For it wasn’t Catan. I liked Catan, sure. Played it a few times when it came out. But what did it for me was that my partner at the time went to Spiel in Essen every year, and after we got together dragged me there in 2003. I looked around, a lot was really interesting, and then ended up buying Alhambra for myself. First board game I got for myself. And that really did it. It was far from a perfect game, but this whole expo-then-bought-a-game thing really cemented the idea of not only playing board games but also wanting to have a collection so I can play them with friends when they come over in me.
Aaaand, nowadays I have a 6x4 Kallax filled with games. 🙈
As a kid, I liked boardgames but I haven't really been introduced to anything that you couldn't find on a toy store so I didn't know about "real" boardgames before I found a YouTube series called "Tabletop". They basically recorded playthroughs of different types of boardgames with amazing production. That series really opened me up to the world of boardgaming and gave me a good enough sample of different boardgames that I could have an idea of what kind of games I liked.
I grew up with the Ravensburger box of classics so, board games were always a part of my childhood. They quickly captured my imagination and I began to draw roll and move boards, explaining to my mom what should happen on each space.
When I got older the whole family got into games and that turned into a nice sunday tradition.
Eventually I got sucked into BGG and never financially recovered…
Ppreviously played Cluedo and Exploding Kitten very casually maybe 2-5 times a year.
Then 3 years ago, I joined a Talisman (4e + Dungeon expansion) 6 player game that lasted 5.5hrs and I stayed in the chair from start to finish. Won the game by 1 turn after completing the dungeon and teleporting to the crown which was being used to finish me off by the last player.
There was assistance from other players with rule clarifications and some tips, so not a solo win.
Now 180 games in the collection(with 30-40 Wall o Shame), I’m regularly exploring the mechanics and previous classics that are out there.
For me it was either Arkham Horror 2nd edition or Last Night on Earth. Big thematic games with some fun mechanics that we would have stories about playing for months after they were finished.
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