Squid Eats: The Boardroom

via Facebook

As discussed in this post, our game-playing group has been in search of a new home.  I believe we have found it!  The Boardroom recently opened in Burlington and, if anything, it's a huge improvement on the mead hall that closed.  The food is significantly better and the in-house game collection exponentially better.  They also have beer on tap, which I'll take over mead anytime.  There is a $6/person table fee and while nothing on the menu is too expensive, it can add up if you're sitting for a while - best to go in with a plan for food if we're to become regulars, I think.

I've been twice now, once with the boys and once with the family.  Menu highlights: grinders (subs), milkshakes and an especially enjoyable orange freeze.  A lot of the offerings are, quite frankly, stoner munchies though I suppose that's fitting.  One particularly welcome improvement on the mead hall: coffee!  The old place didn't have anything with caffeine.  Crazy, right?  The java at the Boardroom is $2/cup.

The staff is well-informed about the games and prepared to jump in for a quick tutorial if needed.  Our favorites, so far:

Team 3 - A wonderfully silly cooperative puzzle game for three players - perfect for our family!  One person sees the shape to be made but may communicate through gestures only.  A second person interprets the signals verbally for the third person who builds the shape while keeping their eyes closed.  Sounds crazy but it actually works and it's loads of fun.

Wingspan - Can't imagine that a game about building a wild bird sanctuary would be engaging?  Well, you'd be wrong.  Even if I weren't already a bird enthusiast, I'm sure I would love this one.  Plus, the artwork is stunning.  The game has been so popular that the initial printing sold out.  New copies will be available next month.

Takenoko - In this one, you build a captive panda enclosure - similar animal concept, though game play is quite different.


Happy, Healthy Squid

I lost my FitBit.  I put it in one of the bins at airport security over Christmas and completely forgot about it until it was too late.  I was definitely disappointed as FitBit's gamifying of fitness has been a meaningful motivator for me.  On the bright side, I'd gotten mine for free and have since realized that my phone has already been tracking most of the stats without my realizing it - Big Brotherish, yet handy as I nearly always have my phone with me.  I am going to increase my daily step goal to 11,000.