In my job, I design experiences for online products and services that attract hardcore and casual gaming communities. Like many people who design products, I don’t necessarily fit in to the target audiences for the products I work on. I play some hardcore and casual games, but I’m not a big electronic gamer. I like board games, and not your average board games.

I play games like…

Bootleggers
Take on the role of enterprising bosses in the illegal alcohol trade of the 1920′s prohibition era. Deceit, lies, and alliances of convenience are the norm as players attempt to control distribution through money and corruption by muscling in on the competition, paying off the local law authorities, building underground speakeasies, and shipping trucks of “hooch.”

Power Grid
The object of the game is to supply the most cities with power when someone’s network gains a predetermined size. Players mark routes between cities for connection, and then vie against other players to purchase power plants that you use to power those cities. Players must bid for power plant and acquire reousrces like coals, oil, garbage or uranium to run the plants.

Bohnanza
A card game where you cannot rearrange your hand, as you need to play the cards in the order that you draw them. The cards are colorful depictions of beans in various descriptive poses, and the object is to make coins by planting fields of these beans and then harvesting them.

Through the Desert
Each player attempts to score the most points by snaking caravan routes through the desert, trying to reach oases and blocking off sections of the desert.

Guillotine
A card game where you play executioners pandering to the masses in the French Revolution, trying to behead the least popular nobles. Players take turns killing the ones at the front of the line until all the nobles are gone. However, cards canll manipulate the line order right before beheading.

Ticket to Ride Europe
A train adventure across Europe. From Edinburgh to Constantinople and from Lisbon to Moscow, you’ll build train routs through the great cities of turn-of-the-century Europe.

…and many more…

I like to play these games because many are simple and different for your average American board game. They are inexpensive, social, and loads of fun for hours.

Where do people like me fit into the gaming community? Where do board games fit into the gaming community.

Want to find a new and exciting board game? Ask me for some ideas and check out Boardgamegeek.com.