At last, we’re finally going to dive into the realm of designer board games. It was a long time coming, but we’re here. Thanks for sticking with me.

So, with that introduction out of the way, let’s talk about chocolate.

Even though I’m sure most of us agree on how awesome chocolate is in general, when you get down to specifics, things get chocolatey in very different ways.

German chocolate isn’t the same as American chocolate, and both of them are different than English chocolate. And let’s not even start to bring Swiss chocolate into this.

A few weeks ago, we started chatting about how to pick the perfect game for your family. I outlined several key things to look for when considering a new game, and we talked about each one in turn.

And then… well… I got side-tracked.

Time.

There’s never enough, but there’s always some. You get it, but you can’t keep it. (Well, not unless you buy a subscription and a bunch of storage binders, that is.)

When it comes to connecting with your kids, time really is a key element. A bunch of other things are important too -- focus, attention and activities come to mind first -- but time connects all of them.

Without time, you don’t connect. Period.

Last week, we finally broke out the board games! We talked about three types of competition you’ll find in modern board games, and how each type of competition affects the way games work in your family.

As promised, this week we’ll focus on the balance of luck and strategy, which is the second item in ‘Things You Need to Know about a Board Game.’