There’s something special about New Year’s Eve. The air feels thick with stories and quiet hopes. All day, it hums with the in-between. One foot in the past, one toe stretching toward the unknown.

This year, instead of going out or staring at a countdown on TV, we pulled games off the shelf. It started slow. A little stack of cards. Someone grabbing snacks. But before long, the whole table was full. Dice clattered. Voices rose and fell. We passed turns and shared inside jokes, the kind that only show up when everyone’s been together for just long enough.

Playing games on New Year’s Eve has a rhythm all its own. There’s something about ending the year in laughter. About sitting in the soft light with people you care about, letting the final hours of the year slip by while you strategize, bluff, or just try to roll a six. No pressure. No performances. Just connection.

I saw people open up in the middle of a game. I watched someone laugh who hadn’t laughed in days. A quiet niece stepped into her boldest self when she figured out how to win. We toasted with cider and cocoa and let the final seconds come when they were ready.

If you played games this New Year’s Eve, I’d love to hear about it. What did you play? Who surprised you with a clever move? What game kept everyone at the table long after midnight snacks were gone?

Let’s keep the joy rolling into the new year, one game at a time.