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MARCH 30�APRIL 6, 2022
BEHIND THE SCENES
FROM THE
COVER
Try a new challenge at Modern Board Game Night
By Jennifer Colton
Go! Magazine
P
Jennifer Colton/Go! Magazine
Karl Davis leads Modern Board Game Night on the second Tuesday of
every month at Pendleton Center for the Arts in Pendleton.
ENDLETON — You likely won’t
fi nd Monopoly at Modern
Board Game Night at Pendleton
Center for the Arts, but there will
be a variety of games and people
to play them with.
“Monopoly is a game everyone
knows, and, as a kid, I played Mo-
nopoly and games like it, but as an
adult I started getting into modern
board games and realizing just
how much is out there and how fun
board gaming is,” said Karl Davis,
the facilitator of Modern Board
Game Nights. “There are so many
that I really enjoy.”
Modern Board Game Night
is the second Tuesday of every
month, 5:30-8 p.m. at Pendleton
Center for the Arts, 214 N. Main St.
The next session is April 12.
Players pick from a selection of
games to learn or play. At any ses-
sion, the games played depend on
the participants.
“I always bring a selection of
games from my own collection
and then whoever’s there kind of
guides from that point,” Davis said.
“I can describe the games and they
have a say on what kind of games
they want to play.”
One night that could be Settlers
of Catan and another it could be
Wingspan. Gamers also have the
option of bringing their own games
to introduce, and if enough people
attend, three or four diff erent
games could happen simultane-
ously in the same room. So far in
2022, the attendance has been
slim, but Davis said they are work-
ing to bring people back out.
“Prior to COVID, it was gain-
ing steam, and we were having
people show up every month,”
Davis said. “With COVID, we took
a break, and now we’re trying to
get it going again.”
Promoting a new monthly event
also comes with handling precon-
ceptions and misconceptions. For
example, Davis said people may
think board games are intimidating.
“I would say just come with an
open mind and don’t be intimi-
dated. It’s OK to be inexperienced
because everyone starts some-
where,” he said. “Learning new
First Friday at Crossroads
H eritage
Open Regional Show
2020 Auburn Avenue
Baker City, Oregon
541.523.5369
www.crossroads-arts.org
Exhibition on display Friday, April 1 through Saturday, April 30
Crossroads is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00am to 5:00pm
things is always a challenge, but I
think board gaming is really about
having fun and being open to new
experiences.”
Davis said he started getting
into modern board games about
fi ve years ago. He began sharing
games with others, and realized
many people have a similar fi rst re-
sponse to the idea of re-introduc-
ing board games into their lives.
“Someone proclaims, ‘Oh I
haven’t played board games since I
was a kid,’ and I usually say, ‘it’s not
diffi cult to learn and it can be really
rewarding,’” he said.
Most of the games at Modern
Board Game Night focus on strat-
egy, not confl ict. Games are played
to enjoy the theme, the game
mechanics and often the artwork.
In his personal collection, Davis
said his favorite game right now is
Feast for Odin.
“Board games are fun, and I’d
encourage people to come out
and try it,” he said. “You don’t have
to be the smartest person in the
room. You don’t have to win every
game. It’s about learning the game
and playing together.”