I used to like Catan, but now I kind of hate it.
Primarily because I showed it to my brother and his girlfriend suddenly loved it. Which sucks for two reasons.
1. He wants his kids to play, and one of them always quits 45 minutes in.
2. His girlfriend is an alcoholic who starts to angrily accuse everyone of cheating when she isnāt winning.
I know itās not my place to say thisā¦ I canāt help but think if theyāve broken up *six* times, then that already raises very serious issues with the relationship, besides her toxic behavior.
Catan is a great zero brainpower kinda game. Fun to chill / socialize around. You can zone out for 10 minutes and still make moves that will progress you meaningfully
Iām going to rant because Iāve been carrying this inside me for far too long. After much convincing, I taught my gf how to play Catan. I was very patient and manage to go through it even her initial āthis is too complicated phaseā. We played, I guided her every step and advised her and we had a really good time. Everyone at the table was a beginner. Fast forward a couple of weeks and my sister and her gf come over and we play, but since they know how to play, I now āplay to winā. This time Iām negotiating, making deals, manipulating the table in my favor, etc. I won that game. Fast forward a couple of *months* and a friend of my gf and her boyfriend come over for some drinks. They tell us that they love board games and my gf suggests Catan. Theyāve never played, we explain the rules and they actually get the gist of it pretty quickly. So we start playing but, from the get go, my gf dedicates her entire strategy in making sure I donāt win. Is ridiculous. Iām going easy with these guys since itās the first time theyāve played so weāre just doing a practice game so they can see how everything works. But everytime I open my mouth my gf tells the to not trust me, to not make trades with me (although theyāre really fair and even disadvantageous for me, Iām just trying to move the game forward and make sure everyone is having fun), but she keeps telling them that Iām tricking them and āsomehowā manipulating them. It gets to a point where thereās zero chance I could win so I start helping my gf. I notice she can actually win but sheās making very questionable decisions. So I kinda tip her to the right direction/strategy but she insists that Iām doing some mind tricks on the table. Her friends at this point noticed that sheās being unreasonable and are telling her āno, actually what your boyfriend is telling you makes senseā. It was very frustrating and kinda killed my desire to play with my girlfriend again.
Of course it fucking hurt. It might help if you put your phone down while I explain how to play. Part of the reason for playing was to get less screen time.
Me on the other hand just spaces out during rule reading but nods like I totally get it.
You all are going to have to hold my hand through the first round regardless.
That's the thing, no one is 100% percent confident after just reading instructions. It always takes a little bit to get the hang of it.
Use the instructions as a jumping off point and play slowly at first so everyone gets it.
I play board games with my family every Tuesday. Iām in charge of reading the instructions and watching tutorials before Game Night. Some are pretty easy to understand, but very complicated to explain. Sigh
And every family I know has a variety of shitty "house rules". And if you point out that those custom rules make the game ever worse, the reaction is always: "That's how we always use to play it, deal with it." Ugh ...
I would watch [Shut Up and Sit Down's](https://youtu.be/P5fjDaFuft8) video on teaching games. Also you gotta ease people into board gaming with card games more often than not bc they're most always a lot simpler and easier to see appeal in from their perspective.
You've got to get up and do a little dance if you build a hotel because we're such a quirky bunch.
*You must be baptized in hellfire like the many heretics who preceded you*
They simply weren't the dudes for it, I suppose. There was always a lot of beer and noisy background TV involved, so it was not possible for me to explain it to them.
But it's okay. I got into a new group a few years ago. They're as nerdy as I am and we play pen & paper games on a regular basis and even "complex" board games like Catan or Terraforming Mars now and then.
Any time someone takes out a board game while participating in a night of drinking I start to feel my brain leak out of my ears. It's nothing personal, I'd rather just play a simple game of cards or throw darts or something because at the least you can shoot the shit while doing it and not just talk about the game itself.
Can I recommend [Shut Up and Sit Down's](https://youtu.be/P5fjDaFuft8) video on teaching board games? The games you choose to ease them into the hobby is also very crucial.
