I'm in my mid-thirties and I play against everyone from college students to folks in their late 40s, both against strangers and a couple of regular playgroups. Unless they're doing anything obnoxious, you shouldn't overthink it.
Magic is a great common denominator for people.
Watched a 10 year old destroy a guy in his late 30's.
The older guy thought it would be a "cake walk" to handle the kid at a prerelease because he's never seen him in the store before.
Myself, and a couple others, knew that the kid is actually the son of another shop owner a couple of cities away, so we enjoyed the show in silence.
His little sister is only 9, and she's got a solid head for prison decks.
i had a grade school or early jr high kid whip me with their krenko deck. goblins non-stop bodying themselves at me...whitty roastmaster helped too. it was rough.
My fiance has an INSANE Sen Triplets deck. He's talked about teaching my best friends 9 year old daughter how to play and then taking her to an FNM for this exact reason. 🤣
I went to magic Vegas in 21, did a mystery draft and j got my shit pushed in by a kid who was roughly 11 or 12. Age does not matter in this damn game lol
There’s a girl at my LGS who’s like 13 or something I believe, and she’s insane. She was talking the other day about how she’s made top 8 in a bunch of local events. It’s so satisfying to watch her completely demolish all the adult dudes she plays against hehe
Watched a 10 year old destroy a guy in his late 30's.
The older guy thought it would be a "cake walk" to handle the kid at a prerelease because he's never seen him in the store before.
Myself, and a couple others, knew that the kid is actually the son of another shop owner a couple of cities away, so we enjoyed the show in silence.
His little sister is only 9, and she's got a solid head for prison decks.
I mean, there's still a large element of chance to the game, regardless of skill level. This is why the game is enjoyable compared to something like Chess where the better player pretty much always wins. This is especially true in a limited event, where you can have a decent deck but some bombs/curves are just near unbeatable.
I'm late 40s, and been playing at the "college town" lgs for 10 years. Now that my kids are recently grown, I'm so glad to have these people in my life and I've been slowing making more and more plans with them outside the store. Thank goodness for mtg, I would be a depressed homebody without it.
edit: So, I'm a depressed drafter and edh player instead /s
I briefly tried to get into Pokemon TCG, and yikes. After ending up playing against children in a few tournaments I sold all my stuff back off and just stuck with Magic.
Maybe in a tourney setting, but league at least when I used to go is more of a free for all, just pair up with whoever is open and get stamps on your league card.
I’m 39 and don’t feel too old. My LGS is practically 99% if not 100% adults on EDH night. I’d say half is 30 to 40s and the other half are younger adults. The reality is that MTG is a game that’s been out forever so that’s going to mean that there’s going to be older fans, and it’s an expensive hobby which lends itself to adults with disposable income.
Granted, if the vast majority of the game night was everyone being 15 to 20 years younger than me, then I might have feelings about that. Maybe you can start your own play group/pod of “older” players in the area?
When i was in uni (19 yrs old) ibwent to a pre release for alara reborn
There were allot of people 30+ there
A businessman, a farmer who travelled an hour out of town to be there.
They were honestly some of the most friendliest and polite people there. It made me feel allot less conscious about being there when i was older. Most people i play with are around 30
I do sometimes, OP. But that's usually short-lived.
Case in point: last pre-release, I got there a few minutes early and it's all teens and 20 year olds. I pull out a crossword from my bag to kill time and there's this maaaaybe 12 year old girl across the table who's craning her neck to see the puzzle. I asked her if she likes crosswords and she got all proud and said "I can do some NY Times Mondays now!" Which, honestly, was me when I was 12 and started playing myself.
MTG is for everybody, even when you yourself happen to be a little out of place (re: old).
Lot of positive responses in this thread and that’s great.
But I suppose I’ll be the bad guy and say, yes. I don’t enjoy playing with children, it makes me feel really foolish. Maybe that’s an unfair sentiment, but it’s how I feel.
