Greetings! I hail from the city of Toronto (Ontario) where the summers are muggy and winters are sloppy. In other words, the weather is always perfect for a game night in. This works out fantastically because I, my partner, and our friends are all gaming enthusiasts.
At the age of four I played my very first video game: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on a Sega Genesis… and as I write this I realize that that was nearly thirty years ago… good grief, Sonic is old…
…anyway! On that fateful day- sitting on my brother’s bed, staring in awe at the blue cartoon hedgehog zooming around collecting rings on the 15-inch TV screen- I fell in love with video games. Gaming was the rainy-day entertainment of my childhood. A means of escape as I grew older. An absolute godsend during my lonely undergrad years. Online friendships forged in the unassuming green text of guild chats sprouted into real-life and life-long connections.
Now I play for all these reasons and more. But mostly for fun. I take fun very seriously.
While video games was love at first sight, my passion for board gaming enjoyed a more gradual upslope which started sometime in high school. I suspect that my 4ish-year obsession with Yu-Gi-Oh the TCG may have served as a gateway. Pair that with the realization that there are way better games out there than the typical “cottage collection of board games” starter pack. (I’m looking at you, Monopoly and Battleship).
Then in 2013 this guy, Karujin, took me out on a date to a board game café. We played a few games and shared a bowl of nuts. Now we live together, have a dog named Junimo, and continue to play games at least once a week. Our collection has grown exponentially since we started dating.
The truth is, on our first date I lost two of the three games we played and I’ve spent the better part of the last decade trying to catch up, overtake, and claim the title of Ultra Epic Board Game Master.
I jest. There is no such title. And anyway, I am not nearly competitive enough for that. Winning is nice but I play for the fun of it. For me, gaming is a space where we can temporarily cast aside societal pressures and expectations, shed our personas, and just play. It’s like coming home after a long day, kicking off your shoes, and settling in to your favourite chair.
The space is familiar, inviting, and… cozy.
So, welcome.
To the Cozy Game Nook.