When did you start board gaming?

General Soreness

Awkward Squad
Aug 30, 2011
1,272
1,109
Melbourne
AFL Club
Collingwood
My gaming interst must have started around '76-7 - I recall we had a boardgame around the house based on the '76 Olympics. From there I got a game based on the movie 'Alien' a 'Star Wars' board game, and an Aussie Rules boardgame, 'Up There Cazaly'. Being as young as I was, they didn't keep my interest or their condition too well, but things changed when I got a copy of 'Crossbows and Catapults'. In high school I got a copy of 'Talisman' and from there gained an interest in historical conflict simulation games from a friend who used to play the room-requiringly massive 'War in the Pacific' with his ex-US Navy father. I moved into a flat during my second bash at uni to find that copies of some classic wargames had been left behind, including the '76 classic 'The Russian Campaign', which I still play in a global competition. From there I moved to tactical simulations of ancient warfare with Macedonian combined arms being my favourite type of army to play ...
 
Oct 3, 2010
11,910
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Sydney
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St Kilda
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Chicago Cubs
The first board game I recall playing was the Pan American Jet Flight game which my dad brought home with him from a trip to the US in the 1960s. If you're not aware of it the game consisted of a map of the world with different world ariports joined up with flight routes. There was a set of cards with different destinations. You selected from a pack several cards from which you had to travel around the world according to the sequence of your cards. The first one to travel to all destinations and return to your home airport (Sydney) won the game. I recall the card you didn't want to get was Keflavik in Iceland . It was a long way there and a long way back to the major flight routes.
 
The first board game I recall playing was the Pan American Jet Flight game which my dad brought home with him from a trip to the US in the 1960s. If you're not aware of it the game consisted of a map of the world with different world ariports joined up with flight routes. There was a set of cards with different destinations. You selected from a pack several cards from which you had to travel around the world according to the sequence of your cards. The first one to travel to all destinations and return to your home airport (Sydney) won the game. I recall the card you didn't want to get was Keflavik in Iceland . It was a long way there and a long way back to the major flight routes.
That doesn't sound like a terrible game :)
 
Oct 3, 2010
11,910
11,972
Sydney
AFL Club
St Kilda
Other Teams
Chicago Cubs
My gaming interst must have started around '76-7 - I recall we had a boardgame around the house based on the '76 Olympics. From there I got a game based on the movie 'Alien' a 'Star Wars' board game, and an Aussie Rules boardgame, 'Up There Cazaly'. Being as young as I was, they didn't keep my interest or their condition too well, but things changed when I got a copy of 'Crossbows and Catapults'. In high school I got a copy of 'Talisman' and from there gained an interest in historical conflict simulation games from a friend who used to play the room-requiringly massive 'War in the Pacific' with his ex-US Navy father. I moved into a flat during my second bash at uni to find that copies of some classic wargames had been left behind, including the '76 classic 'The Russian Campaign', which I still play in a global competition. From there I moved to tactical simulations of ancient warfare with Macedonian combined arms being my favourite type of army to play ...
Ah yes Russian Campaign. Great fun and easy to play solitaire. Out of interest did you ever play Jedko's African Campaign. An interesting game but I didn't play it as much as Russian Campaign. I never played War in the Pacific. I think the sheer size and scope was too intimidating.
I got into Talisman much later and gladly introduced my kids to it and they loved it.
 
Nov 3, 2006
13,556
9,376
Here
AFL Club
Carlton
About 2 months ago. After reading this board. Went and bought ticket to ride Europe based on comments here. I'm playing with a four and six year old so it's hardly competitive (though the six yr old is good now). Have now ordered takenoko -sp.? The panda one.
Another excellent choice. The kids will enjoy the theme of the game as well.
 
About 2 months ago. After reading this board. Went and bought ticket to ride Europe based on comments here. I'm playing with a four and six year old so it's hardly competitive (though the six yr old is good now). Have now ordered takenoko -sp.? The panda one.
Try Catan Junior - easy intro kids game.
 

Zubat

Rookie
Jun 6, 2016
37
27
AFL Club
Western Bulldogs
Just saw the mention of Crossbows and Catapults. One of my friends had that when we were kids, it was great. Pretty sure I'd still enjoy that now.
 
Sep 3, 2002
28,579
37,618
Adelaide
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Port Adelaide
About 2 months ago. After reading this board. Went and bought ticket to ride Europe based on comments here. I'm playing with a four and six year old so it's hardly competitive (though the six yr old is good now). Have now ordered takenoko -sp.? The panda one.
My boys were around 6 and 8 when we started accumulating board games a couple of years ago. A bit older, but one's we've gotten that they've been able to play without issues pretty much straight up are Forbidden Island, Cash & Guns and King of Toyko. My wife and I generally only get about once a month we catch up with adults for board games, so always on the look out for board games that are good for 2 players or are kid suitable (without being kids games).
 

Allan Shorty

All Australian
Sep 3, 2007
908
778
Chewin' qat in the outer
AFL Club
Western Bulldogs
My boys were around 6 and 8 when we started accumulating board games a couple of years ago. A bit older, but one's we've gotten that they've been able to play without issues pretty much straight up are Forbidden Island, Cash & Guns and King of Toyko. My wife and I generally only get about once a month we catch up with adults for board games, so always on the look out for board games that are good for 2 players or are kid suitable (without being kids games).
That's useful thanks. I want to get games they'll be happy to play when their older too. And good to extend them a bit beyond Operation.
 

Abram Jones

Debutant
Jun 18, 2016
91
12
Wisconsin (WI)
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
I don't even support N Melbourne!
I started to play board games as a young child. Quickly I was displeased with the simplicity of most common board games and started combining different mechanics from each and adding my own political and economic elements. Later in life I designed a board game, but never published it (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/33060/neighborhood-conflict). After that I created a digital board game based on it (which is still under construction): https://videogamegeek.com/videogame/112062/tactical-overload
 
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