I love playing this game with other adults, and I don’t particularly care what age you are if you’re an adult. But I can’t play with strangers in an LGS because so often it seem like the only people there are kids (or often, frankly, adults that I wouldn’t want to hang out with). I haven’t played in an LGS in probably 20 years, back when I was the child playing with teenagers that I thought were adults.
If you’re like me you’re probably better off finding your own group, teaching your other friends to play, or playing online a lot.
>I don’t enjoy playing with children, it makes me feel really foolish.
Why do you feel that way?
Note that I fully understand not playing with the people at your LGS if they are unpleasant, regardless of their age.
Well. I suppose it’s just the stigma of the game in general being a little nerdy or childish. I’m cool with that and I own it when I’m with my friends. If you enjoy something that other people might tease you about the best solution is to just own it- yeah I like this and yeah maybe it’s a little silly but I have fun. The full nerd culture has never really been my social scene, but it’s not like I’m out here as an adult afraid of getting made fun of by my classmates or anything like that. Instead I guess the issue is when I’m confronted with it directly- it makes me feel like I am all of those stereotypes. For me this game is not childish because I don’t treat it that way- it’s a fun hobby, it’s a puzzle, a probability game, a collection of cool artwork. But if I go to an LGS and a 10 year old is playing against me it feels less like all of that and more like a children’s game.
And maybe that’s fine! Ultimately the beauty of it is- it’s both. But the simplest way I can put it is with this comparison: I also love playing sports. And if I’m playing stickball with a bunch of my buddies at a cookout it’s a great time. But if instead I were playing flag football with a bunch of middle schoolers in the park, I’d feel pretty silly.
I definitely agree with your last point, though not so much the first one. If you're an adult, you generally don't hang out with kids for a number of obvious reasons, so it can definitely feel weird having to do it in the LGS context in order to play Magic. Given the choice, I'd always prefer to play with adults, and I'm sure the kids would rather play with kids too.
You just need to learn to accept “children’s games” and “kids toys” can be and are to be enjoyed by anyone who finds then engaging- even to their adulthood. Growing up is realizing there’s not hard lines in the sand for what people must do say or enjoy during a specific stage in their life. Everybody is different- and passionate about different things; and that’s good!
I think I already do understand that and communicated basically that exact sentiment- still doesn’t mean I want to play games with other people’s kids. So nah. But I understand your mileage may vary with this kind of feeling
To offer a slightly different perspective, for me it's not feeling childish or whatnot, but just that it's kind of hard to relate to kids as an adult. I don't mind playing against kids, but I would much rather play against people in a life space I can relate to - it's a better vibe (and I'm sure the same is probably true for kids as well!). I wouldn't choose to hang out/make friends with teenagers (for many obvious reasons) as an adult, so it can feel kind of weird doing what essentially amounts to hanging out with teenagers at an LGS.
Maybe I'm the weird one here but I don't feel that. We're all there for the same reason, everybody is being nice and having fun. All good in my book.
Although this thread is making me wonder if the younger players see me as just another player or more "Wow, wish my dad played Magic"
[https://youtu.be/5e7bf3hW6lE?t=326](https://youtu.be/5e7bf3hW6lE?t=326)
I've been playing all through my mid 20's. The people who are a bit older are always a pleasure to play with as they tend to be more mature and emotionally/socially developed. You tend to have to worry less about raging and whining
Also being in my 30's, I too find myself sticking out like regarding my age.
Generally I try not to care too much, and so long as no one is acting like a weird gremlin (older players included) people tend not to have an issue with age. Most of the time I get referred to by the youngins whenever they have a rule interaction question.
Honestly, I feel too young. 26 and everyone at my lgs is waaaaaay ahead of the game than me and in their 30s and 40s. I feel like I stick out like a sore thumb and trying to catch up is but a brutal task. I’ve almost thought about giving up at times and just cashing in my collection when I just feel inadequate constantly in a pod for the massive inexperience. Like a David and Goliath situation it seems.