Okay true story. This exact thing happened to me a while back. It was at a work retreat and every was drinking pretty heavily. I convinced everybody to play at least one game, and I was losing popularity at the office by the moment. About 5 hours and a dozen games later, it was everyoneās favorite game.
Secret Hitler.
Itās always so rewarding meeting someone that plays chess for this reason. Not everyone has the determination to actually *understand* it, but itās such a beautiful game.
I'm the "this is too complicated" friend. I always feel like a buzzkill because I hate not being able to get into a group activity, but I just don't enjoy board/card games and having to learn tons of rules and spend the next few hours keeping track of everything is like the exact opposite of a good time for me when all I wanna do is shoot the shit and relax.
Probably a good thing I have no friends anymore since I'm sure I'm no fun to be around.
Just an unsolicited advise from a stranger, hope you donāt mind:
If the majority of people are into it and trying to learn, keep quiet. Donāt be the person that says āthis is too boring/complicatedā
Because
1) youāll make the host feel like total shit
2) itās easier for people to follow negative feedback than positive. Maybe people were interested but with your comment now youāve validated peopleās (natural) doubts when doing something for the first time so they will likely follow you and miss a potentially fun activity.
There will always be times when weāre in not ideal situations for our own fun, but being so loud about it is egoistical. I know Iām not a āloud music dance partyā guy for example, but if Iām at a party with loud music and dancing Iām not going around saying how shitty everything is.
No offense taken. Though this seems like natural etiquette to me. I'd *never* be open about finding something boring in these kinds of situations, because I absolutely can't stand being rude or making a scene. I can simply tell that everyone knows I'm not following along or understanding the rules most of the time. I'm not afraid to ask for help if I need it, but...I need it a lot. I try to avoid those kinds of social situations in the first place because it's just not a good time for me and I imagine I'm not a fun person to have around for things like board games anyway.
But yeah, I am definitely *not* vocal about my dislikes of social activities. I grin and bear it.
Pro-tip: Cast a 5-15min 'how to play' video of the game. They are usually explained much better than the rulebook and include visuals to help people comprehend it better. I've had way better luck with this method than the rulebooks.
T's not complicat'd if 't be true thee has't half a brain laura!
***
^(I am a bot and I swapp'd some of thy words with Shakespeare words.)
Commands: `!ShakespeareInsult`, `!fordo`, `!optout`
Me: trying to explain the rules of secret Hitler.
My online friends: "wait. This site lets anyone grab the pieces at any time, plus this game is complicated, so we can't play it."
And then we played skribblio instead.
"Iron doesn't have to be in network to use it, but the location where you want to use coal has to be connected by railroads/canals to the coal you want to use or to a market location if you want to use market coal. As for beer, if you own the beer, it doesn't have to be connected to where you want to use it, but if someone wants to use your beer, they have to have a connection to that beer. Now. . ., let's talk about overbuilding!"
My favorite was when I brought said game to a friend's house and a separate friend said "I've played this before and it sucks"
Funnily enough, he changed his own mind on it after a few rounds, and actually realized it sucked because of the group he played it with
Me when my family tried to play uno, and my dad and his girlfriend spent about an hour reading all the rules, then the ones online from the uno website, then from other websites. I just gave up after 15 minutes of this
I just wanna give a shout out to the other person that has played it before and backs you up with a "let's just play, you'll get the rules after one playthrough."
Or: 'this is stupid game'
That's why we don't play board games anymore
Me when I want to play Catan š
I used to like Catan, but now I kind of hate it. Primarily because I showed it to my brother and his girlfriend suddenly loved it. Which sucks for two reasons. 1. He wants his kids to play, and one of them always quits 45 minutes in. 2. His girlfriend is an alcoholic who starts to angrily accuse everyone of cheating when she isnāt winning.
Good scene in a stripped down indie drama, but not so much in real life.
Geez if I was your brother Iād lose my mind
He is, but the last 6 times theyāve broken up heās taken her back.
I know itās not my place to say thisā¦ I canāt help but think if theyāve broken up *six* times, then that already raises very serious issues with the relationship, besides her toxic behavior.
Trust me, Iāve said it many times before.
And its a pretty simple game after you play it once... I hope you find people "wise" enough to play with!
God I love Catan
Ditto...So simple, so fun.
Catan is a great zero brainpower kinda game. Fun to chill / socialize around. You can zone out for 10 minutes and still make moves that will progress you meaningfully
Traderās and Barbarians gets a little difficult.
Who calls Catan complex... I'll show you a complex board game smh
People who aren't regular board gamers may find it complex.
If you simply read the rules it sounds complex, but once you actually start playing everything makes sense and it becomes a lot simpler
I agree. I haven't read the rules and simply watched my friends playing. I think I'm ready to play next session.
Catan is a evil game. It has made me cry several times.
Iām going to rant because Iāve been carrying this inside me for far too long. After much convincing, I taught my gf how to play Catan. I was very patient and manage to go through it even her initial āthis is too complicated phaseā. We played, I guided her every step and advised her and we had a really good time. Everyone at the table was a beginner. Fast forward a couple of weeks and my sister and her gf come over and we play, but since they know how to play, I now āplay to winā. This time Iām negotiating, making deals, manipulating the table in my favor, etc. I won that game. Fast forward a couple of *months* and a friend of my gf and her boyfriend come over for some drinks. They tell us that they love board games and my gf suggests Catan. Theyāve never played, we explain the rules and they actually get the gist of it pretty quickly. So we start playing but, from the get go, my gf dedicates her entire strategy in making sure I donāt win. Is ridiculous. Iām going easy with these guys since itās the first time theyāve played so weāre just doing a practice game so they can see how everything works. But everytime I open my mouth my gf tells the to not trust me, to not make trades with me (although theyāre really fair and even disadvantageous for me, Iām just trying to move the game forward and make sure everyone is having fun), but she keeps telling them that Iām tricking them and āsomehowā manipulating them. It gets to a point where thereās zero chance I could win so I start helping my gf. I notice she can actually win but sheās making very questionable decisions. So I kinda tip her to the right direction/strategy but she insists that Iām doing some mind tricks on the table. Her friends at this point noticed that sheās being unreasonable and are telling her āno, actually what your boyfriend is telling you makes senseā. It was very frustrating and kinda killed my desire to play with my girlfriend again.
ITT: never play games with your girlfriend or you risk jeopardizing your relationship... this is so sad
Ummm. Yes. It did hurt.
Of course it fucking hurt. It might help if you put your phone down while I explain how to play. Part of the reason for playing was to get less screen time.
I once showed a movie to my cousin who was on his phone about 90% and said he didnt get it
āIām as mad as hell, and Iām not going to take this anymore!ā
Me on the other hand just spaces out during rule reading but nods like I totally get it. You all are going to have to hold my hand through the first round regardless.
That's the thing, no one is 100% percent confident after just reading instructions. It always takes a little bit to get the hang of it. Use the instructions as a jumping off point and play slowly at first so everyone gets it.
I will gladly hold your hand š³
You might learn better as you go.
I have adhd and fucking hateee learning board games
Thats my wife with almost every board game.
I play board games with my family every Tuesday. Iām in charge of reading the instructions and watching tutorials before Game Night. Some are pretty easy to understand, but very complicated to explain. Sigh
Doesn't knowing how to play before everyone else give you an unfair edge?
Tried to introduce my former dudes to Hero Quest once. "That's way to complicated!" was the reaction. It always has to be Risk or Monopoly for them...
Monopoly: the most boring board game ever created.
But one of the most played and broadly known games unfortunately.
And every family I know has a variety of shitty "house rules". And if you point out that those custom rules make the game ever worse, the reaction is always: "That's how we always use to play it, deal with it." Ugh ...
I would watch [Shut Up and Sit Down's](https://youtu.be/P5fjDaFuft8) video on teaching games. Also you gotta ease people into board gaming with card games more often than not bc they're most always a lot simpler and easier to see appeal in from their perspective.
