Most books about board games are boring. This is not that book. It’s games through the lens of family, psychology, archaeology, art, design, culture, and race. It’s about bad rulebooks (and some are really bad). It’s about how hexagons became the foundation of many contemporary games. It explains how the polio epidemic sparked the idea for Candyland. It asks: Why do we have house rules in Uno? Why are narratives of imperialism SO prominent? How do games reflect our cultural perspectives on gender, race, money, and history? Maybe you’re more interested in art. No problem. I discuss layout, fonts, grids, color choice and cohesion. There’s a reflection on how bananas are the perfect user design experience. But don’t worry, games are there all along, rattling memories of your own nights playing Sorry, Yahtzee, Uno, Monopoly, Scrabble, Settlers of Catan, or any tabletop game you love. It’s time with family, friends, lovers, acquaintances, and total strangers who play to pass time, to share history, to teach, to challenge, to strategize, and to comfort us in the face of our own struggles. This is the world of games I love. Open the book and have fun.