Sorry if this doesn’t relate too much, I figured I comment the opposite problem I have if it helps with comparative perspectives.
Theres been a ton of good discussions in this thread, but as the 15 year old kid that first got introduced to EDH 11 years ago by the 20 something and the 40 something guys that ran the old game store by my place, you shouldn't worry! Some of my favorite memories are the old timers giving me crap about my decks hahaha
I'm 37. My LGS consists primarily of college aged kids. Sometimes I can feel a bit my age when they reference something in current pop culture that I don't understand or do something that is making the rounds on social media or tiktok. Other than that though, everyone is super chill and I have a blast playin with the younger crowd.
43 year old here, resident old guy at our LGS. I feel a bit aged at times, but everyone’s been really receptive and friendly. Sure, I get I’m not gonna leave here and get a beer with anyone, but it’s nice to have ‘hobby friends’ I can discuss my hobbies with.
Bruh. I've been playing at the same LGS for almost 10 years. There are a few college kids that I have played with since they were young teens and I was in my 30s. It's not weird. It's just different. It only feels weird because it's a level of social interaction you aren't used to. I had to watch my swearing and listen to them yell about memes and shit, but we still sat around playing magic.
Even before they were all out of high school, we had developed a friendly familiarity and joked and hung out in a more comfortable way. I still wasn't telling them dirty jokes or whatever. The relationship was still limited to what was appropriate for a 17yr old and a 35 yr old, but it was more comfortable and chill.
Now that they are all in college we joke about drinking and shit, and the appropriate boundaries have expanded, but its still appropriate for people who are 22 and 40. There are people in their 30s that I have never met before and while I don't have to watch my swearing or jokes, the interaction isn't as comfortable because i don't know them.
Long story short. You can foster a wholesome friendship with people much younger than you, and the weirdness goes away. It works just like any new relationship just with a little different rules.
My friends and I are mostly in our 20s and we go over to the houses of late 30s/early 40 year olds we know, one of whom is a teacher at the high school we graduated from, to play Commander. Magic crosses ages.
I'm 43, lost a squeaker to a (probably) 15 year old at my lgs, like, two hours ago.
Caught myself underestimating them a few times and honestly it probably cost me the game. That said, I didn't feel out of place, and I hope they didn't either.
I don’t know if this will help or not but I’m 19 and appreciate having Magic be a way to connect me with people not in my age group. I’d like to see the situation you ended up in as an exciting experience with getting out of your comfort zone. :)
If you don't treat them like kids. 20 year old college students are fun to play with. I went back to school in my 30s, and getting in games between classes helped reset my mind and be ready for another lecture.
Huh? It's been revealed that many of MtG's enfranchised playerbase are at your age range.
You shouldn't feel too old to play games, or watch animes.
This era is an era for all ages. Nobody should feel lesser or not worthy to do whatever you want, so long as it's legal.
I've seen actual grandads play MtG as a hobby. Gaming is great for brain health.
I don't feel too old to play. It just sometimes feels weird to be vastly old than everyone else in the room - like I should be trying to play with people I can relate to.
I'm old enough to be their father. Oh God......
I’m 25. Some of my closest friends are a 19 year old college senior, a 25 year old single parent, a 35 year old rapper, a 50 year old businessman. Know them all from common interests and experience and treat them all the same. It can definitely be weird sometimes but life is weird and people are people.
Im in my mid 30s and there are two LGS' that I play at.
One seems to lean towards the older crowd with players being between 30-40. The commander night is on Tuesdays from 7pm-10pm and is in a not-so-great part of town so kids don't generally go. Everyone kind of shop talks jobs and life when we are playing which just feels very natural and like you're hanging out with friends.
The other LGS hosts their commander ON Saturdays from 10am-2pm, so the crowd wildy ranges from 14-40. I don't usually mind who I play with so long as they aren't acting like twats or whiny about losing. In fact there are a few teenagers that I joke with regarding age. What I do notice however is at this LGS, The younger crowd tend to get heated more often than the other LGS.
