I asked a question at a forum (Utah Game Developers yahoo group) about what people are playing lately. Here I answer my own question, after a sad explanation of everything I don’t play.

The last game I greatly indulged was Animal Crossing (hard to describe), which simulates time passages between game sessions. I passed the interval threshold of game-gluttony happiness, and the attention-starved neighbors and weeds overran: this only reinforced my wish to abandon them. I also got bored with materialism.

Other games I abandoned that all share the same cardinal sin of games; spawning you way too far back from where you progressed before death: Zelda Windwaker, Zelda 64, Homeworld, Half-Life. Far overdue investigations: Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, Neverwinter Nights.

I played and don’t like WarCraft III. You spawn impossibly micro-unmanageable armies of fantastic creatures to execute genocide. BIG. WHOOP.

But what I do play is Wario Ware occasionally (Frenetic weirdness and I think a riot), Super Smash Bros (a cartoon brawl), Super Monkey Ball (strange sporting), I’ve dipped back into trying to finish Metroid Prime (exploring a strange planet and destroying mutants), and the game I worked on.

My wife plays games more than me - or that is played before our first baby was born :) and lately she played Harvest Moon, which is so cool because it supercedes materialism. I’ve played it a little when I have time.

I’ve played board games more frequently lately, with family: Settlers of Catan, San Juan, some bidding/buying game I forget the titled of (and always get wolloped at), Ticket to Ride, Trias, Starship Catan. Own the world, build the most, build and own the best, own the train stations, outrun your contemporaries, ditto. Somehow these games are fun despite the themes.

And yet the answer to Darwinian/competition games is not induced sharing (emotional Socialism?) The place to get didactic is Family Home Evening (or how about just unconditionally praising instead of preaching?), but spare us of too much and get on with the games. Don’t mix the two. That’s weird.