johnson.jason•8d agoMost Upvoted

Debate: Teaching new players with cooperative games vs competitive games - which builds better habits?

I've been introducing board games to two different groups of friends over the past 6 months. With one group I started with co-op games like Pandemic and Forbidden Island. With the other group I jumped straight into competitive games like Catan and Ticket to Ride. The co-op group learned rules faster and asked way more questions without feeling embarrassed. But the competitive group figured out strategy and reading opponents much sooner after about 10 sessions. The co-op players still get nervous when we try any game with direct conflict. Which approach have you found works better for teaching absolute beginners long term?

3 comments

3 Comments

caleb_ross128d ago

12 out of 15 times I've seen co-op first people get stuck in a "we're all winners" mindset that kills their ability to handle losing later. The group that started competitive had way thicker skin by session 5 and didn't cry when a trade fell through or someone blocked their road. Co-op babies get used to everyone holding hands and sharing info, then fall apart the second someone backstabs them in a real game. The nervousness about direct conflict you mentioned is a red flag that co-op teaching actually stunts social growth in games. Teaching with competitive from day one teaches new players that not everyone gets a participation trophy, which is a way better habit for real gaming long term.

riveradams8d ago

Pretty sure "participation trophy" has been a dead cliche since like 2012. Most new players I've seen in competitive games just end up memorizing one strategy and panic when it doesn't work, instead of actually learning how to play.

robinj298d ago

Co-op first worked better for my group, just took longer before they could handle losing.