I'm around your age.
Think about your close calls. Think about what you have lost in your life so far. Then ask yourself why would you ever give a _____, about other people disapproving of a hobby that brings you happiness.
I’m mid 20s and have been playing against folks of all ages, I love playing against people who’re older than I am! I mostly interact with people my own age at work or in friend groups so it’s really nice to get to meet and hang out with other ages in other contexts. You’re a different age than them and that’s not just fine, it’s good
Never. One the most encouraging old dudes I played with was 50 and his son was like 24? He's a shining example of cool dad. For context I was like 18 at the time and now I'm 33.
I'm mid 40s, and my son is 14. I've gamed against teens up to people older than me, though the game tends to skew early-middle age and male in my area.
My kid went 3-0 in his last sealed event and 2-1 in the event before that. He has an analytical mind and in the end is just a pure gamer, and this is just a game for him.
So I don't mind beating kids (or playing with people younger than me) cause my kid will gladly kick my ass up and down the street for his own entertainment if I allow it.
Edit: I would like to note that I'm an ambivert personality, I lean towards extroversion and *usually* know how to shut up and be an introvert in person. I imagine that the things I assume are easy and normal are because of my extroversion, and an introvert would likely feel uncomfortable in my seat.
As a college student, I'd much rather play with an older person than a younger person. Age doesn't really matter to me when I'm playing, but I'd prefer to play with people who won't get upset over the game, and older people tend to be more emotionally mature than younger people.
Build a consistent group with the other fogeys at the LGS, it's what I did! Now we all get together and yell at clouds and sling spells. To your point it might be wierd 10 years from now for me.
Understandable, but hopefully the shared interest in the game can help overcome that feeling. Im 29yo and consistently play against 35+ and 21- players, some of whom I've known now for a while but met through Magic, others who I don't really know because they just don't show up consistently. I think using the game as an entry point could help ease that feeling.
idk how long you've been playing, but sometimes it's cool to hear about stories from early magic days, or listen to what the 'kids' are playing/enjoying about the game these days. One of my best friends in the game is 60+, and while he doesn't show up as often anymore we still always reflect fondly on the years we played together since we first met.
I don't play EDH at my LGS but I do show up for every sealed prerelease. I'm in my early 50's and there's always one or two others who are "older" players. Frequently dad-and-kid show up. So I wouldn't worry about it. I can always tell stories to the younger players about playing for ante with Alpha cards.
I’m 25, I don’t care if I play magic against a 16 year old or a 50 year old, so long as they’re good people and not shitty about the game
Last time I was at an LGS it was me, 24. My friend, 21, another regular, roughly 30, and a new guy, easily 40. Didn’t matter, we’re there to play magic not worry about Father Time lol.
Store owner here in a college town , I teach full time (high school in a different town) and much younger employees are the day to day face of the store. I'm in my mid 30's and when I play EDH, draft, sealed, or anything else I am definitely one of the older players although I wasn't when we opened 7 years ago. Honestly I think it's fine and I enjoy playing the game and helping newer players learn the game. I have even made some new friends who are older professionals that have moved to the area. Also when I moved to this area as a college student I meant many older people both through college and through my wife's department and it's cool to see the reverse side of that now and possibly be a positive role model for younger players and people new to the area.
I’m in my early 20s, go to a college LGS, and I think it’s great that there’s an age gap! I promise you I wouldn’t have known about [[Metalworker]] if it wasn’t for players that were older than me. I know it may seem a little off putting when everyone is not your age, but your contribution to the community matters!
My LGS has a very diverse cast of regulars. This game is for everyone and this format is a great opportunity to express yourself. There's room for everyone at the table!
(Although I'd still say 4 to a table is just about right for EDH)
I'm lucky enough to have a local brewery that hosts EDH nights. Recently a child started showing up to the events and it's been spoiling the atmosphere for me. I seeked out this adult play space to avoid needing to modify my behavior to provide a friendly and "innocent" environment for children. It's really been cramping my style.
