In a deeply saddening story out of Ann Arbor, MI, local resident Hallie Fein has confirmed that she likes board games but not enough that it’s, like, a whole thing about her.
“Yeah, I would say that I like them!” says Hallie. “I like Codenames. I’ve played Blokus upward of five times. I actually played Dominion with my cousin once and really enjoyed it.”
Is that even worth mentioning at all?
“I think I like board games more than people who don’t like them at all, but way less than people who are fully into them,” Hallie explains. “So in that sense I’m kind of an outsider to both camps of people, but that’s fine. I’m doing my own thing!”
We can all agree that it’s hard to watch Hallie suffer through navigating her board game non-identity, but not in a way where we think she’s brave for it.
“I guess I’m right in that sweet spot where if I talk about liking board games, non-board game people think I’m a loser and board game people think I’m a poser,” Hallie chuckles, trying to laugh off the bitter reality of her dismal station in life though she’s clearly not okay with it, nor should she be.
“I truly believe I have the potential within me to become a full board game head,” says Hallie, employing a self-defeating made up term unheard of within the community. “The problem is I realized this interest too late in life and now it’s like everyone else is ahead of me. I don’t even know how to play Settlers of Catan, and now it’s too late to ask.”
That’s really, really sad. However, the game does come with a rulebook.
Good luck, Hallie! You’ll need it, but it probably still won’t be enough.
