With the Thanksgiving season upon us in the U.S. and many families getting together around a table, it's not too much of a leap that some of them might play a tabletop game after dinner. Which holidays lend themselves to playing RPGs with your family?
Tabletop role-playing games were always meant to be played around a table. In the earliest games, that table was large -- co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons Gary Gygax references games with as many as 20 players -- not unlike a large family gathering sitting down to a meal. That's not all holiday get-togethers share with tabletop gaming.
Experienced gamers know that a significant barrier to gaming is scheduling. National holidays make that easier, ensuring friends and family are off from work and school to be able to play. Scheduling games to play on certain holidays can be a good idea, unless there are other obligations that wouldn't make it appropriate to play. Depending on the holiday, those obligations can be significant. Let's take a look at the federal holidays and their applicability to gaming:
[h=3]New Year's Eve/Day[/h]There's no reason that New Year's Eve can't be a tabletop gaming event, particularly as games often run late into the night. That said, New Years is often a time to spend with a significant other, so any game will likely need to be inclusive for both. There might even be value in a game that races against the clock, with the finale ending at the strike of midnight.
[h=3]Martin Luther King Jr. /Columbus /Memorial /Veterans Day[/h]These holidays can be recognized as a day of service. Depending on how a family observes it, gaming would be best served as part of a community outreach (for example, an educational RPG at a library for kids). It's important to be sensitive to your player's backgrounds and preferences. If everyone is amenable, you could celebrate Memorial or Veterans Day by running a historical military-themed game as a form of remembrance.
[h=3]President's/Labor /Independence Day[/h]These holidays don't usually have a specific obligation, which makes it perfect for gamers to get together. Any game on Independence Day would be best served if it incorporates explosions into the backdrop of the game. And of course, the game will have to work around fireworks or any other celebratory activities.
[h=3]Religious Holidays/Thanksgiving[/h]Including Christmas, Jewish holidays, and Thanksgiving, these holidays tend to have a family obligation, so plans for game will likely rely on your family's interest in role-playing games and their own holiday traditions. Some holidays have specific religious observances that will make a game difficult, but if there's a holiday of a religion your family doesn't celebrate, then it's similar to the aforementioned "low obligation" holidays.
These holidays will of course vary depending on your region, country, and family customs. Any tabletop game, including role-playing games, will need to be playable by the whole family, so kids may be part of the equation. The game probably can't drag on for very long. And for gift-giving holidays, gamer gifts can be put to good use right after.
No matter what holiday you celebrate, here's to getting together with friends and family, sharing a good meal, and hopefully a good game too!
Mike "Talien" Tresca is a freelance game columnist, author, communicator, and a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to http://amazon.com. You can follow him at Patreon.
Tabletop role-playing games were always meant to be played around a table. In the earliest games, that table was large -- co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons Gary Gygax references games with as many as 20 players -- not unlike a large family gathering sitting down to a meal. That's not all holiday get-togethers share with tabletop gaming.
Experienced gamers know that a significant barrier to gaming is scheduling. National holidays make that easier, ensuring friends and family are off from work and school to be able to play. Scheduling games to play on certain holidays can be a good idea, unless there are other obligations that wouldn't make it appropriate to play. Depending on the holiday, those obligations can be significant. Let's take a look at the federal holidays and their applicability to gaming:
[h=3]New Year's Eve/Day[/h]There's no reason that New Year's Eve can't be a tabletop gaming event, particularly as games often run late into the night. That said, New Years is often a time to spend with a significant other, so any game will likely need to be inclusive for both. There might even be value in a game that races against the clock, with the finale ending at the strike of midnight.
[h=3]Martin Luther King Jr. /Columbus /Memorial /Veterans Day[/h]These holidays can be recognized as a day of service. Depending on how a family observes it, gaming would be best served as part of a community outreach (for example, an educational RPG at a library for kids). It's important to be sensitive to your player's backgrounds and preferences. If everyone is amenable, you could celebrate Memorial or Veterans Day by running a historical military-themed game as a form of remembrance.
[h=3]President's/Labor /Independence Day[/h]These holidays don't usually have a specific obligation, which makes it perfect for gamers to get together. Any game on Independence Day would be best served if it incorporates explosions into the backdrop of the game. And of course, the game will have to work around fireworks or any other celebratory activities.
[h=3]Religious Holidays/Thanksgiving[/h]Including Christmas, Jewish holidays, and Thanksgiving, these holidays tend to have a family obligation, so plans for game will likely rely on your family's interest in role-playing games and their own holiday traditions. Some holidays have specific religious observances that will make a game difficult, but if there's a holiday of a religion your family doesn't celebrate, then it's similar to the aforementioned "low obligation" holidays.
These holidays will of course vary depending on your region, country, and family customs. Any tabletop game, including role-playing games, will need to be playable by the whole family, so kids may be part of the equation. The game probably can't drag on for very long. And for gift-giving holidays, gamer gifts can be put to good use right after.
No matter what holiday you celebrate, here's to getting together with friends and family, sharing a good meal, and hopefully a good game too!
Mike "Talien" Tresca is a freelance game columnist, author, communicator, and a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to http://amazon.com. You can follow him at Patreon.
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