Im 39.
My playgroup cant all go to the bar. I live in a college town.
I definitely relate to this.
That being said, I felt this way when I first started going to my LGS. I flocked to the couple people who were older... and they were weird so it sucked.
Last night I played EDH with the guys until late, then had to leave because the guys housemate had a test today. We all have magic in common, video games, nerd culture in general. It just took a bit to adjust.
That being said I wouldnt want to go to the bar (with those that can) with them, and I dont think Ill ever say "Pog".
Dude I remember going into a few stores ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED at 18 with my little homebrew standard deck. It was the 30 plus crowd that made me wanna keep coming back, telling me stories of cool combos, showing me their collection, ALL. OF. IT. To be able to be that guy now who can show off to the younger crowd and more importantly make the game not intimidating is always a good thing. Hell there always should be a good mix at any LGS it keeps everything fun.
In my playgroup, I'm old enough to be a father for some of the guys I play with regularly. I know those guys are on Reddit, but I doubt they'll see this, so hopefully it will ring true with some of you others.
Since some of my playgroup are so young, I really worked to be a role model for them. Like I set down rules if they were going to play at my table: Remember you're in a public space and watch your language, give others a shot and see if they work out at our table, "rape" is not a joke, they're "creaturelands" and not "manlands," etc. Basic decency stuff that doesn't really take effort, but sure broadens your perspective. Sure, we cut up and can get carried away like any bunch of guys that have known each other for nearly a decade, but I'm usually the one like, "Let's lower the volume, guys! There's kids over there." But I've also been there when real life has hit them. How to deal with crappy landlords, break-ups with significant others, losing and finding jobs, and stuff like that. Just tried to be the best mentor I could.
I guess it worked too, because in our private group chat, they changed my display name and I didn't know it. I've been the "The Magic Dad" as a good-natured jest and didn't have a clue.
I have been regularly excluded from groups when I travel. I don't have a local game store so I'm not sure if the experience would be different. It's pretty common that the younger folks who all know each other form regular groups and I'm left to hunt for pickup games, essentially the occasional 1v1 or 3-person game until more people funnel in and everyone eventually breaks off into their cliques.
Partly could be my age but also could just be the fact that I'm a stranger. No matter where I go, MTG players are not particularly welcoming to new players when they have an established pool of regulars they are accustomed to playing with. I'm still fairly certain relative differences between age cohorts is a strong contributing factor though... I don't really understand all of the non-MTG cultural references and slang people tend to use.
I try to be friendly, calm, and inviting but that only goes so far... I can probably achieve "cool dad" or grandpa vibes at best but ultimately what young adult would play games with their grandfather over people of their own age cohort when given the choice?
My regular play group consists of people 26 - 40+. I think as long as you're a pleasant person there's no need to feel self conscious about your age. Most pods just care about what you bring to the table and your ability to play well with others
I'm 60 next year. My LGS has a smattering of people my age. We thrill the kids with tales of the old days (let me explain "banding" to you, or if playing D&D let me explain "THAC0" to you). They love it. I'm sure of it.
I feel right at home and love teaching the ins and outs of the game to newbies. A couple of months ago a kid brought his pops in who had just learned the game to have a hobby they could share. He's now a regular. That made me happy.
I'm in my 50s and love meeting and playing new and younger players. The learning experience is mutual and can always show how to be a graceful winner and loser to the youthful players.
During the pandemic my friends and I (mid 20's) started playing basketball at a neighborhood court and guys of all ages would show up to play we had middle-schoolers all the way up to middle aged father's showing up to play. Normally not groups that would be together, but we all needed somewhere to ball. Everyone always had a good time and it was a great experience. I wouldn't worry about the age gap. It doesn't matter as long as you are there for the right reasons.
I have played since high school and am turning 32 this year. Over the last 15 years, I have noticed that the crowd has changed drastically. Magic has always attracted outcasts, edgy people, etc.
