10 Mistakes Most Board Gamers Make

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"No game is objectively bad, but some games are subjectively bad to the entire population of the world" - hahaha good one 🤣

When explaining the rules, always start with the victory conditions and work your way backwards. It lets people anchor the information on why it’s important. Example: You win the game by having 10 victory points. Each town (show the piece) is worth one point; each city is worth two; two points for having the longest road; two points for having the largest army. You buy those things using these 5 resources. Each turn, a person rolls the dice; each tile that has the rolled number produces resources. Each town on those tiles produces one of that resource for its owner even if the owner didn't roll the dice; each city produces two of that resource. Towns and cities stack resource production if there are more than one. On your turn, you spend the resources you earned during everyone's turns.

For me, one of the biggest mistakes is "discussing every single rule beforehand". This may seem odd and may depend on the group, but if you are trying to get a new person into playing a game, you need to simplify and dole out the information on a need to know basis. I always find playing first and then having rules mentioned more useful then hearing every rule from the get go. A perfect example is trying to teach someone Yu-Gi-Oh (I know it's not a card game, but it works). I would start with basic info (how many cards they draw, how much life they have, and that the goal is to reduce opponent to 0). Then, when it's there turn, explain each action in the turn, describe the cards they have in hand, and so on. Then on my turn, I would show them more complex stuff (like special summoning and stuff). I always find that I get better retention from people when I piecemeal the rules rather than info-dumping to them.

Extremely well written, cleanly produced and thoroughly insightful tips. This is top notch content, not just within the niche board-game field, but compared to the whole of YT. Major props.

1. Learn the Rules before the group come to play 00:20 2. Take the (Game Play Time on a Box and * 2) + ((50% if it's the first time being player) + (20% per player ))* 4 for AP Players 01:46 3. Don't Buy Expansions without playing the Core Game First 03:23 4. Player Count - Check BGG Player Counts recommendation as this is more accurate than a publisher possibly doing for marketing reasons 05:43 5. BGG Top 100 is not gospel. It is skewed towards more complex games, not always the most fun for you. 07:35 6. Stop Buying so many Games. You'll buy games just because they are half price, out of print come back in print, spending more time planning games you want and to get than playing them and tend to just be traded off unopened. You'll never be too old to play a game so stop hoarding and start CURATING - get rid of games and switch them in. 09:53 7. Don't rely on your Family and Friends to Play Board Games. Chances are they are not as -obsessed- committed to play. Go to a Local Game Group - it is nerve wrecking at times but you find people who are likely to be more into what you are. 12:05 8. Don't go to Kickstarter without knowing they are siren songs which sometimes will lure you to your (wallet's) death. Leave it to the experienced/well researched 13:26 9. Don't make people play games they won't like (linked into point 7). 15:38 10. Don't buy a game just because it's based on a theme/IP you like - the Board Game Box is a set of lies designed to sell you the game. 16:49

This is a great video, and great advice! Really enjoyed it!

That "don't rely on friends and family" bit speaks to me. I got into Carcassonne because a guy I dated was a board game geek, and I enjoyed playing it with him. So I bought my own copy when I moved in with my sister. It sits in the closet, untouched for eight of the nine years I've owned it, because my sister hates it.

you are genuinely one of the best youtubers i’ve ever seen. you speak so eloquently, professional, and personally. it really feels like you’re speaking right to me, and that you know everything i’m thinking. great job!

Yep guilty of all of these... And just to add to your advice about not buying expansions with the base game, I'd also recommend not buying expansions without the base game.

I feel so personally called out and I love this video! The lure for expansions is definitely a struggle I understand. I'd add a number 11: You don't need to own a game you like if you played it at a friend's (or family member's) house. It's tempting, because you legit like the game, but guess what? You can play it with that friend any time you want for free! You don't need to own everything!

The other exception that I would include for some people/groups are (some) expansions that increase the player count. It's worth keeping in mind that player count (as you point out with mistake 4) can substantially change how a game plays. The 5-6 player Catan extension doesn't substantially change how the game plays (aside from making it longer) and having the extra couple of seats might be worth it for your group. On the flip side, Love Letter Premium makes some pretty substantial changes to the base game - the additional seats come at the cost of increased complexity. I used to play board games mostly as part of a club that usually had between 8 and 15 people any given week, so for me Love Letter has generally been a "filler" game - something with short rounds that we can play while waiting for other people to finish a different game. If we had enough people to use the expansion, we'd generally be better served to just play a different game unless we're looking for something to fill the last 10-20 minutes. So extra cards from Premium rarely actually got used by us.

Why did it take me so long to find you? I’ve been struggling all week to find a common sense and HELPFUL voice in the board game community. Most are either hyper critical or meandering messes. Thank you for being you!

“I can’t lose another potential gamer to rock climbing. You can’t do both.” I just had to laugh. Rock climbing and playing games are two of my biggest passions.

I found that the Game of the Year awards in Germany are always a good reference for fun games (I think each of the games you suggested for starting were games of the year in Germany) So you can look for "Spiel des Jahres". Also there is the "Kennerspiel des Jahres" which is aimed at more advanced gamers.

First video of yours I watched, I recognized myself and nodded to most of what you said. It's refreshing to see someone trying to get people to join the fun and not to "sell" that you have to be a hardcore gamer.

Definitely knowing your guests' game preferences is important! Some people just cannot think strategically or have a hard time keeping complex rules straight and some may only enjoy family-style creative thinking games (Telestrations is a great one, except we don't use the cards or dice. We just make up whatever we want, which often involves inside jokes). Reflex games are another tricky one, especially with multi-generations. My Dad is very slow at those, as is my younger niece who insists on playing and then gets frustrated when we all are much quicker than her! Cooperative games tend to be divisive, as do games where people are eliminated (Risk, Mafia, etc.)

One of the best-written, brutally honest Youtube videos ever about boardgames! I see below someone mentioned wishing they saw this years ago -- I agree. On top of the wisdom here, I laughed about every 45 seconds (wife and kids kept asking what was going on). Thanks, and keep up the great work.

I watch Rodney Smith in bed while reading rule books especially on days right before I go rock climbing.

Thank you for such a warmly humourous video about a hobby I love. I've made a few of these mistakes, although I grew up playing board games such as Acquire, and when I got onto Kickstarter during the pandemic, I had a critical eye and I've got a good satisfaction rate with what I've backed. I have learned not to inflict complex board games on reluctant participants (ha ha ha, the hard way) but one lesson I've learned from this is to let other people introduce board games they find fun to me - this is how I learned about Poetry for Neanderthals and I loved it. It's about audience and purpose. Also, pro-tip: raise your children to enjoy board games using all of these lessons and you will not regret it.