This last year (2018) has been very paralyzing for my family and I. I have survived some of the worst, most crushing low moments a person can live through. I have also, quite literally, experienced the very best day of my life. In the end though, all of this has left me feeling quite listless. I have been feeling a genuine need to create something meaningful.

I have had a lifelong interest in board games. As a young boy, I was always attempting to convince friends and family that it was time to play a game. I had what I can only describe now as an unhealthy fascination with Monopoly. I played Chess with my father, and Chinese Checkers with my mother. I remember a road trip where my sister and I invented a weird game involving lines on a GameBoy case, and some metal pieces I had brought with me. I won a very small checkers tournament in the second grade. And like every other child of the 80s, I had a copies of Mousetrap and Liar’s Dice (still do). Through my teenage years however, board games took a backseat to other hobbies.

I have really re-engaged with board gaming in the the past few years; something that has grown from casual observation into a true passion. Why have I come to appreciate tabletop gaming so much? Well, in a word, friends. Honestly, it started as a convenient solution. Bringing people together; engaging in a common activity that doesn’t rely on alcohol, lots of money, or staring at a screen. But it has evolved into something else entirely.

These days I get together with people whenever I can to play board games. I schedule and organize multiple game nights throughout the month. I talk games regularly, and often find myself handing out recommendations. I have also really enjoyed engaging with folks online through fantastic communities like Board Game Geek and YouTube.

But rather than being sated with all of this, it left me feeling like I could add more to the community. I received a lot of encouragement from family and friends, and after careful consideration, I decided that WordPress and my own website was the right platform for me. And well, that’s how Token Opinion was born.

So, why the name?

Well, first off, tokenopinion.com was an open url, and frankly, that counts for a lot when you’re attempting to start a website. That said, I managed to come up with a dozen open urls. Token Opinion has a double meaning for me, something I tend to have a fondness for. The first I think, is inherently obvious. Board games have lots of pieces, often referred to as tokens. Reviews, opinions- it’s obvious where I’m going with this, right? The second is a little more appropriate. Everyone has a whole bundle of opinions. It’s kind of arrogant to feel the need to create a website just to share them. I’ve always found blogs kind of comical in that way. The thing is, I feel like I genuinely have something to contribute to the board game conversation. And I need to prove that. Both to myself, and to you. So, on that note:

WELCOME TO TOKEN OPINION!

There’s a lot to look forward to in the near future. I’ll soon be revealing the review process, and more importantly the format for written reviews. Shortly after that, I’ll post Token Opinion’s first reviewed title- Jamaica! It’s one of my absolute favorite games, hopefully I can convince you to check it out! I’m also hoping to put out a few more reviews and one editorial before the end of the year.

You can also expect to see the launch of my top recommended titles list- though I’m still not entirely sure what format that’s going to take yet. I will also make Token Opinion’s first “Holiday Recommendations”- a small list of games released in the last year (or so) that any gamer on your list should be happy to find under the tree. I hope to make this a yearly tradition.

I am really looking forward to the future of Token Opinion; and all of the labours, challenges, and opportunities that will inherently come with building my first website. Please don’t hesitate to shoot me a message for any reason. I’m also looking for ideas for other features folks might want to see added to the website in the future. Finally, is there a board game you would like Token Opinion to review? Please let me know in the comments section below!

Oh, and, thanks for stopping by!