Saturday, March 28, 2015

Game Review: Tokaido

I come from a family of game lovers. Especially games where we all are able to come together and have fun with one another. Just about every year, we purchased some kind of board game which we would open up and play during the holidays. That is, after we have stuffed ourselves full of food, of course. The bright and shiny flashing of video games does tend to swallow all of my attention at times. But, other times, there is nothing better than sitting around a table and playing a board game.



At PAX East, my sister and I came across a board game that I had never heard of before, Tokaido. Upon first glance, the game looked very pretty and very Japanese. While I was interested in purchasing the game, I had no idea how to play it (even after reading the box). And I had even less of an idea on how to win. The man at the booth nice enough to explain the game to Frankie and I. But even after that, I still wasn't sure what the game was all about. So, of course, we had to buy it and play it.

My first impression of the game, before we even got started, was: "Wow, this is the most beautiful board game that I have ever played with." My second impression was: "This game has a lot of pieces. I hope it isn't too difficult to get the hang of."


Tokaido is one of those games that is simplistic in gameplay, but challenging when it comes to mastering it. The game is set in feudal Japan and you traveling on Tokaido, the road between Kyoto and Edo. There are many experiences to be had as the player travels. And the player who has the most experiences (visting temples, buying souvenirs, etc) by the end of the trip, wins the game.

What makes this game unique is choice. There is no dice to dictate how many spaces you move. There are no cards telling you what experience you need to do next. You, the player, make those choices yourself. And there are many things you have to keep in mind when you make these choices: the amount of money you have, the special ability of the character you chose to play, the choices of the other players, etc. The point is not to get to the end first, but to enjoy the journey as much as possible.


All in all, Tokaido is a very fun game. It is easy to pick up and has a very enjoyable levity to it. You characters are enjoying hotsprings, eating food from different inns, seeing what nature has to offer all along Tokaido. Who would not enjoy a game like this?

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

30 Day Workout: The Finale

March 2nd marked the end of this short journey of mine. I suppose I should write a wrap up post about it. First off, I am glad that I decided to do this and decided to do this "publicly". It was great having a sounding board to yell at when things got hard. Secondly, I need to figure out exercise routines that don't involve DVDs. There are times when I just want to workout and watch TV at the same time.


So, how did I do? I want to tell you that I was amazingly triumphant through the entire 30 days. I was a workout machine and they are going to write biography about my success. I was that impressive. That is what I want to tell you. What I'm going to tell you is the truth. I wasn't perfect. There were times when I only worked out once during the week, instead of 4. I ate fast food this month.  I drank soda. There were plenty of stumbles along this 30 day journey.

However, I worked out more this past month than I have in quite a while. I actually followed a morning routine. There were a number of things that went right this month and they out number what went wrong. So many times I have wanted to beat myself up because I didn't fall in line perfectly, but that only leads to quitting. So this time, I'm not going to.


I did something this month, which was more than last month. And for that I am giving myself a gold star. While the challenge is over, this journey is not. I have seen what I am capable of doing and I am taking that with me into the month of March. I would love for you to come along with me.