in which I buy some games to play with my family

So after I got the kids from school, I took a list and went to my friendly local game shop (Game Zone, in Pasadena, close enough to walk to Comics Factory, and Gold Line friendly, if you're local and the goddamn wind hasn't blown you into Orange County¹)

Game Empire is about 2/3 open gaming area, with pretty much whatever game you want to demo ready to go, and is filled with guys (gamers and normals and in-betweens) playing different things all the time.

I walked in with my list, and started picking up and looking at different games. A few minutes passed and the owner of the store, Chuck, came over to see if he could answer any questions.

We talked for a few minutes (it turns out that he started going to The Last Grenadier in 1979, eight years before I started going in 1987, has a non-gamer wife, and two teenage boys) and Chuck quickly figured out what I liked, but when I described what my family liked to play, and what the dynamic was between the kids, he directed me toward different games that my family would enjoy.

"You may find these a little too simple," he said, "but it sounds like your family is going to enjoy them, and if your goal is to have some fun with your family --"

"It is," I said. "My goal is to have an evening of bonding together, and if I can help shape them into future gamers, that will be a great bonus."

"I know exactly what you mean," he said, and he showed me a ton of games with that in mind.

We spent the next hour looking at all the different games that I would like, my kids would like, my wife would like, and figured out what would be best -- according to the parameters I gave him -- for all of us to play together.

This is why I love my Friendly Locals so much, and why the Friendly Local Game Shop is so important, so worth supporting, and so awesome. I can't imagine getting the same time and level of knowledge in any of the big chain stores (and I'm pretty confident that the average toy store won't have a lot of German games, or even know what they are. Snort. Ponytail. Gulp Dr. Pepper.) At Game Empire, they encourage open gaming all the time, and have scheduled events almost every night of the week, including family-friendly gaming starting soon on a few nights of each week; I think he said Sunday, but I can't recall for certain.

He was sold out of Descent (I'm going to go back and get it next week, I think, based on everyone's advice) and Memoir '44 (which I really wanted and looks like a ton of fun) but I ended up getting Carcassonne and Ticket to Ride: Europe, which seemed like games that I could play with my family. Carcassone apparently works very well as a two-player game, which will be great for me and Nolan.

I very seriously considered BattleLore (I think I'll get it before too long, but Memoir seems a little less complex, which will be better for my family) and Bang! (which I understand plays best with five players, and that's not going to happen for me with any regularity) but exhibited great restraint . . . I don't know if I'll be able to walk past Pieces of Eight another time and not buy it.

If you're a gamer in the Pasadena area, I highly recommend Game Empire. I haven't been to a place that captures the spirit and friendliness of the Grenadier in 1988 anyplace else.

¹Oh man, blown into The OC! That's just cruel. Especially if you're a Kings fan or a Liberal. Or, like me, both.