I’ve been thinking about getting into boardgames for a while now but I’ve only recently started it doing it for real. I don’t really have much experience in this hobby. I was a fairly avid player of Magic: The Gathering and other assorted CCGs back in the day, but the only boardgaming I ever did was a few very memorable games of Space Hulk at the short-lived Temple du Jeu in Tours where I studied. Still, I’ve always kept half an eye on the field and felt a strange lust for those giant boxes filled with all manner of figures and dice.

It turns out that there’s a boardgaming cafe at City Mall here in Kota Kinabalu, which you can play the titles in their very extensive library for a modest table and food / drinks for each player, so my wife and I decided to give it a try. We played a game of Carcassonne with just the two of us a couple of weeks ago and on Saturday roped in my wife’s oldest brother to join us. We ended up staying a bit longer than expected and played a game of Carcassonne and a game of Settlers of Catan. We probably won’t be going every single week but I have a feeling that this is going to a regular source of entertainment for the both of us.

Right now, I’m thinking of buying a copy of Carcassonne: Hunters & Gatherers because it’s a great, easy-to-learn game to take out when we have family and friends visiting. I’m also thinking of ordering a copy of Arkham Horror, a highly regarded cooperative game that the cafe, CarcaSean, doesn’t seem to have in its library. According to what I’ve read it’s perfectly playable for two but would be better for more people. I’ve also been trying to connect with other boardgamers in town so that I can finally get into one of those epic games like Starcraft, Battlestar Galactica or Twilight Imperium. So if any friends want to give this hobby a try and are reading this, do let me know. We could always use more players!