a color story: settlers of catan

I was cycling indoors. The stats on the screen were numbing and the instructor's flare was starting to feel a bit artificial. My numbers were not improving and I was barely hanging on to my quote of 800 calories in an hour. To take my mind off the mindless sweating, I look to the side of the screen and noticed a red box placed on the shelf's lower compartment. The side of the box spelled out, "Settlers of Catan".

I have played this classic board game numerous times with family members but I never had a chance to take a good look at the box. Every time I would consciously look at it that would be my cue to open it. Boardgames are meant to be played with, they aren't meant to be observed. 

Red and yellow were the two dominant colors that styled the box. What an odd combination of colors? It didn't really require your attention like a child's boardgame like "Candyland" or "Mouse Trap". The colors weren't used as a cheap trick to open the box. Furthermore, the blend between the yellow and red was kind of soothing to look at. I was caught off guard by this impression. My history with the game says otherwise. 

Next, I recalled why we took a long pause from the game. The strategies and gameplay got out of hand. Like all games, the main objective is to win. In "Settler of Catan", the first to 10 points is the winner and the game ends. However, the players - that I am exposed to - find more joy in torturing another player even at the cost of their own. They could argue that it was part of their game theory. Slowing down the strongest player in order to increase your odds of winning is a higher level of gameplay. However, I feel like a malicious player's victory would only be the cherry on top for them. In the gaming community, there is a universal terminology for them, "trolls". 

With my less than ideal boardgame experience, the red, yellow color motif looked like a pool of blood in a wheat field. I doubt that a bloody wheatfield is the underlying reason for their design choices. "Settlers of Catan" is a family friendly game, after all. 

Alternatively, the red and yellow cover could refer to the economics of the game. There are five resources where you can trade and make purchases; they are stone, sheep, wood, brick and wheat. Certain combinations of the resources could build roads, settlements, development cards and fortresses. The warm red on the box does have an uncanny resemblance to bricks but does it have a historical relationship with yellow in wheat. I doubt it. Clearly, the resources are not a contributing factor to the design choices on the boardgame. 

Then, I looked at the main cover on the box's top. Another thing I bypass when I quickly set up the board.  The main cover consists of villagers in their settlements with a sunrise background. Huh, the underlying design motif is based off a sunrise -  not a bloody wheatfield, nor bricks with wheat.

Next, I googled, "what does a sunrise signify?" This was the first passage: Sunrise is symbolic of birth, growth, new beginnings of all kinds, resurrection, even the creation and nearly everything that has a cherished or hoped-for origin - Deseret News.  

A new beginning. A new start. It sounds like the "American Dream." The significance of a sunrise sounds like the immigrant's journey.

As an immigrant myself, why haven't I noticed the "new beginning" intentions on the boardgame's designs? It could be my inner competitive spirit has narrowed my scope. It could be that I haven't been exposed to enough sunrises for me to ponder about it. Or maybe I don't see myself as an immigrant anymore. It has been over 18 years since I have received my Canadian citizenship. 

Early this morning, I was cycling on my stationary bike. As usual, I toggled off all the numbers and stats. However, I felt too comfortable in the cycling class so I toggled back my data. The screen showed 18 minutes left and I only used up 350 calories. I was way behind my 800 calories in a hour goal.  Smiling at this new challenge, the race was back on. I stopped noticing the red boardgame in my peripheries. I already had my dose of a "new start".