Geek Musings
Like A Kid In His Own Candy Shop
I’m sure that at some point in everyone’s lives, they’ve heard the phrase or have uttered the phrase, “I feel just like a kid in a candy shop.” Yeah, well, that. As I continue to grow Geek Foundry and add new merchandise, that’s exactly what I feel like. All of these fantastic games sitting on a storehouse shelf with their fabulous artwork and promises of hours of fun and entertainment. The temptation of tearing open the shiny shrink wrap and playing everything. Must…resist…urge to open all of the games!
Starting this business helped revitalize my love for virtually all games and truth be told, I’m really looking forward to hunkering down this winter and trying out some of the new products coming online in the next couple of weeks. But before I even think of “new” product releases, I’m drawn to many that have been in print for a little while now but get buried in the deluge of new product. They call to me with a siren song that is hard to resist quite frankly. Some of them I already own, some I’m adding to my list to buy for our household.
One of the things about owning a game store is that you come to the realization that there are so many great games out there that rarely get to see the light of day long enough to get a firm foothold on the gaming tables of the world. Because of the sheer volume of product that is produced each year, these games get a quick, “Hey look! Here’s a new game… NEXT!” and that’s it. I have a not-so-secret desire to be the shepherd of those games–to give them their fair shake at becoming part of your gaming table by offering them here and helping them find the right home. A friend asked, “But aren’t those older games that suck? Otherwise wouldn’t they have become hot sellers?” Not necessarily true. There are some real gems out there on warehouse shelves waiting to be rediscovered and I’m feeling a lot like Indiana Jones.
One game that I was excited to add to the store recently (and own and have played!) that already has a great following is Marrying Mr. Darcy. Marrying Mr. Darcy is based on Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice, first published in 1813 when life in Regency era England was…very different. The game is a hybrid of sorts in that it’s a card game and it’s a bit of a role-playing game. Players take on the heroines of the story and compete against each other for the most suitable suitor. Sound a touch quaint? Well, it’s a wonderfully humorous take on an era in time where that was the reality and what makes it fun is watching how fierce play gets as the best opportunities get snatched up by your rivals the closer you get to the end game.
Marrying Mr. Darcy was conceived of and created by fellow Wisconsinite, Dr. Erika Svanoe (originally from Whitewater, WI), who is a “conductor, musician, and lover of all things Austen.” If you’re a literary fan, a Jane Austen fan, or you just like a rip-snorting good card game, add Marrying Mr. Darcy to your shopping list post-haste.
Leave a reply