@Bozz might recognise the cover image.
Because it was he that turned me onto the game a few weeks ago, but I had to wait to get it, because Hues and Cues wasn't available in Finland yet. However, they came in a couple days ago, and now I have one. So far, it is my wife, daughter and I playing, with three being the bare minimum for the game - with up to ten possible. We haven't really played it that much, other than to get Smallsteps accustomed to giving clues that get close to the colour markers. It is an easy game and might not have a huge amount of longevity, but it should be fun with a group.
With a few drinks under the belt.
The other game was also on backorder, so I got them together. Hitster is a music quiz game, where cards with QR codes are scanned that lead to Spotify, and then teams have to identify the song name, artist and place chronologically between their other collected cards. Again, an easy game, but it is is one best suited to people who are into music. Because it is hits across the decades, there is a lot of nostalgia associated with the pieces, and some good conversations. We played this at new year eve with my sister-in-law and her husband, and it was a lot of un - so I got a copy myself. This includes Finnish music in this version, so I suspect that not many people reading this will do well, so if you are picking one up, make sure it is one that is suitable for your area.
Now, something funny happened with getting Hitster, because I got a text message that Hues and Cues was ready to be picked up, but when I got there, they didn't have Hitster for me. The guy (owner of the games store) apologised and I said that they really should update their website, because it said fast delivery - and I had a game night planned. But you know, he was nice about it and I am not one to complain about these kinds of things. I worked in retail for several years, I know what some customers can be like.
As I was about to leave, he looked down at the delivery shelf and said "hang on, I will just check something" and grabbed a Hitster box with a sticky note on it for a customer, and went to the PC to check. The he said "you can have this one" and I replied, Thanks, but I don't want to screw over another customer. "Nah, it is held for one of my workers, I will buy him a coffee." I double-checked, and then triple-checked if it would be okay, and after he assured me it would, I was able to conveniently take both at the same time.
Score!
I don't think I have had something like this happen in Finland before.
It must have been the tears of disappointment in my eyes.
Anyway...
Next weekend I have invited over two couples to join us for a games night, and I am really looking forward to it. While we are good friends with both, they have never meet each other before, they are all competitive, and at least some of them are very into music. We will start with Hues and Cues so that Smallsteps can join in playing, but she will also be the host of Hitster, doing the scanning and judging. It should be a great evening, with some easy food like nachos and some wine and drinks to keep people talking. Well, with these people, getting them to be quiet will be the harder part.
I have been really trying to be more social and actually organise to have people over at our place, because it seems so rare these days that people gather. I collected a group of people before Christmas, and I would like to have it more regular. What is the point of having space for more than three people to relax and enjoy, if no one visits?
The hope is that not only can these kinds of get togethers be more regular, they can also be called on shorter notice, and have a changing set of people who get to know each other over time, a bit like the random student parties I was invited to when I was first in Finland - though I wasn't a student. Always new faces intermixed with familiars, so there is no pressure to mingle, but also the bar to do so is far lower for the introverts, because they can be brought into a conversation with someone new, by someone they already know.
This is not a problem with the friends coming next week though.
For years now I have wanted to do more of this, but have always just kept putting it off, with various excuses, like not enough time. Now though, I spend so much of my time alone with my own thoughts, I need to chase the external conversations that I enjoy so much, that feed my curiosity and get me thinking more broadly. I love sitting down with people and getting into wide-ranging topic discussions, and just relaxing into the conversations. For me, it is not a burden (most of the time), it is energising.
Not all feel this way though.
But I am looking forward to it!
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