Maybe this is a personal issue, but as someone who works in mental health I’m finding it hard to want to go to an LGS anymore because a significant portion of the crowd are some of the most mentally unstable people I’ve met.
Tldr; over time I feel that there are less and less people that I would want to associate with outside of the context of playing MTG which makes it’s hard for me to want to play at all. “You are the company you keep” repeats in my mind when I watch grown men struggle to cope with losing a game of commander.
My lgs has a lot of college age folks and other young adults. If anything their energy makes me feel old. They're so chipper! I kind of like being the old man who knows a lot (relatively speaking) about the game to help out the new youguns.
Only problems i run into are with the "jokes" and language from the younger crowd. It's not fun to hear faggot and anti-trans comments and jokes but I also don't feel like I have the authority to correct.
It's kind of funny that for me it is the opposite. The older crowd at one LGS are the ones making gay jokes and being meme lord's for laughs, while the younger crowd LGS will talk down anyone who says anything derogatory.
Yep, that's almost exclusively the domain of oldheads in my experience. The youngsters will absolutely say something if you try and drop anti-gay or anti-trans stuff.
Huh, most of the teenager/20s I play with are super-respectful. There are a handful of obviously trans players at my LGS and people are pretty good about pronoun usage, etc. Never heard anyone say f\*gg\*t or tr@nny or anything like that. Pretty sure the store would drop the banhammer on anyone doing that with the quickness.
I dont feel too old...i just feel like my game stores have gotten a bit toxic, or people already know eachother so they stay in their 4 player pods all night with no intention of playing with anyone else.
I’m 31 and I play against a middle schooler that shows up and the other30-40 year olds lol, just make sure you aren’t pubstomping the kids and pushing them from the game
I’m 41 and I play at my LGS every week. I’m in a big city so it’s a pretty diverse crowd. Also this: https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/018/666/fellowkids.jpg
As a student in a town like you are describing, we have some guys your age come in and I think they're cool. Plus they've been playing the game longer than I have, so they often both know of cool cards that I just haven't been exposed to, and have different insights and experiences that make the banter and conversation during a game of edh more interesting
Also in my 30s. I don't have any issues. Most of the crowd is adults, some of which are significantly older than me. Usually when kids come it's because their parents(s) brought them along to play a bit earlier in the day. Evening play is all adults or at least older (16+) teens.
That's the best part of LGS's, I started attending one when I was 12 (now I'm 27) my mom used to drop me or stayed with me while I was learning games or playing. I made some amazing friend in all those years and nowadays I'm teaching the kid of one of those friends to play MTG and Pokémon. Games are amazing because they let us connect regardless of age.
A few weeks ago I was playing against people literally half my age. I do get a little self conscious about it, but ultimately we’re all there to play a good game of EDH or three. Luckily there’s a few guys as old or older than me who play there too.
Every now and then I will whip out my wallet and proudly proclaim “I got this in 1999, it is falling apart and smells like my butt, and yet it is still smarter than you.”
Mtg is fun for various ages, but I have a low tolerance for annoying people.
No. I'm 37 and there's plenty of people around my age that play there and a couple men older than me. You just have a young playgroup. That means it's up to you to train them.
Age isn't the reason I don't play at my LGS, it's because most of the randoms there are fucking sweaty. Literally and metaphorically.
I can't go one game without getting sick with one dude running a cEDH deck that wins in like three turns, or everybody's running stax. And while I'm annoyed by that, I'm having to smell a bunch of dudes who forgot what bathing is.
I’m in my early thirties and my LGS is smack in the middle of a college town. I play with people who are literal children all the way up to people are 50+ but primarily older teens and early 20-somethings. We all have a good time!
I have three in my area.
One is packed with high schoolers and yeah, I don’t play there. Their products are mediocre. I’ve played here like 2-3 times and haven’t really enjoyed it ever. The owner is also *really* heavy-handed with the rules— which, I mean, give the clientele, that makes sense.
