I’ve really taken up board games lately, and have a group of 3-5 people I play with almost weekly, and sometimes twice a week. We’re even doing a quarterly all-

I’ve really taken up board games lately, and have a group of 3-5 people I play with almost weekly, and sometimes twice a week. We’re even doing a quarterly all-day thing this Saturday. Saying this to encourage people here to try it out, even if that means you hosting. Board games are great way for hackers to get off devices, but still solve puzzles, and hang out with others in the process. Set the example by staying off your phone. It seems to send the message in our group, and people tend to stay off. If you’ve not played in a while, there are plenty of lighter (simpler rules, quicker play) that are still fun and require a lot of thinking and strategy. I’ve been playing regularly since right before the pandemic, and we picked back up after things got mostly back to “normal”. It also helps to be intentional. Try to be consistent, and find people that are open to regular games to keep it going. I hear the excuse that people don’t have time, but it’s typically just an excuse — unless you have small(er) kids where they do require a bit more time and energy. But if you have no or older kids, make time to play. I’ve really enjoyed it, and the connections are nice.