One of the greatest benefits to being a teacher is the time off during the holidays. The final lessons have been taught, the grades are in, and there is nothing to do for the next couple weeks except get together with family and friends. For an international teacher that amounts to a little more effort than many would think. Two of the days of the break were lost traveling back and forth to the States, and then there is always the headache of jet lag to contend with.
Still, with all of the downsides of getting there, it is still worth getting back to the place where I grew up. There is a certain sense of comfort being back in Colorado that I just can’t get anywhere else in the world. Yet the longer I stay away from the place, the more I feel like I am no longer a part of this place. I am always on the search for those things that remind me of my hometown when I am abroad to feel that same sense of comfort.
It can come in the most unlikely places as well. Seeing a fox curled up under a bush might not be a common thing to see in Colorado, but it is not out of place either. There are many times that I ran into wildlife during my decades of living in the state. I can’t even count the number of times I have come across deer, elk, coyotes, foxes, and raptor birds. They were always something to marvel at when I came across them, but at the same time, I did not believe that I would have to note every time that I did.
I do not come across wildlife in Jordan like I did in Colorado. That is not to say that I am not reminded of that wildlife form time to time. There are the moments where domesticated animals give me the same kind of joy that I would get when I see a fox sleeping underneath a bush. It makes me start to realize that there are not many differences between places in the world. I might sit in Jordan over the school year and miss the place where I came from, but it takes me going there and back again to realize that I can find the same kind of joy no matter where I am in the world. It just takes a matter of perspective, and a shift of attitude. And traveling to my home state allows both of these things to happen. It makes coming back to my current life a pleasurable experience.
I know that I am not the only one that made this voyage over the holidays. I could see it in the airports with their packed in crowds, and people weighing their bags to make sure they could return home with all of the presents that they received. It is a wonderful distraction this time of year. It allows us to take pause and reflect on the life we have and we are living. I am grateful that I am given that opportunity to be able to do that every year, and I hope you find yourself in a similar situation.
Have a Great New Year, and I am looking forward to sharing my adventures with you throughout the course of it. Thanks for reading.
The end of the holidays are now here. It’s time to take down the decorations, And put away the cheer until next year. We have one day without expectations; We’ll use it to brush off our hangover, And build the resolve for reality. It will give us the expected closure That, in this time of year, we’ve come to see. We will embrace the darkness of Winter. Hiding within our dimly lighted cave, The hibernation will never splinter ‘Til the melt helps us escape our enclave. We’ll return to the lights of the season When the earth finishes its rotation.
The year 2023 was the first year that I kept track of the games I played throughout the year. I took on this challenge because I have always loved to see what other people who enjoy the hobby have considered their favorite games at the end of the year. I had played a total of 55 different games that ranged from simple card games like Mississippi and Hearts, to digital games I have found as apps that I can play while I travel around the world, to table top games that I have enjoyed with my friends and family. I used the ranking system on the website Meeple Pub to come up with this list and made minor adjustments after I saw the results. It is a subjective list of games that I have enjoyed, and I understand that my tastes in games might not be the same as other people. I would still love to hear what you think about the list, and if you have any recommendations for me to hunt down and try next year as I start the list all over again please tell me those games in the comments below.
In the meantime, please enjoy the list of my top twenty games I played in 2023:
20. Lords of Waterdeep
This is one of the older games that appears on this list. It first came out in 2013, and is a simple worker placement game that takes place on the Sword Coast in the Dungeons and Dragons universe. Though there have been many other worker placement games that have come out since its arrival, this game’s simple design is still fun to play today. The stories it tells are definitely in the Dungeons and Dragons universe, but they do not tell the stories like other games will. The challenges are more there for fan service than anything else, but it is still does not take away from the overall game play.
19. Sushi Go Party
This is the perfect filler game. It only takes a couple of minutes to explain how to play, and once you get started playing, the fun is endless. I prefer the party version of this game to the regular card game because there is enough variety in the box to allow the game to change to make it more challenging for people who have played it a few times, or just basic for beginners. The artwork is a lot of fun, and I love the pass mechanic. It helps to feed into the theme, and it makes me feel like I am at a sushi restaurant in Japan where you sit there and watch the sushi go by, taking only what you want to eat. Its quick game play makes it a must own for anyone who likes to play board games.
