Would you give up movies for board games? Apparently, Jonathan Kay would give up TV and movies in exchange for board games, which has become a topic of interest for his new book. In “Your Move: What Board Games Teach Us About Life” with Joan Moriarty, Kay speaks in-depth about how board games can enhance a person’s intellectual abilities. During a recent interview, he described how playing Board games are part of his daily routine and help him with societal and intellectual function.
Does Kay’s love of board games ring a bell for you? Well, you can always buy board games online in Canada if you have been wondering about the location of board game stores. Check out more here on what Kay has to say about his love for board games and how the game stories inspired him.
Below is an excerpt from his interview with ‘Geek’s Guide To The Galaxy.’
Co-authoring the book with Joan Moriarty
Interestingly, Kay’s co-author Joan Moriarty works at Snakes & Lattes, Toronto’s leading board game cafe. The Snakes and Lattes board game cafe is one of the oldest in North America, inspiring a host of other board game cafes throughout the country. Kay points out that institutions like Snakes and Lattes are testaments to the popularity of board games in the country. According to him, board game sales have quadrupled in recent years, attracting over 70,000 participants each year, mostly thanks to the relaxed atmosphere at board game cafes.
Despite the growing popularity of board games, Kay feels it is still difficult to find opponents for his favourite board game, Advanced Squad Leader. In his view, the gaming community includes a host of different subcultures that often look down on each other’s games. In the next section, you can read more about Kay’s love for Advanced Squad Leader.
Kay on his favorite board game
Kay has devoted a chapter in his book to his favorite game, Advanced Squad Leader. The World War II game ASL has a worldwide fan following of 10,000 players. Before the interview, Kay had just returned from an ASL tournament in Albany. Furthermore, he describes the annual ASL tournaments held in Cleveland and Copenhagen. Meanwhile, he feels disappointed at the lack of enthusiasm in his city, Toronto, for his favorite board game.
Memories of old game stores and their latest versions
Jonathan Kay takes a trip down memory lane through the 1970s and 1980s when game stores looked very different.
According to him, the Compleat Strategist game store in New York is just like the old-time stores. This store has bulletin boards that resemble old-style stores that list opponents’ requirements along with their phone numbers. He is ecstatic to discover there is still a world that does not wish to be on the internet.
In addition, find out what Jonathan Kay has to say about his book ‘Among The Truthers’ and how Ray Bradbury’s fictional stories inspired him to write great books in his Geek’s Guide To The Galaxy Podcast interview.