What I've Been Doing: Part 1

Editor's note: This is the first part in a three-part series, which focuses on what I'm doing with my time in Arkansas. Typically this is where the writer or editor would summarize the details about the next two segments to keep the reader interested, but I'm not about to spoil the surprise(s). This part focuses on the absurd amount of time I devote to games and gaming.

I love games. I love playing games. I love buying games. I love watching games. Basically, I'm every nerd's dream woman. I have wasted countless hours in a room full of dudes playing Harvest Moon, trying to befriend a monkey. I also have spent a lot of time playing and watching various card and board games, 87 percent of which were fantastic.

I am, however, VERY particular about who I play games with, especially board or card games. You don't want someone who's going to phone it in when times get tough in LIFE or Monopoly (typically around the 90-minute mark), and you don't want a serious sore loser who purposely throws the game because he doesn't give two craps about who wins. It's a delicate process; I can't help being selective.

Lucky for Jason, he fits the mold. And because we have no friends down here, he gets the luxury of playing with me all the time. Seriously. I was on a two-week kick that just ended. So there's that.

When Jason's gone, you know, working and stuff, I've found plenty to keep me occupied. Plus, I pretty much asked for all sorts of games for my birthday, and my awesome family delivered. (Except Caroline, but she got me an awesome fuzzy, lime green pullover that is perfect for this "winter" weather, so go CC!) So if you're looking for a new/old game to try or you just want to nod along in agreement with my superb choices, read on.

Phase 10

I first played this game in 2007 with my then-boyfriend and his family. And I think I won the first time, which usually cements my love for a game. It's the perfect mix of Gin Rummy and Uno, and it's so easy for people to understand. I bought it to show my family, and now the entire Skibinski clan has played at least a round or two. It's a hit during holidays when we want to play a game after dinner...and it usually involves low-stakes betting.

Monopoly

No, I didn't know how to rotate the photo. Sorry I'm not sorry.

Oh, Monopoly. I love to hate you. You may have seen my agonized posts lamenting the day I started playing, just to go back to it for one more game. It's a volatile relationship. Pieces get thrown, money gets stolen. Not to mention my addition and subtraction skills are not what they used to be (at 2 a.m.), and I get made fun of all the time. Jason and I tried to play his Cardinal-opoly once, but the money stuck together, he ended up getting Yadier Molina, and he beat the crap out of me. It was appalling. Out of the 6 to 8 times we've played, I've won twice, mostly because I have the tendency to roll snake eyes at the most inopportune times. Like on Park Place. God do I hate Monopoly.

Parcheesi

This is the Target version. I love the wood box packaging, and it has the name of the game on its spine. So cute.

Anyone play Hoyle Board Games? It was a computer game for Windows 98, I think. I played the crap out of it, especially the games I didn't know. You got to pick the characters to play against, and I usually went with Roswell the alien, Harvey the bear, and some Jamaican dude. I don't know why I thought those guys were the best players, but I was 10ish, and we already know how my imagination wandered back then. Anyway, that's the first time I played Parcheesi, which is essentially a grown-up version of Sorry! or Trouble. The strategy is a little more complex, with the ability to split numbers you roll between pieces and rewards for knocking an opponent back to start or making it to the home area. It's fun. I love it. It's just way better with more than two players. Maybe I can teach the cats...

Harvest Moon: Animal Parade

This is misleading. You do not get the lion, giraffe , elephant, hippo or lemur. I know, right?

As previously mentioned, I have wasted days watching people play a different version of this game, but it hasn't stopped me from owning at least three versions myself. Unlike Animal Crossing, which operates in real time (at least in the 3DS version...which is super annoying), this game uses fake-real time, with fake-real dates in fake-real seasons. Plus there's a lot of farming that makes farming look easy, petting fake farm animals that love it when you pick them up, and wooing of a spouse. I, of course, am wooing Calvin, who is apparently way older than my character (surprise, surprise) and looks like and anime Indiana Jones. Me-yow. If you like semi slow-paced, open-ended games, buy it. Oh. Also there are elves only you can see and a god/goddess you have the option of making babies with. So good luck with that.

Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

I watched the same people that played Harvest Moon play Ocarina of Time for N64 as well, and I also received that revamped version for my birthday...most likely because its cover is gold. Jason got me this, and I just started it yesterday. I've decided it's super cool, but the merging into walls thing is weird. Aesthetically pleasing though...but it's missing Navi. Sad face.

Assassin's Creed: Uhh...the first one?

The newer installments of this game look cool, but I told Jason that if we got it, I wanted to start at the beginning for storyline purposes. This is supposed to be Jason's game, but (and I'm sure he won't mind too much that I tell you this) third person shooter/stealth/open world games are not his forte. He's more of an L.A. Noire kind of guy, I must say. He also likes searching every nook and cranny for god knows what, and he searches that same nook at least twice. It's the same when he plays Pokemon. I can't even explain the frustration...I mean...I love you honey!

Anyway, we've only played a little bit, but I have every intention of starting my own campaign, climbing walls and jumping from cliffs into conveniently placed bales of hay, in the near future.

Did someone mention Pokemon?

This is an awful screenshot, but they took around 30 minutes to get to this point on the floor, so...

No, I haven't been playing this, but I have been checking up on it from time to time. (By "time to time" I do mean "every day, for about 15 minutes.") Twitch Plays Pokemon has moved into the second generation of the Pokemon games, and it seems to be going much better than the first. So that's good. For those of you who don't know, this is a "social experiment" where people can type in commands to play out Pokemon Crystal. There's one catch: about 80,000 other people are typing in commands, too. This makes for a hilarious, yet painful viewing of what I think is the best generation of the game. I acknowledge nearly none of my friends will understand this, but whatever. Go write your own blog about scrap booking or something.

PS - I'm always on the lookout for new games -- card, board, video, or otherwise. So if you know of a game I should try, let me know.