c/board-game-geeks

Why does nobody talk about how Catan can ruin friendships if you play cutthroat?

I tried a hardcore no-trading game of Catan with my usual group last Friday. We made a rule that you could only trade with the bank or ports, not with each other. I figured it would be faster and more strategic. Instead, my friend Jen spent the whole night blocked on resources because she was stuck with brick and sheep. She got so frustrated she threw a dice at the table and said she'd never play again. I learned that some games need the negotiation or you bring out the worst in people. Has anyone else had a house rule backfire like this?

That time at PAX Unplugged 2019 when I learned to stop overexplaining rules

I was at a demo table in Philadelphia and this guy just started playing a deckbuilder without reading the whole manual. He messed up a few turns but had way more fun than me and my group who spent 45 minutes going over edge cases. It made me realize I was bogging down game nights with too much prep. Now I just hand people the quick start card and say 'we'll figure it out as we go.' Has anyone else found that jumping in blind actually works better for casual groups?

My board game group's copy of Betrayal at House on the Hill literally fell apart mid game last Friday

We were 4 friends deep into a game night and someone grabbed the tile stack a little too hard. Pages just started falling out of the rulebook like confetti. The box spine cracked too. This copy has been through maybe 30 sessions over 2 years. Anyone else had a game physically break during the middle of a session? What did you do, try to salvage it or just call it a night?

Warning: That board game cafe in Portland wrecked my collection

I went to this new board game cafe in Portland last month called The Meeple Spot. They had a shelf of games you could swap, so I left my copy of Brass Birmingham there thinking it would be safe. Four days later I went back and someone had taken it, but the cafe staff said they aren't responsible for trades. Now I check every game I bring anywhere with a sticker that has my name and phone number on it. Has anyone else had games disappear at public events or cafes like this?

Setup night almost ended in a table flip

We were 90 minutes into setting up Gloomhaven when my buddy knocked over the tray of monster standees. Scattered fifty little cardboard circles across the floor. Had to spend another 20 minutes re-sorting them by color code before we could even start.

How I used to teach new players vs. how I do it now - what changed for you?

Back when I first started hosting game nights about 5 years ago, I would dump the whole rulebook on new players before we even touched a piece. I thought that was the right way, lay out every detail so nobody felt lost. But I noticed people would glaze over after 5 minutes and then make mistakes anyway. Now I just explain the goal and maybe one action per turn, then let them learn as we go. I started doing this after a friend told me he hated board games because they felt like homework. That clicked for me. Do you prefer a full rules rundown or learning as you play? Has your style shifted over time too?

Tried a 4-player co-op game with my group and we barely spoke for 2 hours

We played Spirit Island last Saturday and everyone got so deep into their own plans that the only sounds were card shuffling and me sighing. Has anyone else had a quiet board game night that actually turned out great?

Warning: almost got burned at a local game convention in Austin last weekend

Hot take: That new board game cafe in Austin is a mess waiting to happen

I checked out The Dice Den last Saturday and it was packed, which is great. But I noticed they only have one small shelf of actual board games and the rest is just drinks and merch. Nobody was even playing anything, just scrolling on their phones. If you're scoping out a new spot for game night, walk through first and see if people are actually gaming or just hanging out. Has anyone else seen a place like this that just didn't get the point?

Was wrong about solo board gaming until I tried Spirit Island on a rainy Saturday

I always thought playing board games alone was just sad and boring. But three weeks ago I was stuck inside during a storm in Denver and decided to give Spirit Island a shot. After two hours of figuring out the rules by myself, I actually had a blast strategizing without waiting on anyone else to take their turn. Has anyone else had a similar change of heart about solo play?

Had to pick between a 4-player co-op or a competitive game for game night last Friday

I grabbed the co-op game because one friend hates losing, and now nobody wants to play anything else because we all got hooked on working together - has anyone else had a group switch permanently after one good co-op session?

Hot take: Most people dont understand turn order in cooperative games

I was at a game night last week and watched a group reset a campaign scenario 3 times because they kept arguing about when the boss gets to act. The rulebook on the table clearly said it triggers at the start of the round not after each player goes. Why is it so hard for folks to just read the sequence once before playing?

