remember in college Dr. Gahan saying how good it is to write a history paper from time to time, and it is something that we will probably want to do for fun when we get older.  I remember with the rest of the class laughing at how absurd that sounded, but I think that he might be right.  I do not think I will actually write a paper this year, but I am ready to do some academic reading again.  I have essentially avoided reading at the academic level since finishing seminary (I can't believe that will have been four years ago this year!).  I have read a couple of history books since then, and I have done professional reading but none of it was really aimed at the academic level.  I would like to read a "real" history book this year.  I do have on 1st century Israel that I saved from a "free book" pile, but I am leaning towards looking for a book on Naval warfare in the Napoleonic era because that is something I would like to learn more about.


3.  Make my own game (still)
So two years ago I said I wanted to do this, and I did.  In the months of August and September of 2011 I made a very simple space combat game to enter into a contest.  I think I finished next to last.  It was not a bad game, but it was not great.  Last year when I made a similar post to this one, I had a similar entry but it did not happen in 2012.  This is mainly because the project we took to play and (blog) through all of our games was a lot more time consuming than I originally thought.  I have two game ideas that I am really interested in pursuing, really developing out, and seeing if they can be made into something worth sharing with others.  At some point, I have probably mentioned this one but one is a dodge ball card.  This is the idea I tinkered with just a little bit last year.  I do think that it does a good job at simulating an actual game of dodge ball, but I am not sure if that actually converts to a good table game.  The issue with dodge ball is the end game, when one team is down to their last person, can really drag out and slow down.  The other idea is one a two player duel game where players make their own airships and then battle it out.  I really like the idea of creating and customizing something of my own each time.  We will have to see how it works, but I think some of the ideas I have will allow for some depth in the creation and customization while still allowing for accessibility in the actual game play.

4.  Play at the game store more  
Avon has a game store, but I do not frequent it much.  There board game selection is a little limited.  Like most game stores they make their money in miniatures and Magic cards.  The biggest reason for not going there often, is the store is not the most welcoming.  At least it wasn't.  I did notice in the handful of times that I was there last year that the owner and employees seem to be making a purposeful effort of being more welcoming and open.   Working at a church, I do not get to interact with non-Christians that often and that is not a good state affairs.  I believe it is important for believers to intentionally be a shining light in the world.  I believe it is important for Christians to purposely form relationships outside of the church.  I know that my best venue for doing this is through playing games.  I have a couple of friends in the Avon area who play games already, and this year I really want to be intentional about meeting up with them at the game store to play games so that I can get to know the regulars of the store better.  Of all the things on the list, this is probably the one most important to me and the one that I am most serious about wanting to see happen this year.

5.  Paint More Miniatures
I have heard people who get tatoos talk about how it is "addictive" and once they get inked once they want to keep getting more.   That is kind of how I feel about painting miniatures.  I painted miniatures on two different instances last year, and I really enjoyed it.  I want to paint more.   I see several venues for going about this.  First, I already have a couple of miniatures teams for ElfBall, so I could get another one so that when I play this game with people there are more than two team options.  This option is kind of attractive, because the price for Elfball miniatures just dropped.  I already have one miniatures game, Dystopian Wars, and I could get more miniatures for that.  The faction I chose has some really cool looking gun ships and a couple of fantastic zeppleins.  The big advantage to these is the individual miniatures are not to expensive, and since they would match the color scheme of my current fleet I already have the paint.  The third option is to get some Western miniatures.  I have rules for a Western game, and I do really like the ruleset.  I originally intended to use paper-minis (which I have the files for), but it would be fun to get some real miniatures and paint them for that game.  The final option is to get a mini-heavies board game.  For some reason this is an area that has really expanded in board games recently, and there are several options like Zombicide, Rivet Wars, and Super Dungeon Explore.   These games all have a somewhat high price ($70-100) but they have a ton of miniatures so it would give me a lot to paint.  Plus, being a board game there is a better chance of being played more often.  

6.  Not Get in a Professional Rut
In July of this year, I will begin my 5th year at Avon, which is excellent!  At this point I am very much established in ministry here and that is a good thing, BUT that means it can also be too easy for me to fall into a trap of doing it how we've always done it.  This does not mean I have to necessarily throw out everything that has worked well and start over, but this is a really good time to evaluate things, really focus on how to do the good things better, and try some new stuff to provide an overall stronger youth ministry program that connects with more teens.
  

The Odds and Ends Blog Post

I have had several blog posts ideas, and I have even started some of them, but I felt kind of "blah" about all of them.  So instead I am just going to hit the high points.   So here are the things that are on my mind right now.

1.  Star Trekking Across the Universe! 
All of last year was a slow but steady increase in my interest in Star Trek.  While I was always a casual Next  Generation fan my interest in Star Trek has increased to the point where I would say it is something I officially geek out about.  My interest in Star Trek was fueled by three things.  In 2011, I got a DVD that had over 500 Star Trek comics on them.  Throughout 2012, I read these comics.   The second thing that really fueled this is Federation Commander.  As I have mentioned previously, I really love this game about starship combat, and I seriously can not play it enough.  My interest in the game has really fueled my overall interest in Star Trek.  The final thing that has really helped is the fact that all Star Trek episodes are on Netflix.  What makes this especially nice is that Abigail has started enjoying them with me.   Since October/November I have been watching Deep Space Nine.  Recently, Abigail has also gotten into the show as well.  Recently, she also watched an original series episode and she enjoyed that as well.  This will probably continue throughout 2013, because after we finish Deep Space Nine, I want to finish all of the original series which I have only been watching periodically.  I also plan on playing a lot of Federation Commander this year (I seriously, can not emphasize how much I ALWAYS want to play that game).  Finally, I have made it my tradition to run a role playing game at Gen Con.  The event that I submitted for this year, is a Star Trek RPG where the players will be an away team from the Armstrong surveying a new world, only to encounter Romulans!  

