“So you play Scrabble?” That is the first question I usually get when telling people I play board games. The perception that board games are the type you play with your grandmother and parents needs to end. I always had fun playing Scrabble and card games with my family, but I never really played that with my friends.
About a year and a half ago, I stumbled across the Geek & Sundry YouTube channel, which had a show called Tabletop. It was hosted by Wil Wheaton and was showing special guests playing board games.
"We were all new to the game and I have been reassured it usually takes three hours." Photo: Unknown
Watching the show was a bit of a mind-opening experience for me. I didn’t quite realise how many board games that actually existed and the tons of fun you can have with them. There were games where you had to escape zombies, games where you had to save the world from a pandemic to games where you have to match artwork to a statement or word.
I‘m pretty sure there is a game out there for everyone. If board games are boring, then I'd argue that you haven’t found the right one for you yet.
The social aspect of board games is great too. Most games have a maximum player limit of four to six. This allows you to get into smaller social groups and actually allows those in your friend group who are less extroverted to feel comfortable and be part of it.
Meeting people over a board game is also really fun. Whether it’s hurling pseudo abuse at each other in a competitive game or teaming up to beat a board game, bonding over board games to me seems very natural and easy. I know for some people, including me, it’s sometimes difficult to introduce yourself to new people in a traditional bar scenario.
Some games can get quite complex. One I played recently with friends, Game of Thrones, took approximately six hours to play. We were all new to the game and I have been reassured it usually takes three hours. The most important thing is that all of us were laughing through most of the game. It was fun and that is the key to all of this. Don’t take games seriously – just have fun.
Escaping the zombies Photo: Unknown
The best advice I can give is search on YouTube to see other people playing games. Use the extensive resources that are available on the internet. BoardGameGeek is a great place to see user ratings and provide a lot of information on the game. I find Tabletop is great at getting new people interested in games. See what interests you before buying games.
Or if your friends own the game, get them to bring it along to a night to play it. There is a semi-regular gaming night on Thursdays at a bar in Wellington. Last week we played Tsuro of the Seas, Smash up and Bananagrams. It is very chilled out and a great way to watch or get started to see if you like a game. If you’re in Wellington and interested in coming along tweet me and I’ll keep updates on the location for the Thursdays.