I love my game group. We’ve been playing board games for many. many years now. Over the years we learned many new ones and slowly established favourites, which would eventually get replaced by new favourites. It’s very special to have a consistent group of people to play games with. One of the really special things I found is how we discover games together and I want to write about it in this article.
Shared Games
The first, and maybe most obvious, benefit of knowing a number of people who enjoy the modern board game hobby is that we all bring different games to the table. While we all have similar tastes in the types of games we like, we also all have our own unique preferences and likes. Our group is far from diverse, but even so, it is often surprising how the games each of us brings to the table vary from what the rest of the group would have chosen.
That, in itself, exposes us to different gaming experiences, which we might otherwise not have had. Of course, there are games that all but one of us, the person who brought the game, really bounce off. There are even times when none of us get on with a particular new game.
Most of the time though, because of the shared tastes, games offer at least some interest to all of us. Sure, some of us will love certain games a lot more than the rest of the group, but even if we each enjoy something different in a new game, we all get something from it.
There are even times when we surprise ourselves and enjoy a game that we really didn’t think we’d ever get on with. It’s a really magical moment when that happens. That’s where our diversity really shines. Sometimes it’s because one or two in the group are super excited about something and their excitement infects the others. That’s where the game experience is all that matters and seeing someone overjoyed about a certain game can sometimes sway someone else to overcome their prejudice and join in the fun.
Learning Together
The other really wonderful thing that happens when you have a regular game group is that you learn games together. I don’t mean learning the rules by that though. I’m talking about how we start as complete novices and slowly get better and better at a particular game.
I think many of us have experienced a game that we played for the first time with people who knew it inside out. In some games, it doesn’t matter how well people know them, but more often than not, the gameplay experience for the first-timer can be frustrating or otherwise negative. It can be intimidating because you don’t yet completely understand the rules, let alone have any idea as to whether your actions are good or bad. You’re still exploring the game space.
At the same time, everyone else around the table knows exactly what they’re doing and their turns are over in a jiffy. Their scoring tokens keep advancing steadily, while yours is left at or near the zero spot. Even when you feel you’ve finally worked out what’s going on and how to win, it’s either too late or the other players know how to stop you.
So when all of you are new to a game and you’re all exploring it together, it is much more enjoyable. Nobody is upset when people ask for rule clarifications or when someone makes a terrible decision. After all, nobody is likely to notice that their action was bad, because nobody knows what a good turn looks like yet.
When you discuss the game afterwards, everyone is excited to hear what everyone thinks and what they might do differently next time. There is nobody pointing out your obvious bad choices. Everyone is still learning.
Joint Exploration
I always love playing a game for the first time with people I regularly play with. Everyone knows that we’re just trying things out. So if someone plays sub-optimally, nobody really cares. We’re all just pulling levers and pushing buttons to see what happens. In fact, we often talk about how it’s going during the game. Seeing someone play a card to great effect means we want to know what that card was and how it all happened.
That’s why it’s so very important to describe your turn as you take it. You have to say out loud what you’re doing, not only so everyone can check that you’re following the rules, which everyone is still learning, but more importantly so that everyone can see how the game works. I might not be able to do on my turn what you did on yours, but knowing what you did will still help me better understand the game.
I think that joint exploration of a new game is so very important. It’s one of the things that make having a regular game group so special. It also makes us braver to try games we might not otherwise have given a go.
For example, my long-term goal of playing an 18xx game with my group finally came true, because I knew they would be happy to give it a go. I was brave enough to get it to the table and teach it to them. I knew we would learn it together and explore the puzzle it offered. It was magical.
How About You?
Now I wonder if you have a regular game group. What do you think is special about playing with the same people? Do you feel that you have tried games that you wouldn’t otherwise have tried, just because someone brought them to play with the group? As always, please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below. I would love to hear from you.
Audio Version
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.
Music: JoDon by Blue Dot Sessions
Playlist
These are the songs I listened to while I was writing this topic discussion article: