| From a very young age, I was fascinated with board games. Sadly, I quickly outgrew the traditional roster of relatively simple-minded American games. What I didn't know -nor parents and friends- was that this was merely a sign that I was ready for the level of complexity brought on by European-style games. | | I did learn to play chess, but it always felt too cold and raw to me, like it was missing something to truly capture my imagination and compell me. For many years as a teenager, the only thing I knew that merged high-intensity strategy with imaginary setting was Magic the Gathering, which engrossed me for a long time. | | It may have taken until my mid-twenties for me to finally discover these European board games, but it was well worth the wait. The Gaming Club of Maryland branch in Silver Spring was my weekly sanctuary for several years. | |