Showerthought: my buddy's take on teaching games totally flipped my view

I was at a meetup last Thursday and my friend Jake watched me try to explain a new game to a group. He pulled me aside after and said, 'You're giving them the whole rulebook before they even know why they'd want to play.' I realized I always start with setup and turn structure, which is boring. Now I try to give the cool goal first, like 'you're spies trying to steal a painting,' and add rules as we go. How do you guys handle teaching a game for the first time?

3 comments

3 Comments

mark_green1d ago

Chill, it's just a game night.

mark_chen621d ago

Ugh, that phrase is everywhere now. It's like people say "it's just a..." to avoid any real talk. What are we so scared of?

max_cooper211d ago

My cousin made that same mistake with a game called Sub Terra. He spent twenty minutes explaining cave tiles and stress points before anyone knew they were supposed to escape. People just tuned out. Now he starts by saying you're trapped cavers with a flashlight that's dying, and the water is rising. He only brings up a rule when someone asks how to run from a cave-in. It makes a huge difference.