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Looking Back and Looking Ahead

   Published Date: June 8, 2025  Leave a Comment on Looking Back and Looking Ahead

 While we are absolutely speeding through the first month of the year 2025, it is still a good time to reflect back on the year 2024 and to document goals for the (slightly less) new year. In the past, I haven’t always achieved my goals, but that does not give me permission not to challenge myself. The goals I have made will stretch me in some ways, but I’ll talk about the future later- I want to discuss the past first.

The Interruption

The year 2024 witnessed my family moving back to Central Texas from an area northeast of Dallas (a move of just over 200 miles). It was a stuttered move, as my wife and two youngest stayed where we currently are after we did a bulk of the move. During this time, I went back north to finish out my employment contract. Once I completed my obligation, I went back south for a week or so before my wife and I traveled northward to finish packing and complete the move.

Not surprisingly, there wasn’t much gaming in May- the month we moved. June, however, was completely different.

Meeting a Friend

I’ll make a long story short: Back in the summer of 2020, I became friends over Facebook with Noe, another gamer with many similar interests and experiences. He lived in Mexico, but we used Messenger to talk almost daily. He was a God-send during the pandemic and a bright spot during a dark personal time as I was reeling from the loss of my father.

We had video-chatted a few times during our friendship and even played some board games digitally. However, we always talked about how awesome it would be to visit one another.

I picked Noe up from DFW Airport the first week of June.

It was the greatest gaming experience of my life (and ranks really highly on my list of best times ever)! Of course, it wasn’t just all the great games we played together, it was meeting Noe face-to-face and introducing him to my family and friends. We ate good food, told stories, drove around, went to some stores, laughed, and had an amazing time. I truly hope that we’re able to do it again soon. I miss you, my friend.

Noe teaching me how to play Tiny Epic Dinosaurs.

Some of the good food we had- courtesy of Twisted Root.

2024 in Numbers

I played ninety-seven unique games a total of 300 times. This was greatly influenced by 41 games of Commander (a format of Magic: The Gathering). 

For those outside the board gaming hobby, those numbers might seem extravagant. It’s a little pedestrian, honestly. I plan to bump those numbers up in 2025 (more details soon to follow).

New Games Played in 2024

The following titles were games that I played for the first time in 2024:

  • Flamecraft
  • Mastermind
  • The Chameleon
  • Splendor: Duel
  • New Kingdom: Gardeners
  • The Vale of Eternity
  • District Noir
  • Thunder Road: Vendetta
  • Libertalia: Windsof Galecrest
  • Call to Adventure
  • MANTIS
  • Mind Up
  • Floriferous
  • Knarr
  • After the Empire
  • Architects of the West Kingdom
  • Earth
  • Meadow
  • Mountain Goats
  • SCOUT
  • Tiny Epic Dinosaurs
  • Sea Salt and Paper
  • Destinies
  • Through the Desert
  • So Clover!
  • Fantasy Realms
  • Gizmos
  • Creature Caravan
  • Box Top Pinball: Haunted House
  • Sleeping Gods: Primeval Peril
  • Archaeology: The New Expedition
  • NUT
  • Rock Hard: 1977
  • Harvest
  • Diced Veggies
  • The Finest Fish
  • Summoner Wars
  • Let’s Go to Japan
  • River Valley Glassworks
One of the last games I played in 2024- Let’s Go to Japan.
Playing thirty-nine games for the first time seems pretty good. That’s an average of over three new games a month, which is much more than I thought. In fact, it has encouraged me to increase my original goal for playing titles that are new to me in 2025.

Board Game Goals for 2025

1. Play 150 Titles– An increase of over 50% of unique games played seems ambitious, but I have a plan. So far, in our nascent year, I have been playing games solo in the mornings I am off from work. I won’t be able to do this every off day I have, of course, but I’ve been fairly successful up to this point. As of this writing, I’ve played seven games solo and have made a list of games in my collection that I am willing to play/try solo.
I will also do a better job playing quick games with my daughters when they ask. It’s not that I ever want to say no- I want to foster a love of gaming in my children, but sometimes ten minutes before bedtime or a minute or two after I get home from work aren’t the best times. I need to make a list of short, fun, rules-light games we can play together in those moments.
The first game I played in 2025- Freedom Five.
2. Play a Total of 500 Games– This is another drastic increase- 66%, but, again, I don’t think it’s unobtainable. Some games are fairly quick, like Coup, and a half-dozen or more plays can rack up quickly. 
And I don’t foresee a month like last May where I only have eight plays total. Commander will probably get fifty or more plays through the year. Add my solo gaming, and, yeah, this goal seems very reasonable.
3. Play 50 New-to-Me Games– Originally I had forty, but after I saw that I’d played thirty-nine titles for the first time last year without really trying, I bumped it up. Yes, those new titles played were helped by my friend Noe visiting from Mexico, but I am local to others who enjoy playing games. With my other goals and friends having games that I want to try, I’m already at nine games played for the first time so far in 2025.
4. 15 (or Less) Unplayed Games– An unfortunate part of the hobby is hearing about great games, getting a copy, but others aren’t interested in learning a new game. Sadly, many sit, unplayed, on a shelf collecting dust. Like bottles of wine, some wait for the perfect moment. That perfect moment will come, I assure you. Even if I have to force it!!! I’m only kidding about that last part.
Currently, I have thirty games that I have yet to play, or yet to play my copy. I want to half this number at minimum. There are some new titles coming- ones that I backed, in some cases years ago. So, it’s not needing to play at least fifteen of these currently unplayed on the shelf to reach my goal, but twenty to twenty-five. This is my most challenging goal, I think.
5. Not Ordering/Backing Games Until I Have 20 or Less Unplayed Games- Ok, THIS might be my most challenging goal. 
It will make my wife very happy. 😁
6. Regular Game Nights/Days– This is a no-brainer and will help me reach my gameplay related goals. But what does “regular” mean? Does it mean once a month? Twice a month? The biggest issue is that my main gaming buddy also plays Commander with me and a couple others, AND he is adamant about beginning an RPG campaign of Arzium too. 
Will Arzium nights be separate from these game days? What about Commander? All of my time can’t and won’t be committed to gaming only. This goal has little defined boundaries as of right now as far as what it will look like, but eventually those guards will be moved and moved again until we find a place where we are all comfortable and agreeable with.
DON’T TALK TO YOUR FRIENDS OR THEY MIGHT GIVE YOU (OR INSPIRE) CRAZY GOALS!!!!
These last two goals aren’t realistic for this year, but they are worth mentioning.
7. Design a Board Game– My best gaming friend suggested we do this together as a fun, creative project.
8. Start a (Small) Board Game Convention in Central Texas– I’ve never taken part of a board gaming convention, but I’ve wanted to for years. Time away from my family and the cost of travel, housing, and food have prevented me from seriously considering attending one.
I’ve whispered ideas of renting an AIRBNB with a couple of friends and gaming all weekend, but even that is probably an expense I can’t pay right now. So, maybe I just start a convention myself right where I am. I have ideas of where to begin, but if you have any helpful suggestions, I’d love to read them in the comments.
And speaking of comments, what are your goals (board game or otherwise) for 2025? What games do you want to play for the first time? What titles releasing this year are you looking forward to?
#Gamebetter

Thugninjah Board Games

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