July 4, 2016: Let's Play Games And Hang Out With Other People Who Play Games - Happy Fourth!

I played Munchkin for the first time on the Fourth of July, years ago.

It was about a year after I moved from South Texas, where my family lives, to South Florida, which is literally a 24-hour car ride away. But playing Munchkin with the new game-loving friends I made in Florida while we talked about the semi-legal fireworks exploding in the background made me feel like I'd found a new home.

That is, up until I drew the Duck of Doom.

. . . Just kidding. I still liked it after I drew the Duck of Doom.

Anyway, I'm telling you this because I was asked to blog about the Fourth of July, and I have strong feelings about this holiday. The Fourth of July doesn't have to be like Christmas or Thanksgiving, with mandatory family time and depression if you're the only unmarried cousin. It can be a holiday about spending time with the people in your life who like to do what you do. And I'm betting that if you're reading this blog, at least some of those people play games.

So mark the holiday the way I like to mark it. Play some games! I'm not saying go play Munchkin, specifically; that's just an actually true story from my life. I'm also not saying you should go buy our Fourth of July-themed Chibithulhu Plush; I want them all for myself. I'm just saying, whoever you're with today, maybe take some time to bust out some social games like Codenames or Telestrations (which I like to make people play on my birthday). Or bring out a family game like Happy Salmon or Spot It.

Me, I'm on vacation with my sister, and there will be games. I plan to entice her to play Bang!: The Dice Game.