Just found out Catan tournament winners memorize dice odds down to the exact percent

I stumbled on a spreadsheet from a regional qualifier that listed the probability of every single resource combination appearing after a 7 roll, and it turns out the best players adjust their strategies based on that number down to the decimal point, which blew my mind because I just roll and pray - has anyone else looked into the math side of competitive board games?

Shoutout to the guy at my FLGS who told me to stop sleeving everything

I used to sleeve every single card in every game I owned. Had like 2000 sleeves in my collection. Then this dude at my local shop, Dave, said I was wasting money on cheap games. He pointed out I had $20 worth of sleeves on a $15 game. Now I only sleeve expensive or hard to replace games. Saved me probably $100 this year. Anyone else have a habit that cost more than it was worth?

Pro tip: mark your card sleeves with a tiny dot on the back

I was at a board game night in Portland last Friday and accidentally shuffled a promo card into my deck of identical sleeves. After 20 minutes of searching, I grabbed a sharpie and put a tiny red dot on the backs of any special cards. Has anyone else found a quick fix for keeping promo or upgrade cards separate mid-game?

Stopped by the board game cafe in Austin and saw something cool

I was in Austin for a work thing last weekend and popped into this spot called The Game Room on 6th Street. They had a whole shelf of weird obscure games from small publishers I never heard of, and one called "Dice Mines" caught my eye because it was made by a guy who sold maybe 50 copies total. Has anyone else found a hidden gem like that at a local game store?

Totally changed how I run games after a con in Chicago last spring

I was running a D&D session at C2E2 in April and one of the players kept zoning out. After the game they told me my NPC descriptions were way too long and he couldn't keep track. So I tried cutting all my NPC intros down to three details max. Now sessions move faster and people actually remember who is who. Has anyone else made a big change to their DM style after a con game went sideways?

Showerthought: I was wrong about cooperative games being boring

For years I thought co-op board games were just for people who hate competition. But my group got stuck with a borrowed copy of Pandemic during a snowstorm last January and we were stuck inside for 3 days. That game where we all lost to the diseases on the second night actually got us more fired up than any competitive game has in months. Has anyone else had their opinion flipped on a whole genre just because of the right group?

Had to pick between Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion and just getting the big box

Buddy of mine kept pushing me to buy the full Gloomhaven box. Said Jaws was a watered down tutorial. I told him man, I got two kids and a job that leaves me dead on my feet by 8pm. Jaws was forty bucks vs a hundred and fifty. I went with Jaws last month. Honestly? Best call I made. We got through the first five scenarios in two weeks. My shoulders aren't destroyed carrying that monster box either. Has anyone else skipped the big box and stuck with a smaller version of a game?

Had the WORST game night last Saturday with my new group

I brought out Terraforming Mars for 5 players but forgot the prelude expansion at home. The game took 4 hours and two people argued over plant production rules for 20 minutes. Has anyone else had a game night spiral because of a missing expansion?

Rant: my friend insists that playing board games with open hands is more fun, but I think it kills the whole point

I heard him say at a meetup last week that hidden information just adds stress and he'd rather see everything so everyone can plan together, but to me that takes away the tension and bluffing that makes games like Coup or Resistance actually exciting, so which side are you on, do you play with open or hidden info?

Had to pick between Ticket to Ride and Catan for game night last Friday

I went with Ticket to Ride cause my group gets too competitive over Catan. Bad move - two people left after someone blocked their route to Seattle. Now my living room feels awkward. Anyone else have a choice that backfired?

Question about a trick for teaching new players faster

I run a weekly game night at a small cafe in Portland, and I kept losing people during setup because the rulebook takes 15 minutes to explain. So I tried something different last Saturday. I printed out a one-page cheat sheet with only the core actions and win condition, no flavor text. I gave it to each new player before we even pulled out the pieces. We got through the first round in under 5 minutes with zero confusion. Has anyone else experimented with cutting the rulebook down to just the mechanics?

Trying to sort my game collection by player count took an entire weekend

I thought it would be a quick Saturday job, but checking the boxes and rulebooks for every game to confirm the real minimum and max players was a huge task. My copy of 'Wingspan' actually plays 1-5, not 2-5 like I always thought. How do you guys organize your shelves?

The time a power outage turned our weekly game night into something special

Our whole neighborhood lost electricity for six hours, so we lit candles and finally taught my skeptical neighbor how to play Carcassonne with the physical tiles. He said, 'This beats staring at a dark TV,' and now he shows up every Thursday asking what we're playing next.