Games of the Apocalypse

Don't forget entertainment when preparing for the worst

I’ve had an incredible life.  As someone born at the very end of the Baby Boomer generation, and growing up on a generational small farm and ranch, I’ve experienced it all.  From living without electricity and running water to living in giant metropolitan areas later in life, I’ve had the opportunity to see our society and technology change in ways that I never imagined.  And not always in a good way either.  I still remember when we got our first landline.  I still remember when we could finally afford a color 19” television.  I still remember when people didn’t have to have a brand-new vehicle every two years and most of us lived less complicated simple lives, enjoying real hands-on activities with our friends, families, and our communities. 

Some of my fondest memories growing up were the times (especially in the winter when we couldn’t go outside) we all sat down together as a family and played board and/or card games.  Oh yes, there would be fights among the kids and sometimes a game would have to be abruptly brought to an end because of the rivalry, but we all eventually came back together days later to play another game. 

Playing games was different then.  There were pieces to touch.  Words to read.  Thinking to be done.  To win, a person had to actually participate because everything wasn’t done for us. These “live” games taught us that not everyone can win every time.  I’ve come to loathe most classic games that are now in electronic form on a phone or a computer. They lack so much.  You may be able to play with other people but, in most cases, the games have been turned into giant “pay-to-cheat-to-win” scams where if you pay some money or “earn” a power-up you can cheat your way to the top.   I can’t stand it.  It’s teaching 2 generations of people that to win, all you have to do is shell out some cash.  I could go on and on about how I feel about this, but I’ll save that for another day.

So why am I bringing this up?  Well, I’m not sure what the future may bring.  Will we have affordable electricity in the “new world order?”  Will we have access to the internet if we don’t “do what we are told” under the forced “social credit” system?  Will we even be able to afford certain luxuries like TV streaming services and on-demand movies, etc.?  I wish I had the answer to those questions.  If I did, I could help a lot of people. 

The way I’ve lived my life I’ve always prepared for the worst and hoped for the best.  My family and I have always been the kind of people who saw something on sale and bought two of them:  Just in case. We don’t have a whole room dedicated to food and water storage or anything like that, but we do have things stuck away “just in case”.  It has been a Godsend more times than I can count.  There’s been times when we needed something as simple as a match and have been able to say, “we have some matches stuck away”. 

Something we don’t always think about when we think of preparation for bad times is entertainment.  When things are bad, time seems to “slow down” and sometimes we just need a diversion.  Sitting in our houses drinking beer and smoking pot won’t cut it.  Eventually, we can’t afford those things or they lose their appeal as those drugs begin to change us and no longer provide the escape we need.  My suggestion?  Grab some board games!  The classic board games that are my favorite are listed below.  Many of you reading this may also remember them and have long since thrown them away or sold them at a garage sale.  If you have the money available, I recommend adding some of these games back to your inventory!

Monopoly

Without a doubt one of the best games of all time.  It can sometimes take hours to finish one game and teaches some valuable lessons about money as well.

The Game of Life

A game that makes fun of the struggles of life and is fun to play.  Will you end up poor with six kids or a jet-setting millionaire with a muscle car and a mansion?  You won’t know until you play the game of life.

Scrabble

I can’t even count how many times during the winter we would be awake until 2 or 3 in the morning playing this educational classic.  It’s not for everyone, but it’s definitely one of those games that has incredible replay value as no two play-throughs are ever alike.

Yahtzee!

Another classic that doesn’t get old because no two games are ever the same.  Great for learning simple math if you’re a kid and just good clean fun if you’re an adult.

Sorry

A very simple game that is just fun to play and a good diversion.

A Deck of Playing Cards

Yep, a simple deck of cards can be an incredible asset if we are bored.  There are literally hundreds of different games one can play just having a deck of cards.  (Rummy is my favorite, but S**t on your Neighbor is also amazing)

Don’t forget to look at some of these classic board games when you are contemplating future entertainment options for you and your family.  One thing I don’t like hearing is, “I can’t get my kids to play board games.”  The trick is… as parents we have to be willing to play *with* the kids.  I never turned down my parents when they asked if I’d like to play one of these games.  EVER.  Even when I was ready to graduate from high school.  In fact, even today at my age I wouldn’t turn down anyone that asked if I’d like to play. 

I may come across pretty negative about the state of the world.  I’ve been that way my whole life.  I’ve always been someone who studied people and trends and could “see” where things were headed.  And man was I right!  I knew we would see difficult times.  Especially as I watched our society become divided, mean, discourteous, selfish (and the list goes on) and I don’t think we’ve seen anything yet.  Maybe I’ll be wrong (and I hope I am), but if I’m not we are going to *have* to pull out some of the classic things from the past that not only entertained us, but brought us together.  Life without togetherness just isn’t worth living anyway.  The next time you are shopping at a big box store, stop by the toy isle and get one or more of the games that I listed above or some of the ones you might remember as a child yourself.  Have them on hand “just in case”.  Or, don’t just have them on hand, but pull them out once a week and play them!  Put your phones in a box and enjoy something that used to matter in our society:  Togetherness and real communication with family and friends.   The memories you create, the bonds you form and the lessons you learn will last for the rest of your life.