Unlocked Skills through Board Games

Over the past 1 year, I got into the hobby of playing board games. I have now collected and played over 30 different games across various genres. What began as a hobby eventually left me with various learnings. Here’s how:

1. Critical and cognitive thinking: Every action while playing any of these strategic board games requires planning, weighing risks, anticipating outcomes, and managing your opportunity costs. Each session now stimulates my mind and board games have become a playground for honing my critical skills.
2. Storyteller: As a designated rule learner and explainer amongst my friends, I embraced the role of a storyteller. Breaking down mechanics into smaller narratives has deepened my understanding and enhanced my communication skills.
3. Improving Social Skills: Being an introverted personality since childhood having frequent board game sessions has helped me improve my social skills. Engaging in friendly banter while sometimes negotiating has expanded my social circle.
4. Understanding Diverse Personalities: Each player that I have played with has a different personality. Some play seriously while some take the games lightly or others take too much time on their turn, but managing them to make sure the rules are followed while it is fun for everyone has valuable insights into how you can manage different people in your team.
5. Impact on my PM role: Probably my biggest learning would be understanding player motivation, and mechanics, and balancing the challenge vs enjoyment (flow theory). It's not just about playing games; it's about understanding what makes them tick and leveraging that knowledge to create exceptional gaming experiences.
6. Content Creation: I also started creating content with these games on my Youtube and Instagram channels though with no success. However I will continue creation of board gaming content to put me into a habit of regular content creation. :D

What's your favourite board games and how has it impacted your life? Let me know in the comments below.

#storytelling #personalgrowth #boardgames #gamedesign