Parole Con Gli Amici

I’ve just returned from a phenomenal week away in the Italian Dolomites Mountains. I was lucky enough to be spending every daylight hour outdoors: climbing, walking and using the alpine rock traversal routes known as Via Ferrata.

In full climbing regalia
I might have looked like a radioactive member of the YMCA but at least I was safe.

Now usually when people choose their holiday, it’s designed to be a break from everyday work — you know the phrase, “A change is as good as a rest”. Being the Chief Subeditor here at the marvellous Ready Up, I’m somewhat of a lexiconnoisseur (to steal one of Tycho Brahe’s portmanteaus) and I’m also a persistently regular gamer. Logic would dictate I leave gaming and words behind for the traditional concept of a break.

It came as a surprise when I found myself, quite religiously, spending an hour every single evening playing a multiplayer online game.

Bearing in mind I was staying in a hotel 7,400 feet above sea level which was only possible to book using the telephone, when they were close to said telephone and by speaking Italian, you might wonder how I managed it. Believe or not, it was with my iPhone and the smallest sliver of unprotected WiFi, attainable by balancing the device on the window sill just in the main door.

Words with Friends
How to continue gaming in inhospitable places.

I’m no stranger to turn based gaming of the basic kind, if you’ve never played Hot Death Uno, you’re missing out. However, when our very own Tony introduced me to Words with Friends whilst we were preparing to watch England’s first World Cup game, I realised it moulded itself to my lifestyle and tastes perfectly. Scrabble by another name, it offers an outlet for my language obsession whilst allowing for my ad hoc gaming time, I can play multiple games simultaneously, I’m immediately informed when an opposing player has taken their turn and most importantly, I can take my turn when it suits me.

In Italy, I would spend a few minutes in the morning taking my turns and in the evening I would come back in range of the WiFi to be informed of which of my opposition had taken theirs. I didn’t have to take the phone out with me in the mountains to ensure I wouldn’t lose an advantage. It was almost as refreshing as the holiday itself to find a game where a sense of timing wasn’t necessary and lag, in all of its forms, simply didn’t factor.


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4 responses to “Parole Con Gli Amici”

  1. Tony avatar
    Tony

    You b*stard! You had to show a picture of you beating me, didn’t you?

  2. Anthony avatar
    Anthony

    Well it seemed an apt screenshot. I’m afraid I couldn’t find one of you winning :P.

  3. Duncan avatar

    Could’ve shown a picture of me winning? 😉

  4. Anthony avatar

    Ahh! The vowel thief speaks :).

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