That conversation with a veteran gamer changed how I look at game groups

I had a chat with a guy who's been running a local board game meetup for 8 years at the community center on Main Street. He told me that he's seen dozens of groups fall apart because people only focus on winning instead of making sure everyone has fun. He said 'the best players are the ones who help newbies feel welcome, not the ones who crush them in 10 minutes.' That hit different because I used to think competitive play was the whole point. Now I'm rethinking how I introduce games at my own table. Has anyone else had a talk like this that shifted your approach to running game nights?

2 comments

2 Comments

derekjenkins5d agoTop Commenter

So did that guy give you any actual tips on how to keep a group healthy without just being a total doormat to the tryhards? Like is there a line somewhere or do you just let everyone figure it out on their own?

daniel_lane304d ago

Oh yeah @derekjenkins, the "tryhard vs doormat" line is basically just whoever brings snacks gets to set the vibe. I figure if you're not letting people take back moves or offering newbies a mulligan, you're probably the problem.