2.  Reading a lot this year
One of my plans for this year was to read more.  I took steps towards this in December by getting several books for Christmas.  I already read one of these books.  I read Red Harvest, a Star Wars Zombie book.  I still have several books to read.  This includes a steam punk book, the latest book in the Game of Throne series, a highly recommended sci-fi epic, and a Halo novel.  I hope to finish these books in the first 6 months of the year.

3.  A lot of time sitting.  . .
I have not written about this, but I recently had knee surgery.  I have a torn meniscus, and it turned out to be torn worse than thought.  As of right now I have to stay off my leg completely, and it could be that way for quite some time.  I am already a little annoyed by having to use crutches, but it will all be better eventually.

Top 10 Memories of 2012

This continues to be Abigail's favorite blog post of the year.  2012 was a bit of an odd year. There were a lot of transitions  and things never went quite as planned.   This is true from Abigail breaking her foot in May to me tearing a meniscus in December.  Now that we are in 2013, it is time to look back.  Here are the top ten things I will remember from this year.

10.  Funeral
Not every memory is a good one, and this qualifies. In February Abigail's step father passed away, and I had the honor of doing the funeral.  It was hard, probably one of the hardest things I have ever done.  It is not a memory that I want, but it will be one of thing that stick with me the most this year.

9.   Good Friday
At Good Friday in 2012 I did a monologue as John.  It went well.  Really well.  It is rare to do something that feels forth wile, and to really feel like it was done as good as it could be done (at least for me anyway).

8.  Warhammer Invasion Tournament
In April I tried to prove I am not really that old.  After an all night lock-in, I slept for a couple of hours and then spent the entire day playing in a Warhammer: Invasion regional tournament.  I was tired all day, but I also had a lot of fun, and I finished 3rd.  However, I may be getting to old to try things like that.

7.    Gen Con
I suppose as long as I make these lists and attend Gen Con, then Gen Con will be on the list.  Gen Con is always one of the highlights of my year.  Once again, Abigail accompanied to Gen Con.  Every year I have a blast but I am always left feeling like I could balance it all better next year.  This year I did not balance spending time well with Abigail at Gen Con.  A lot of my favorite things I did  this year(play Elf Ball, play a Star Wars miniatures game, play in the Warhammer: Invasion tournament, and True Dungeon) were done without her.  It is hard to find the balance, because Gen Con is my chance to do gaming that I can not do any other time of the year, but I also would like to spend it with Abigail.

6.  Chicago Trip
During the summer it is the custom here to take a "fun trip" with the youth group.  This year we went to Chicago.  It was really a great trip.  We had great weather, a lot of fun at Navy Pier, and incredible Chicago style pizza.  The Sears (Willis) tower is really expensive for what it is, but I suppose it is one of those things you have to do in the city.  Afterwards, the boys wandered around the city together while the girls shopped.  That was really a lot of fun, as was riding the train in and out of the city.  It is going to be really hard to top that trip this year!

5.  All Day Game Day
In November our game group hosted a 24 hour game marathon fundraiser to raise money for Riley's children hospital.  All told, I think we got somewhere right around $1,000(ish). We also played games for 24 straight hours from noon on Friday to noon on Saturday.  I got to play a lot of fun games that ranged from the epic Through the Ages to the goofy Star Trek: Next Generation VCR game.  It was a lot of fun, and I look forward to doing it again this year!

4.  Mission Trip
Like Gen Con, I suppose as long as I am in youth ministry I will probably always include one of these trips on the list.  In 2012 we took the Sr. High to Nashville, TN.  In Nashville we worked with children putting on a VBS like program.  It  was a great trip where the youth got to truly experience the love of Christ by sharing that love with young children.  The trip was a powerful God encounter for everyone on it.  It was so worthwhile, that we will be returning again this year.

3.  Train ride
We took Connor on a train twice this year.  Once in November and the first time in September, this entry is about the first time.  We rode a train in French Lick.  It was a diesel train (which Connor will tell you) and we went through a tunnel (which he will also tell you).  He will still talk about the train ride today, so it made quite an impression on him.   He loved it, and I think it may be the happiest I have ever seen him.  That made quite an impression, and a memory that I will remember.

2. The project
This may be cheating a little, becaue it is not a single memory.  However, 2012 will always stand out for me as the year we played all of our games.  Abigail and I set out to play through all of our games in a year AND write a blog post about them.  We did that.  We started out with 166 games, but we started trading games in the middle and ended up playing 202.  We did all of that in 10 months.  It was a lot of fun to share that together and we both really got into it.

1.  Ordination

So the single biggest life event I had this year was ordination.  This was the culmination of  a process that began with a calling in 2004 and a process that started in 2005.  There are a lot of steps in that process and a lot of work involved as well.  It felt really good to finish that process and be entrusted by the United Methodist church to serve in the office of deacon.

So that is 2012.  2013 promises to be a big year.  We already have a lot planned, and there will be some big events.  I will be having surgery for the first time this year, and this is the year that I become the father of a daughter.  2013, let's do this!