A successful Shon’s Gamenight last semester with the staff of our very own Spectator led to the highly anticipated sequel. Thus, on March 11, the games began. While previously I had to learn the rules of the new games, this time, I held a lead role.
My classmates always seem to adjust to my pace, making things simple, all while never making me feel like I’m anchoring the group. With the games we brought this time, everything clicked quickly.
We started with three rounds of UNO, a colorful classic. Match the number or color, toss in a wildcard, and suddenly the whole table flips. Joel was locked in from the start. He told me later, “It was pretty fun, I really enjoyed UNO. I usually play with my cousins a lot.”
Gloria came out hot, winning the first two games back‑to‑back like Jordan in ’96 and ’97. She laughed and said, “All my years of training finally paid off. I used to play Uno every day at lunch in middle school.”
Joel took the last hand and said, “Everyone plays Uno with different house rules, so it was cool learning how you all play.” I didn’t win a single game myself, but honestly, the fun memory was worth more than a win.
For the next card game, I finally got to take a lead role. We moved on to war, a simple game of numbers and face cards where each player flips the top card of their deck, and the higher value card wins the pile. If any cards match, that’s when a “war” breaks out. Each tied player drops three cards face down and flips their fourth face up to decide the winner.
Leo told me, “War was nostalgic. I hadn’t played it since middle school. Once we got going, everything came back.” Gloria won a hand too and said, “I’ve been playing these games for a long time, so it felt good to jump back in.”
Lastly, we played Tapple, a fast‑paced category game where you pick a topic, use a word starting with an available letter, and quickly hit the timer to pass your turn. The game becomes a race against your group and the timer, each answer knocking down an available letter on the wheel, until none remain.
At first, being on a thirty‑second clock was intimidating, but once we got rolling, it turned into pure fun. Leo summed it up perfectly, “Even simple games can turn into something super fun.”
Throughout the games, the same themes from the first game night kept surfacing: patience, community, and learning together. Joel told me something that stuck: “Just try it. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. You never know what you might end up liking.”
Gloria agreed, “When someone’s new to a game, you have to be welcoming. Keep it simple and make it fun. It’s just a game.” While Leo tied it all together, “It always feels good to share knowledge. If I can explain a game in a way someone understands, then everyone gets to enjoy the moment together.”
That’s what these gamenights are all about; not to count the wins, not to demand we abide by the rules, not the frivolous cards. It’s the community created and the kindness shared.
