German Board Games

Years ago, when I first moved to Michigan, Jay Dykstra and John Cropsey were in the business of insinuating themselves into frienships with new med students via engaging them in a German board game I had never heard of, called "Settlers of Catan." It was a glorious moment as I played my first game, though John led me astray and within 10 minutes of starting, it was evident my chances of winning were shot. I intend to remind him of this all through our upcoming decades of African life.

The wives of the above gentleman et al. were not big on this game. When I was first getting to know Rachel more, she sent me an excited email, asking if I had ever played a great game called "Settlers of Catan". I knew I had found an amazing woman. (So did all of my friends.)

Spiel des Jahres (German for "Game of the Year") is a distinctive prize that bears a seal found on the front of this game, and over the years, we have learned never to underestimate this accomplishment. A few years after Catan, "Carcassonne" took the prize, which has entertained us on multiple continents. In 2004, a new game called "Ticket to Ride" won, and Clayton and Teresa introduced us to this last Christmas. We dreamed about it for six months, and then Rachel bought it for my birthday present. Hours of fun, even though the Germans are a bit off on some of the finer points of American geography (like the fact that Maine is part of the US, and that Chicago is NOT in Indiana). You can even print off other international maps online, and last night the Faders had us over to play the North Africa version.