Inteview with a gamer no1: Emily.
Welcome to the first of a new series, lets meet our gamers. (Small confession these were submitted nearly a year ago.)
Please introduce yourself
My name is Emily Beavan. I am 43 years old and a relatively novice gamer compared to some members of the group. I’m married to Rob, and have 3 children who are teens/adults now and we developed our love of gaming from introducing things like Carcassonne, Ticket to Ride and Pandemic to them as children and visiting the Board Game café in Exeter where my daughter is currently studying at Uni. We play games regularly as a family and as my children are growing up its great to have a shared interest that we can still do together. Our tastes in games has grown up too and we are enjoying very much learning about new games from the group and getting a chance to play them with likeminded people.
How many games do you own?
105. Rob made me make a spreadsheet.
How many of your games have you not played?
About 37
What is your oldest game?
A 1930s solitaire board made from Bakelite does that count?
Last game you played?
Walking Dead Card Game against Abi (of course)
Best gaming experience?
Playing Dungeons and Dragons, in the 90s as a teen in a derelict Chapel by candle light!
Favourite colour to play?
Blue – Always Ravenclaw Blue
Favourite person / people to play with?
My kids
Your favourite game to play?
A new one. The last game I played is usually my new favourite.
Which game would you save if there was a fire?
Um – None! The Dogs!! But if the dogs were safe and I had time I’d grab my Harry Potter Cluedo as that edition is hard to find now.
What game advice do you have for a new gamer?
There are lots of different types of games out there – keep trying, until you find a style of game you like. Likewise there are lots of different types of gamers – some are more serious about it than others but don’t let that put you off!
You don’t have to be a Magic the Gathering Nerd or a Star Wars fan! But if you are then it’s a great way to meet likeminded friends.
What type / themes / styles of games do you like to play?
I’m basically attracted to pretty artwork or games with cute meeples. E.g. Yamatai, Kodama
I like to play games where you get to be a bit ruthless / competitive
But I love to play party type games with friends like – Sushi Go, Snake Oil, Bring your own Book. Something that makes everyone laugh until snot comes out of their noses.
I dislike long winded games like Talisman or things like X Wing where you have to keep spending money to buy another toy.
Can’t stand dice games or anything where you need to do maths as me and Numbers don’t get along.
How competitive are you and how often do you win?
I am secretly SUPER competitive. But I don’t sulk if I don’t win and still enjoy the game but play to win especially if playing against my husband Rob.
Generally, I always win when playing against Rob – despite what he may believe
What would your ideal game session be, with whom, where and what game? Be creative
Hmm. A party game like Codenames, Cards against humanity or snake oil at a social gathering somewhere cool – let’s say Hogwarts – and I’d invite Stephen Fry, Barrack and Michelle Obama, Eddie Izzard and J.K.Rowling – just because I like to imagine they’d be my friends if we ever met!
Have you any game and mental health / community related stories to share. Our charity this year is Mind and I think it is a great fit?
Playing board games with strangers is great if you suffer with social anxiety – like me. Basically, we are a bunch of people avoiding eye contact and having fun, often pretending to be a different character. It can be daunting meeting new people but board games provide a safe space and you have fun too.
Board games are a great way to manage stress and depression – another personal experience. It makes you re-connect and focus upon the now and the people in the room. It’s hard to be worrying about life when you are busy finding a cure for a disease or trying to fit Vikings into a longboat with a chicken and a sheep….
Finally what question would you want to ask of the next gamer to take this quiz.
Card sleeves or no card sleeves?