Hanafuda

I found a strange ray of hope in a small Japanese card game yesterday.

After western playing cards became banned Japan moved to make its own equivalent,  to keep the people happy and the money flowing. One company made a name from these beautiful little cards. Nintendo.

Such a simple and creative idea that sparked such a huge enterprise.

Perhaps there's hope for us creatives yet!

I dare say Hanafuda isn't the only game that is a household name in Japan. All around the world you'll find a pack of cards or maybe a chess board tucked away in a cupboard in most homes.

Board games - identified with stuffy nights in please no-one mention the game of life or pass the bomb at christmas or I will shut myself off from humanity.

That said I love them -- board games that is. Risk, Talisman, Carcassonne, Forbidden Island. Can't get enough. It's funny that most people only scratch the surface and stay comfortable with chess.

Why not try one next time you feel like your eyes are melting from "screen overdose"

So here's to the board games -- now I just need to find some people to play with!

~Fraser