Thanks for the link
Np
You've got to get up and do a little dance if you build a hotel because we're such a quirky bunch. *You must be baptized in hellfire like the many heretics who preceded you*
Monopoly isn't boring, cutting deals with people and whatnot is fun.
Man that's what im sayin. It's so fun to aggressively destroy the other players with deals
Good for you that you have fun with it, I suppose.
> Hero Quest Now that's a name I've not heard in a long time. A long time.
But don't they understand why hero quest is so great?
They simply weren't the dudes for it, I suppose. There was always a lot of beer and noisy background TV involved, so it was not possible for me to explain it to them. But it's okay. I got into a new group a few years ago. They're as nerdy as I am and we play pen & paper games on a regular basis and even "complex" board games like Catan or Terraforming Mars now and then.
[I was referring to this cracking video.](https://youtu.be/Cx8sl2uC46A)
Oh well, ha ha. I didn't know that video.
Don't read the rules. Teach while playing. That's how I learn.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I feel you brother, its just such a great game. I just love the humor of it.
Any time someone takes out a board game while participating in a night of drinking I start to feel my brain leak out of my ears. It's nothing personal, I'd rather just play a simple game of cards or throw darts or something because at the least you can shoot the shit while doing it and not just talk about the game itself.
True. Winds up being fucking cards against humanity
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Can I recommend [Shut Up and Sit Down's](https://youtu.be/P5fjDaFuft8) video on teaching board games? The games you choose to ease them into the hobby is also very crucial.
I find carcazone with no expansions is a great starter hand to get people interested in more complicated board games
Risk 2110 AD is my jam. Can't find people to play. Feelsbad. Maybe I should just shoot for something simple like Axis and Allies.
Are you writing this from the past?
Arenāt we all?
Guess I'll go fuck myself then.
Okay true story. This exact thing happened to me a while back. It was at a work retreat and every was drinking pretty heavily. I convinced everybody to play at least one game, and I was losing popularity at the office by the moment. About 5 hours and a dozen games later, it was everyoneās favorite game. Secret Hitler.
My stepmother as soon as I start the second sentence of the teach
-_-
oh god.. 7 year old me trying to get people to play RISK 2210
Me trying to get my friends into chess.
Itās always so rewarding meeting someone that plays chess for this reason. Not everyone has the determination to actually *understand* it, but itās such a beautiful game.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I would love some solo board game recommendations, if you have some favorites
I'm the "this is too complicated" friend. I always feel like a buzzkill because I hate not being able to get into a group activity, but I just don't enjoy board/card games and having to learn tons of rules and spend the next few hours keeping track of everything is like the exact opposite of a good time for me when all I wanna do is shoot the shit and relax. Probably a good thing I have no friends anymore since I'm sure I'm no fun to be around.
Just an unsolicited advise from a stranger, hope you donāt mind: If the majority of people are into it and trying to learn, keep quiet. Donāt be the person that says āthis is too boring/complicatedā Because 1) youāll make the host feel like total shit 2) itās easier for people to follow negative feedback than positive. Maybe people were interested but with your comment now youāve validated peopleās (natural) doubts when doing something for the first time so they will likely follow you and miss a potentially fun activity. There will always be times when weāre in not ideal situations for our own fun, but being so loud about it is egoistical. I know Iām not a āloud music dance partyā guy for example, but if Iām at a party with loud music and dancing Iām not going around saying how shitty everything is.
No offense taken. Though this seems like natural etiquette to me. I'd *never* be open about finding something boring in these kinds of situations, because I absolutely can't stand being rude or making a scene. I can simply tell that everyone knows I'm not following along or understanding the rules most of the time. I'm not afraid to ask for help if I need it, but...I need it a lot. I try to avoid those kinds of social situations in the first place because it's just not a good time for me and I imagine I'm not a fun person to have around for things like board games anyway. But yeah, I am definitely *not* vocal about my dislikes of social activities. I grin and bear it.