18. Scythe
Most of the time when I get to play this game, I play it through the app on my tablet. It is fun, but it is a lot more fun when I get to play it with a physical copy of the game and a group of people. This game actually plays better at a higher player count which makes it hard to get to the table. The complication of the game also does not fare well for those that do not like more difficult games. A lot of these thing play against me ever getting to play the actual game, hence the app. Still, it is a great game that combines area control, and resource management wrapped up in a theme that you will never find anywhere else. The artwork for this game is also outstanding, and it makes me want to try out the new game from Stonemaier Games that is set in the same universe, Expiditions. It will definitely be one that I will be on look out for in the new year because of the way I enjoy playing Scythe.
17. Sagrada
Who would have known that dice could be this fun? This puzzle is a great one to play and it looks absolutely beautiful when it is all finished. This is another one that I play as an app more than with live people, but it works really well on the app. Either way it is a challenge to make a stain glass window for the famous Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona. The drafting process works really well, and it is fun to try and complete the puzzle while collecting points. I never tire of its mechanics and it will probably stay this high on my list for years to come.
16. Wingspan
For many of the people I play games with, this would be in their top three. This is a beautiful tableau builder whose collection of cards can create an amazing engine that is fun to watch in action when everything gets triggered. It is also fun to read about all the birds and learn more about the ones who can be found in the Western hemisphere of the world. The problem comes for me, when people come over to play games at my house, they always want to play Wingspan, and that does not allow me to play other game I have as much. They play it once in a while; whereas, I play it all the time. It seems to be the only game I get to play. It would probably rank higher on my list if I didn’t play it as much.
15. Arkham Horror: The Card Game
I bought this game because a lot of reviewers claim that it is one of the best solo board games out there. I knew that there was going to be a period this year where I would be on my own for awhile, and this would scratch that board game itch when I couldn’t get people over to my house to play a game. The rules are a little bit fiddly, and take a couple play throughs to figure out. Because of this, I have not played it much, but the last time I played, I figured out those rules, and I started to see why people love it so much. I expect this to land much higher next year. It is atmospheric, and probably one of the best story telling games I have experienced.
14. Pandemic
This is the first game I will open up as an app when I am traveling, and I have wasted a lot of time trying to save the world from the deadly diseases out there. Not only will I play the app, but I also have a physical copy of the game that I will pull out from time to time to try my hand at saving the world. Even though this is a cooperative game designed to play up to four people, I find playing it by myself more fun. I do enjoy playing when I have somebody to play with that knows how to play, but that is hard to do. Most of the time when I play with other people, I find myself quarterbacking, and taking over the game. I love the game, and it’s an amazing cooperative game, but the quarterbacking aspect of the game is its biggest flaw, and the reason that it falls down here on the list.
13. Raiders of the North Sea
I have only played the base version of this game. I know that there are some expansions to this game that makes it more complicated to play, but I have not taken the leap yet to try these out. That aside, it is still one of my favorite worker placement games out there. I love the way that you take a worker and place a worker in the village. It means that some times certain actions are not available to you. I also love the dual aspect of the cards, and though you might have a lame fighter, they can be used in other ways to achieve victory. It creates one of the most thematic worker placement games out there, and the tension in this game works well to tell a great story.
12. Carcassonne
This is easily one of the oldest games to appear on this list. It has become a modern classic in the board game hobby. Its premise is pretty simple as players work together to create the landscape of the French region of Carcassonne during the medieval period complete with roads, towns, plains, and abbeys. It creates the perfect puzzle on your table top, and there is something satisfying placing that perfect piece that completes one of the features that you are working on. It is pretty easy to teach as well, and is one of the perfect gateway games to get more people into the hobby.
11. Fort
This is the first game to appear from one of my favorite publishers, Leder Games, and easily the least complicated. I first got this game to take with me on my travels so I could play more complicated games with my wife, and the first couple of plays were not as satisfying as I had hoped it would be. I enjoy the mechanics of building a deck by pulling kids from other people’s yards, and how this makes the cards move around the table, but in the end, it is a race to see who can build their fort the fastest. This was until I added the Cats and Dogs expansion. Now, I will not play the game without either cats or dogs or both of them. It changes the game quite a bit, and allows winning conditions to happen that don’t necessarily have to do with building the fort the fastest. If you are ever considering getting this game, make sure you have that expansion because it turns the game into one of my favorites out there.
10. The Crew: Deep Sea Mission
Just everybody who adds the Crew to their list, there is a little bit of cheating going on. When I created this list using Pub Meeple, I had put both versions of this game on this list because their game play is a little different. Both of them appeared on the top twenty games of the year, so I did not think that it was fair to include both. I combined them under one entry, and included the Mission Deep Sea as my favorite between the two. This could be the best cooperative game ever created. It combines the trick taking mechanic with limited communication to get rid of the quarterbacking problem that occurs with other cooperative games. I love playing both versions of this game, and you cannot go wrong with either one. When I do start playing, the group I play with is always saying one more round, and we keep on saying that until late in the evening. It is completely addictive, and I have not met a person who does not enjoy playing this game.
