Childhood Game Memories

What are your first gaming memories? Candy Land? Monopoly? Risk? Stratego?

For me it was Survive. Don’t get me wrong. I played those other games too. I might have even played them before I learned Survive. And I am not talking about the cool new edition, but the old school one with those little plastic people that looked like candy and the green Loch Ness serpent monster on the box.  We use to play that game all the time. I hated it when I would get eaten by the monsters.

In fact I was so happy when they reprinted it. Not because I thought it was the best game in the world. (Though now it has beautiful wooden pieces and a Squeeples (Squid Meeples) expansion! It was more for nostalgic reasons. Survive was one of my “gateway” games.  I guess I should start saving money now. The 1982 edition of Survive is currently going on Ebay for $45-100! But how could I not?! Especially for nostalgia. 

The reason why Survive sticks in my head is because it was the first game none of my friends had heard of or played. Everyone has at least heard of Candy Land, Monopoly, Risk and Stratego even if they have not played it. I remember kids at school going “Survive… what is that?!”  Maybe that’s also when I first realized I was different – that I was a gamer?! Who knows? At any rate it is a good childhood gaming memory and might be better if I had an original copy.