The Interview
Admittedly, it’s been a while since I was regularly writing my thoughts on a blog. Oh sure, I have Instagram and Twitter, but those are more of a truncated take on the games I’m playing rather than a full-blown opinion of what I think about all things board gaming. So, here I am… again… trying this review thing, because the industry could use a healthy dose of snark in these “dark times.”
Today, for the inaugural post, I’ll be sitting down to have a candid interview with… myself; to give you, the reader, some insight as to who I am, how I got involved with gaming, and what you can expect from this blog going forward.

Me: So, tell us a little about yourself.
Also me: Well, it all started on a cold January night back in 1982. My mother’s water had brok…
Me… Uh, skip ahead a bit. We only have so much time.
Also me: Right, right. I got into gaming mostly through the maternal side of my family: my grandmother is a crossword-addicted Scrabble shark, and my mother is a teacher of ~40 years who was constantly bringing home Abstract games and test products from the Discovery Toys catalog. When I wasn’t constructing marble tracks, I was losing badly at Mancala or getting my ass handed to me via geriatric double and triple word scores. I learned, very quickly, how to hold my own in the aforementioned games.
Me: So now we know where your love of abstract games originated. But what about “modern games,” how did you get into those?
Also Me: Like a lot of my peers, I got into “the hobby” through Magic: the Gathering (circa 1994–95). My babysitter’s husband played constantly and was kind enough to teach me the basics when I expressed an interest in what he was playing. I continued with the game through high school and college (even paying for my first car and most of my collegiate books with tournament prize money), but stopped around 7th/8th Edition because I had more “grown up” things on which I needed to be spending my money.
My favorite decks were Prosperbloom and the Form of the Dragon/Epic Enchantment deck. I don’t play anymore, but I still read tournament reports and many of MaRo’s design articles because I think they have ramifications beyond just the TCG/CCG world. For those still wondering: I identify as a Johnny and my favorite color Pair is Izzet (Red+Blue)
Me: Ah, Red/Blue. A control freak who likes to wontonly destroy things. Sounds right up your alley.
Also Me: ಠ_ಠ
Me: *ahem* Moving on… What’s your history with reviewing? I know you’ve started and stopped something like 47 blogs…
Also Me: I don’t know that it’s been forty se —
Me: It’s been forty seven, just accept it…
Also Me: Fine… forty seven. WELL, in those myriad blogs, I’ve written about games and my thoughts on them for pages such as “Games and Grub,”Full of Chit,” and others. This blog was originally going to be called “Cult of the Sprue,” but that has a lot of miniature related connotations, so I came up with a better name and here we are.
Me: But why did you stop reviewing in the first place?
Also me: a combination of things honestly. First and foremost, I don’t think people in this industry value honesty as much as they say they do or like to THINK they do. Secondly, Video reviews are the hot commodity right now and I have no interest or inclination to start doing video reviews; so, that kinda puts me behind the curve. Finally, I have Bipolar disorder (something I used to hide, but don’t anymore); at times, I have really bad flare ups of the disorder, and coupled with prevalent impostor syndrome… sometimes I just want to walk away from things for a prolonged period of time. This, typically doesn’t sit well with people.
Me: So what’s different this time around?
Also Me: Frankly, nothing (or, nearly nothing). I’m still going to have terrible puns for article titles, and I’m still going to have a very “tell it like it is” approach to game reviews and op-eds. It’s my belief that every game has its good parts and its bad parts, and I think it’s my job to objectively cover both of these sides, regardless of whose feelings may be hurt by me doing so. Additionally, if I can keep at this and it takes off, we’ll try to have guest posts and interviews…but that depends on you.

Me: On Me?! But I’m you..
Also me… no, not YOU you! Like, the “royal” you… the readers, the people. You/I knew what I/You meant!
Me: Suuuuure…
Also Me: Anyway, that’s enough schizophrenia for today. Forthcoming reviews include: Fox & the Forest, Nmbr9, Ex Libris, and a Blast from the Gaming Past with the long lost games of KitschCon
