Words by Matt Jarvis
No matter the generation or interest, everybody has a childhood pop culture love they’d like to see make a return. In the case of board games, for every steadfast classic that becomes a timeless cultural touchstone – the Monopolys and Cluedos of the world – there are a hundred titles that flicker for an instant, capturing the hearts of players of a particular age before vanishing into obscurity. The more popular efforts can eventually find themselves dredged back up as ‘retro’ reissues or find a second life as highly sought-after collector’s items, but there remains a wealth of tabletop innovation, artistry and fun that survives only in the cherished memories of older players – and ‘Things only ‘70s/’80s/’90s kids will remember’ lists on the internet.
Not all hope is yet lost. Shining like the light of Eärendil’s star is Restoration Games, the publisher newly co-founded by attorney Justin D. Jacobson and SeaFall creator Rob Daviau that plans to seek out titles otherwise lost to the annals of history and restore them for a modern audience.