Hobby Spotlight #2: Games
Online, card, and board!
Another Week, Another Hobby!
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve introduced my hobby journey and shared my first hobby spotlight all about journaling.
This week, I’m highlighting another simple and enjoyable hobby - games. Whether it’s online games, card games, or board games, there are so many ways to incorporate games into daily life.
I have mentioned before that one of my goals this year is to prioritize both rest and fun, and games are a great way to do both. While they do have benefits, such as improving cognitive function and providing social connection, they also simply serve as a way to relax and be present.
In this post, I’ll be sharing some of my favorite games across different formats. Whether you’re looking for a quick solo activity or a way to engage with others, I think there’s something here for everyone!
Check out the first installments in the hobby series here!
Online Games
These are some of my favorite online games, though many of them can also be played in other formats! Sudoku and logic puzzles, for example, are great in puzzle books, and chess is always a classic to play in person.
Logic Puzzles - I loved these growing up! They feel like little mysteries waiting to be solved, requiring patience and careful deduction.
Sudoku - Sudoku is a number-based puzzle that challenges logical thinking. While it can be frustrating at times, I think that’s a good thing in a world of convenience, instant gratification, and speed.
Chess - Chess is a timeless strategy game. I learned to play as a kid and, while I’m far from an expert, I find it so addicting!
NYT Games - The New York Times offers a variety of fun and engaging puzzles. Wordle is a daily challenge where you guess a five-letter word in six tries. Connections has you grouping words based on hidden links, and Tiles is a relaxing matching game that’s strangely satisfying. There are many others!
Contexto, Conexo, & Letroso - These three games, made by the same company, offer fun word challenges. Contexto involves guessing a mystery word with feedback on how close you are. Conexo is similar to Connections, and Letroso is a take on Wordle.
Board Games
People tend to be either board game lovers or card game enthusiasts. We lean more toward card games, but here are a couple of board games we enjoy!
Ticket To Ride - A strategy game where players race to build train routes across a city, country, or continent. The more players, the more exciting (and competitive) it gets! Plus, there are plenty of different versions to explore.
Rummikub - A tile-based game with elements similar to Rummy. Jackson and I enjoy playing just the two of us, but it’s great for larger groups too.
Scattegories - Not quite a board game, but I thought I would include it here. Players think of unique words for different prompts, and duplicates don’t count - so creativity is key. There’s a physical version, but we often play the online version for convenience.
Card Games
There’s something timeless and relaxing about playing cards. It’s the perfect unplugged activity - simple yet engaging, with just enough structure to keep things interesting, while still allowing for conversation to flow freely.
Rummy - A classic game of matching numbers and suits. You can play a single round, but my favorite way to play is keeping score across multiple rounds for a longer, more strategic game.
Spades - I have so many fond memories of playing Spades with my dad, brother, and uncle on trips to North Carolina. Our Spades nights almost always involved ice cream, so I’m not sure if I loved the game itself or just the dessert, but either way, it’s a great game! Keeping score across multiple rounds makes it even more fun.
Spicy Uno - A twist on the classic Uno with extra rules that make it more chaotic. Play a 7? No one can talk until another 7 is played. Play a 6? Everyone has to slap the pile, and the last person to do so draws a card. A 0 lets you swap hands, and you can play out of turn if you have an exact match. You can even stack +2s and +4s to make someone draw an absurd amount of cards. If you don’t have a card to play, you can ask others for help - just be careful who you trust!
Monopoly Deal - A fast-paced, card-only version of Monopoly. Perfect for those who love Monopoly - and for those who don’t want to spend five hours playing it.
Sky Jo - A game of strategy and luck where the goal is to end with the fewest points.
Skip Bo - A classic sequencing game where players stack cards up to 12 while managing their draw and discard piles.
Nerts - A fast-paced, multiplayer version of solitaire. Everyone plays at the same time, using their own deck, trying to get rid of their cards first. I’ve only ever played with big groups, and it’s pure, competitive chaos in the best way.
Solitaire - The ultimate solo card game. I used to love playing this as a kid, and I feel like it has to be great for your brain.
What are your favorite games to play?
Reply to this email, leave a comment, or send me a message, and let me know!
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Take care,
Caroline
Fun!