9. Root
This is the second game from Leder Games to appear on this list, and the first one that is designed by my favorite designer, Cole Wehrle. He is doing things with board games that no other designer is doing, and he creates new experiences with each game that makes the rumor of a new game from him an exciting prospect. The only problem is that his games are complicated, and there is a high learning curve needed in order to understand how to play his games. Root probably has the highest learning curve. The asymmetric design of this area control game creates amazing game play (I enjoy playing the Eyrie the most), but makes it really hard to teach others how to play the game. Still, if you can find a group to play this games with, it will easily become one of your all-time favorite games. I just wish I could get it to the table more often because I really like to play it.
8. Eldritch Horror
This is the last of the cooperative games that made the list, and though I do not believe it is the best cooperative game ever made, it is the one I enjoy playing the most. It is a little complicated, and the rules are a little fiddly. However, the engine that is used to run this game is amazing, and it creates a great storytelling adventure every time I have played it. Because of the complication of the game, there is no one who can run the whole game, so it takes away the quarterbacking problem encountered in other cooperative board games. The rolling of the dice that the players have to do for each encounter makes it feel like you are a part of the game every time. I think it plays best at three or four people, but I did enjoy the time I played it with eight people this year. It is a long game though, and because of this extensive game play, it does not get to the table as much as I would like it to. Still, it is an unforgettable experience every time that it does.
7. Everdell
Everdell will always hold a special place in my heart. It was the first modern board game that I got during the Covid pandemic that got me back into the hobby. It is also the first worker placer game I ever played even though I was familiar with the resource management aspect due to other games such as Catan and Warcraft 2. Still, this was the perfect game to take me through the pandemic. The artwork is beautiful. The game play is challenging enough, but also relaxing enough so it does not cause stress while playing it. My favorite aspect of the game has been its expansions. At this time, there are a total of five expansions, and I own two of them, Spirecrest, and New Leaf. Both of them have added new mechanics to the game, and have given a breath a fresh air to Everdell any time I feel like the game is getting stale. It is not just nostalgia that keeps this game this high on my list, but also the fact that it knows how to reinvent itself.
6. Imperial Assault
I love this game, but at this time, I have not found that group to play it on a regular basis. It is a great dungeon crawler with a fun campaign mode that tells a great story in the Star Wars universe. The rules are really simple, and it comes with a tutorial scenario that makes learning the game easy. I wish I could get it on the table more often because when I have played through the campaign I have had a lot of fun. Just like other games on this list, I will continue to push it on my friends in the hopes that one day I will be able to play through it again, and maybe even experience some of the other campaigns that are available for it. There is also a solo mode that can be played through an app that I might try this year if I cannot get others to join me in its experience.
5. Dungeons and Dragons
Some people might call this game to be a cheat because it is a role playing game and not a board game. I would argue that at any time you get around a table with a group of friends and follow a set of rules that allow you to enjoy each others’ company that you are experiencing exactly what makes this hobby great. This is easily the game I have played the most this year, and always with the same group of people. It is a weekly session that I always look forward to, and as of right now we are half way through the Out of the Abyss campaign. It also adds one of my favorite aspects of table top gaming, storytelling. I could not recommend this game enough for anybody that loves the act of storytelling. It is a great form of escapism, and there have been so many times over the course of this campaign I have laughed so hard. The character I am currently playing might be one of my favorites of all time, and it is for this reason that this game ranks so highly on this year’s list.
4. Unmatched
I had always been interested in playing this game just because of its premise, bring together great characters from many different IPs, and have them fight each other in one on one combat. There are so many different versions of this game, and each character has it own unique system that makes the possibilities endless. I have only played the Legends, and Cobble and Fog versions of this game, and I have already thought of great ways to bring them together to create a competitive season where they fight each other to create a final outcome between the best two that would determine who is the most powerful of the collection. It states that you can play up to four people with this game, but it really shines when playing two player. They also have released an app that allows you to connect with people from around the world so you can scratch that itch at any time and get in a game. I can’t wait to explore this game more this year, and see what the other available characters have to offer.
3. Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile
Leder Games and Cole Wehrle pop up on this list again. This is easily the most complicated game of theirs that I have played, and also the one that is the best at telling stories. It combines a unique game play with a way to tell the history of the board contained in the box. I got this game two years ago, and I have had a few games here and there along the way. It has created a fun history of the board so far, but I had been struggling to get it on the table to continue to create that history. But I persisted in trying to get a group of people together to play this game more often and at the end of the year, I was rewarded for my efforts. I finally found the group, and we have played on a more consistent basis. The complication of the rules do not seem a bother me anymore because we are playing it more regularly, and the history we are telling is becoming richer because we are able to remember what has happened in-between each session. The games can be as short as an hour, or as long as three, but we get faster each time we play. I am glad that I have stuck with it, and it has become a favorite of mine to play that I hope to continue to play for many years to come. I would love to see where that history takes me.
2. Isle of Skye
I recently took a trip to Scotland and I wanted to bring with me a game that I would enjoy that would highlight the place I was traveling to. I found the app for the island I would spending a lot of my time at, and I tried it out. It quickly became a game I returned to again and again. I played it so much that I ended up buying a physical copy of the game with all of the various expansions. I have not played any of the expansions yet because I continuously teach people how to play the base game. Everybody who has played has thoroughly enjoyed the game, and it is one of those games that works better with a higher player count. At the same time it has simultaneous game play that you never feel like it drags when it is not your turn. I can’t wait to introduce enough people to this game so I can start introducing the expansions and see how much they change the game. It might be the newness of this game to me, but I love playing this game, and will always jump on the chance to bring it to the table.
2023’s Best Game: Chinatown
I love this game. The teach only takes five minutes, and the rules are really simple. However the gameplay is deep, and the pure negotiation aspect of this game cannot be rivaled. I have introduced it to many people, and I will say that this game is not for everybody. It is competitive, and at times, it can get loud as people negotiate for spots on the map, but every time I have played it, people have laughed, pushed to be the best business person on the board, and have generally had fun. It does have some concerns about its design, and it makes me wonder what they were thinking with some of the artwork. With that in mind, there is a re-skinning of the game that is supposed to happen this year which should solve some of these concerns. Despite that, the gameplay of this game is a blast, and it is easily the one I have had the most fun with when it is brought to the table. It is for this reason that Chinatown is my favorite game of 2023.
It has been another year around the sun, and it is time to look back and reflect on those moments that made this year great. It has been nice to know that the recent lockdowns brought on by the pandemic are behind us, and the world has opened up again. This means that travel is back, and many people took advantage of this fact to get out there and see many places on their bucket lists. I was no different. I was in eight different countries last year, three of which I have never been in before. During that time, I was able to tell you all about my experiences in this blog, and what follows are the posts from last year that connect with you the most.
Every year my siblings get together during the summer to go camping some place in the Colorado mountains. It has always been one of my favorite trips of the year because I get to visit with my family in one of my favorite places in the world, the Rocky Mountains. Usually, we get site at the state park close to Golden, Colorado, and spend our time hiking, cooking, and hanging around a campfire. It is a great place to visit if you find yourself in Colorado during the summer, and one I would recommend looking into.
It had been a few years since I had made it to Vietnam, and the last time I was out there, they were still putting in place the infrastructure to turn it into the tourist destination it has become today. Even before this, the Old Quarter in the heart of one of its greatest cities, Hanoi, held a fond memory in my mind. It is the place where all of the Vietnamese people converge to enjoy a night out. It has amazing food, jazz can be heard playing on the street corners, and there are tons of shops to find that perfect souvenir. I didn’t think it was possible, but it had become even busier than the first time I had gone out and visited, but still was worth the effort to make it back to.
There were many highlights from my trip to Scotland, but the one that stood out the most had to be the Isle of Skye. We arrived by ferry, and left by bridge, but spent the whole time exploring every nook and cranny that this island had to offer. Some of the best hikes in the country can be found here with views of mountains, rock formations, and the ocean that stretches out beyond. I was lucky enough to be out there during the off-season, but even then, we had to plan ahead to make sure we got reservations at restaurants, but still there were many times where it felt like we had the island to ourselves. It is one of those places that I know I will come back to visit again some day, and it holds some of the fondest memories from the year for me.
This was one of two poems I posted this year that made the list. It had been one of my favorite ones that I have written because it highlights one of the biggest reasons why I started this blog in the first place. I wanted to share those memories with people out there, and inspire them to go out and collect some of their own.
This was the first post I added this last year, and the second sonnet to appear on this list. It reflects on the time that I spent last holiday season in Oman, and like many poems I write at the end of the year and the start of a new one, it had me thinking about where my life had taken me. I know that nothing really changes on New Year’s Day, but it still is a nice time to take reflection of our lives, and think about where the next step in them will take. It is the reason you see so many posts like this one at the end of the year.
