Big gamer geek, here. And when I say I’m a gamer, I don’t just mean Xbox blockbusters and flashy MMORPGs like Lord of the Rings Online, but genuine geek games like D&D. I write for and about games for a living. But hobby games — the term we use to describe board games, card games, roleplaying games, miniature games, and pretty much any other non-video game — aren’t exactly front-page news. Except for today.

Imagine my surprise when I saw a blurb about board games on the front page of the AJC this morning. Imagine my surprise exploding in slow motion when I discovered the article contained things that were actually news to me. I hadn’t heard of some of the places they mention. How the hell did that happen?

I’m glad to see Thinking Man’s Tavern get a newsprint shout-out for their ready-to-play game selection, and in that spirit I want to mention a few other places in town to find and play games. The Independent in Midtown is owned (whole or in part, I lose track) by gamers, and is thus stocked with well-worn board games and a Super NES from back in the day. Oxford Comics & Games has a nice slew of geek products of all sorts, including board games and card games you won’t find at, say, Target. Dr. No’s, way up in Marietta, had a knock-out selection the last time I was up there, plus play space. I’ve seen locals playing Scrabble everywhere from Starbucks to The Midway Pub.

I don’t know if what the AJC calls “the board game craze” is really anything new or not, but I can tell you that board games are great entertainment investments. Of course, I’m biased.