Games Magazine

Although I started this blog primarily to talk about board games, I felt that I needed to devote at least one entry to the magazine that first exposed me to the world of hobby gaming. In the days before I owned a PC, I entertained myself with crosswords and other paper-and-pencil games. After years of the supermarket variety, I found Games Magazine and it was a revelation to me. The puzzles are more witty and challenging than anything I've found anywhere else.

How does this relate to board games? Well, in the back of every issue of Games Magazine is a game review section. When I first subscribed years ago, it only covered board and card games. Nowadays they also review console and PC games. There are also articles about the hobby, such as interviews with game collectors and reports on game conventions. Right before the winter holidays, Games Magazine puts out a "Games 100" issue with an expanded review section. I used to pore over the Games 100 issue each year and wonder what it was like to play those games. That planted the seed for the New Year's Eve game parties that I would host with my husband years later.

With the advent of widespread internet access, I doubt that many people turn to Games Magazine these days to learn about the latest Ticket to Ride expansion. However, for those times when you want to entertain yourself away from your computer, I still recommend it. Studies show that crosswords and other word puzzles help to stave off senile dementia, and Games Magazine provides some of the best.