Edinburgh is easily one of my favorite large cities in the world. It is so atmospheric, and it reminds me of walking into a Charles Dickens’s story. One of the spots that I enjoyed the most stood at the edge of town. At this spot, a big hill, or small mountain, (depending on your perspective) beckons for you to hike to its top. Of course, I had to heed that call with a bunch of other people on one of the coldest days I experienced while out there. They call it Arthur’s Seat even though it has no connection to this legendary king. It is still worth the effort to see the view from the top.
Like a lot of people, during the Covid years, I got back into board gaming. It was something that I enjoyed a lot during my youth, and now that there are a bunch of games being created with adults like me in mind, it was the perfect time to get back into the hobby. Since then, I have spent some time with the games I have been adding to my collection by writing reviews about them. This year, I wrote about a classic light role playing game, Betrayal at House on the Hill. This wasn’t going to make the list this year, but right around Christmas time, it got a surge of hits as people started to wonder if this was a good gift or not. I just hope my review was helpful to them in deciding whether or not it was.
Though many of my travel posts come from other countries that I live near, I still do some traveling in the country I live in. I discovered a hidden spot this past year that has easily become one of my favorite in Jordan. It is not as dramatic as Petra, or Wadi Rum. It is not as touristy as the Dead Sea, or Aqaba. It is not as historic as Jerash, or Amman. But it is the place that many of the people of Jordan go to in order to unwind. Hidden in the mountains near the Dead Sea is a hot spring call Ma’in that I have found is the perfect place to unwind.
I travelled with my school’s track and field team to compete in a meet in Chennai, India this last year. It was a really busy trip, and I spent most of my time going back and forth between the school and the hotel with the team. I did have a short amount of time where I was able to get away to do some shopping for my wife for Valentine’s Day, and got to ride in a tuk tuk to get that shopping done. It was not the most unique experience of my life time, but it did make me reminiscent of my time spent living in Thailand.
It always surprises me what becomes the most popular post of the year. I usually think it would have to do with the ones I spend a lot of time on, and have deep philosophical things that I contemplate on. And then there are ones like this one where I got stuck waiting in Denver International Airport while waiting for the late arrival of my wife’s plane. I used to work at this airport, and it is currently undergoing a renovation, but it still has retained its weird nature. This post talked about how proud I am of my hometown as it retains its strangeness in this iconic airport.
We sit on top of our house on the hill, Turning our gaze over the salty sea, Knowing the time is ripe for them to kill From a grudge longer than this century. They use their accusing fingers to point; They use their clenched fists to thump on their pride, And their many martyrs, they will anoint Their reasons for why the others have died. They use their platform in order to shout Their grievances they have from the others, And never trying to give pause about How in the end they are all still brothers. You will find that when you fight to the end, Neither of the sides will actually win.
Was I ever asked to be a symbol To inspire all of a fledging nation? The image of my presence is noble When I sit out in my habitation. I can see why I was the one chosen, But I do not want your admiration. There is something that needs to be proven When you created this expectation. I just desire to take to the breeze, To soar above hasty agitation, And to make my home among the pine trees, My natural place in God’s creation. Please do not stamp me on your shirt and coin In your extreme effort to make more join.
You will face the east; I will face the west As we are given our introduction. I will face the east; you will face the west, Winding our way to our destination. You will face the east; I will face the west When we give out our first recognition. I will face the east; you will face the west, Sharing the feeling of indignation. You will face the east; I will face the west; A subtle smile is our conversation. I will face the east; you will face the west, Ending this maddening depravation. It is fun being herded like cattle, Preparing for our TSA battle.
You watch only a certain new channel That is different from the one I view, And we listen to various panels, Explaining how little the country grew. Why do your experts oppose my side so, Saying we do not know where we should go? They bang on desks, wag their fingers and crow About things they obviously don’t know. Can’t they see the facts in front of their face While condemning people who’ve done no wrong? The ideology that they embrace Will never allow us to get along. Could you listen to what I have to say? Because it can’t be heard over your bray.
It’s just a corner of the restaurant, But I believe that it is my kingdom. I’m given only an evening to haunt The mighty view over the city’s slum, And I can pretend I am not from there. As I take another sip of my wine, I comment on the pleas that I can hear, Knowing their problems will never be mine. It is not like they can climb up this wall To attack the place where I am seated. It’s a matter of time before I fall With my solutions never repeated. Tonight, I’d like to think I have a choice To save those under me using my voice.
John Collings 