Name of the Game

Hi everyone, happy Wednesday! 

Tomorrow marks the autumnal equinox, so I’m donning my fisherman sweater, picking up some baby pumpkins from Trader Joe’s, and letting a hefty Dutch oven bubble over on the stove. I’m ready to trade in the fast-paced energy of summer in favor of curling up at home and chewing over a crossword (Simon & Schuster kindly sent me their new mega crossword puzzle book, and based on how quickly I’m tearing through it, I’ll probably be done by spring). In anticipation of more quiet nights in, I’ve been looking into some fun recreational activities to help pass the time — if you’re looking to refresh your games cupboard, I hope this inspires you!

Across the Board

SNAKES AND LADDERS SET - YOUR OTHER LEFT EAR ($75)

I’d love to keep a little rainy-day collection of board games, except, as I’ve complained about, I have literally zero storage space. But this Snakes and Ladders set is stitched entirely from fabric and even comes with a cloth storage pouch, which means I can fold it up nice and neat and it’ll take up less room in my dresser drawer than a sweater. The beautifully-crafted, quilt-esque playing board is hand-made by a community of women in Kuchh, India, using fabric that’s hand-loomed and naturally dyed. There’s even some leather playing pieces and a tiny dice included as well. Sure, it’s pricey for a board game, but I could definitely see this set becoming a much-loved family heirloom and getting passed down through the generations. 

Wild Card

BAUHAUS PLAYING CARDS - CHEERI ($17.50)

I don’t know how to play a lot of card games, and the ones I do know I’m pretty hopeless at (don’t ask me to be your Kemps partner, because I will NOT notice you scratching your nose at me). But I’ve decided to make a concerted effort to learn, because I don’t wanna be the odd one out at parties who’s relegated to watching on the sidelines while everyone settles in for a round of poker. So far I’ve played a few games of Texas Hold ‘Em and Blackjack online, but it’s just not the same as seeing the physical cards in front of you, so I’m contemplating getting this very mod Bauhaus-inspired deck in splashy primary colors (you think I’d settle for a standard $5 pack of Bicycle cards? Puh-leeze.) Perhaps a future Vegas trip is in the cards for me? 

Lift a Finger

HIGH AND LOWS FINGERBOARD - A CIGNATURE DESIGN ($15)

Did anyone mess around with those mini skateboards as a kid? I hadn’t even heard of the phenomenon until I watched this Wired video on professional “fingerboarder” Mike Schneider, and now I’m convinced that I’ve missed out on some fundamental childhood experience. Not to worry though, because for just $15 I can time travel back to fourth grade with this fingerboard from streetwear-skatewear brand A Cignature Design. It’s printed with a cool warped smiley-face design and even comes disassembled, so you can get the full experience of screwing the trucks into the deck and applying the grip tape yourself. Once it’s all built, you can either let it dangle from your keychain (boring) or execute some sick kickflips with your digits 🤘. 

---

Tried one of my recs and loved it (or hated it)? Wanna get something cool on my radar? Drop me a line at kittylguo@gmail.com or swing by my Twitter @kitguo!