Recent tabletop games are aimed at younger as well as older players, widening the age range. Many traditional games usually only cater for young players, because they are too boring for older players. On the flipside, games aimed at older players are too complicated for younger players.
Mind you, it is not actually about age but experience and preference. Some games just suit players who like a lot of strategic thinking, while other games are aimed at people who are outgoing and fun loving.
However, there are some games that are really good at leveling the playing field. They are very easy and quick to learn, but still create enough challenges to make you use your brain. Haunt the House is one example, which we recently started playing, and Dixit is another, and of course there is the ever popular Carcassonne.
You could argue that these games are gateway games, but I would argue that there are non-gateway games that still cater for a wide range of people with different interests and skill. I would say that Catacombs & Castles is a great game that allows people of all ages and experience to join in, but isn’t a gateway game.
So what games do you have at home and play with all the family? Are there games that you thought would be great to play with everyone, but turned out to be the wrong choice? Please let me know in the comments below – or feel free to start a completely new conversation.