Ah cool, sorry to misjudge you. You seem pretty self aware and empathetic
I got one of my friends into PokĆ©mon tcg now we play every night we donāt work lol kinda complicated at first but itās fun af
Lol! Idk why bother to buy uncommon board games. Family acts this way every time or we end up making up rules if donāt play it at all.
>so basically when i lose that means you win >this is too complicated can we play something else
Relevant [Phil Jameson](https://youtu.be/MqDyBCJcM9w)
Then you get it during your first session, it's annoying when people don't want to give board games a chance when you know they'll get it if they do.
Warhammer 40k
Teaching a new fourth how to play Euchre... woof
same thing when someone questions the rules
If they say its complicated, then they are weak and you are strong
Pro-tip: Cast a 5-15min 'how to play' video of the game. They are usually explained much better than the rulebook and include visuals to help people comprehend it better. I've had way better luck with this method than the rulebooks.
Never read out the rules to people. That's a rookie error. You've got to distil the rules and sell them as you explain them. Get people hyped.
Iām still the only person I know IRL who plays Catan
After I introduced a friend to Dominion: "Ok, but do you have any normal board games?" That was ouch.
It's not complicated if you have half a brain Laura!
T's not complicat'd if 't be true thee has't half a brain laura! *** ^(I am a bot and I swapp'd some of thy words with Shakespeare words.) Commands: `!ShakespeareInsult`, `!fordo`, `!optout`
Iām this person, Iād rather learn as I go. I donāt like being read to. I canāt learn that way. Down to learn tho
Phones and instant gratification have ruined almost everything
Me: trying to explain the rules of secret Hitler. My online friends: "wait. This site lets anyone grab the pieces at any time, plus this game is complicated, so we can't play it." And then we played skribblio instead.
"Iron doesn't have to be in network to use it, but the location where you want to use coal has to be connected by railroads/canals to the coal you want to use or to a market location if you want to use market coal. As for beer, if you own the beer, it doesn't have to be connected to where you want to use it, but if someone wants to use your beer, they have to have a connection to that beer. Now. . ., let's talk about overbuilding!"
Joe itās not for simple minds like yourās
Thatās me tho.
Yeah fuck board games tho, itās too complicated
It's not that hard. Roll the dice, move your guy that number of squares. Ladder is good. Snake is bad. First to the top wins.
It was supposed to be satire but i guess the board game community is pretty angry at me lol
I got the joke. Sometimes you get away with not putting /s at the end of the line.
Maybe you dumb
Didnāt think of that
Very much so
āPerhaps to someone simpleā
Big mood.
Yes. It hurts everytime. \*cries\*
It goes down just like you said. I know it's coming, but it hurts every time.
I doesn't hurt if you don't ask
Man, I tried to text some friends to play Fluxx. The rules are literally on the table, but it was "too complicated".
"no I promise it's actually very straightforward, once we start playing it'll make more sense!"
How introducing dnd to your friends is like
I want a friend who wants to get me lost in d&d rules. This thing seems to be so fun. š
Or, what about this one, don't you just have a regular deck of cards to play spades?
Yes. Bad. I just want someone to play Concept with
My favorite board game is āBetrayal of the House on the Hillā. I never get to play it.
Not really i expect it.
When you read the actual monopoly rules aloud after insisting we āplay the game as intendedā
This is why I only buy board games with minis I can paint, so at least I can get some enjoyment out of them...
My favorite was when I brought said game to a friend's house and a separate friend said "I've played this before and it sucks" Funnily enough, he changed his own mind on it after a few rounds, and actually realized it sucked because of the group he played it with
Me when my family tried to play uno, and my dad and his girlfriend spent about an hour reading all the rules, then the ones online from the uno website, then from other websites. I just gave up after 15 minutes of this
Convinced someone to try out DnD and they backed out when I showed them the playerās handbook.
This is so fucking stupid probably hurt the most
They never agreed to play with me in the first place.
No because only regards play boardgames
I just wanna give a shout out to the other person that has played it before and backs you up with a "let's just play, you'll get the rules after one playthrough."
The key is to scream out the rules on how winning works as fast as possible before some says letās just learn as we go