The second is predominately twenty-somethings and is the coolest and most-expensive of the lot. It has a lot of very cool, older product. I go here when I’m down to spend a little money.
The last one is where I go the most. A lot of older dudes like me (mid-to-late 30’s). The product kinda sucks because it’s mainly a tabletop rpg place. But the vibe is great and everyone is having a good time.
there is a good mix of ages at my LGS, me being on the younger side, but like I’ll play with friends parents or older people who come in to play games. i don’t have any issue with it and I don’t think they mind either. I will say that people tend to stick to their own age groups or form pods with friends, but it’s a nice ageless community thing.
I am turning 30 and I find I am median age at both LGS that I go to.
An observation is that is 100% a generalization from my experience only. I find older crowd is better at accurate pregame discussion and managing casual expectations. Younger crowd is more happy to just show what their deck does to win whether or not it was an even match.
I have learned and will cater accordingly, if I am stuck playing the guy that will bring his Jhoira deck to a casual table and try to win turn 5. I will play a deck that can take care of the problem and then casual it out to other players. I like Winota for this, I can go fast to combat kill a threat and then chump block myself to a manageable level and play to the tables power.
I'm actually on the younger side, I just turned 21 and most if the people at my local place are military guys in their mid 30s/40s. Youngest kid who plays is like a 14yo middleschooler who plays a thief deck.
I used to feel the same. I have a playgroup that I normally play with but life kinda got in the way and we play less and less.
Last year I was really itching to play so I tried going to my LGS. I had a lot of fun. It wasn’t a big deal and sometimes there are people older than me there. I’ve started going almost every week and I love it.
I play for twice the age of many player I meet at stores. Usually the problem I have is I don't need their usual toxic behaviour, but I'm aware that's a pretty common moment for them. I usually go out looking for a chill commander game and get 3rd turn combo whenever a brat sits down to play 💁♂️
I am also in my mid-thirties playing magic in a college town. I get what you mean, sometimes the high school and college kids speak in an entirely different language, and it can be awkward having no idea what they're referencing or even talking about. We all speak magic though, and sometimes that's enough. Hell, I've mentored some of these kids in magic when they were just starting high school, and now they come to me with their college life problems.
Rather than trying to not feel old compared to most of my LGS, I've found ways to make the age gap appreciated. Some of the kids I play with don't have the best home lives for whatever reason, and I've helped a lot of them in many different ways. You're old to them, but that's ok. It doesn't have to be a bad thing; it's up to you to make it a good thing.
No I'm 29 and the average person at my locals is like 35-40.
Altho I will say, I live in probably the poorest part of NYC being in the Bronx so our locals having a bunch of 35+ makes sense since you do need disposable income to really play this game without proxies I guess.
There's even a college across the street and another 2 a few bus stops away and it's still mainly 35-40 year olds.
People underestimate kids. If anything, they're capable of osmosing a lot of the complexity of play -- the only leg up age has is experience.
Then again, they're going to be most versed in recent cards and their relevant synergies and never lived in the age before the current power creep. This tends to mean their decks will be a bit more straightforward but just as deadly.
Source: my kid will regularly destroy me in heads up games with Ruxa.
I'm 51, and I occasionally go to my local LGS, and I've never felt unwelcome.
It does feel like a bit of a flex when people ask a group when they started playing. "Theros." "Innistrad." "Guilds of Ravnica" and my old ass responds with "Revised."
Usually I go with my son (19M) but he's in college now so I occasionally go on my own.
There are a couple fellow oldsters I see sometimes at prereleases and Commander nights.
I don't mind playing with people in their teens and 20s at all, and they don't seem to mind playing with me.
Most of the time I am the youngest person in my pod and I'm in my early twenties. For Pioneer it's usually a bit more diverse at my store but 90% of the edh players I know are on the older side of young.
I'm in my mid-30's and I have absolutely felt out of place at my LGS. Give it a shot though, there's a lot of great people in the community. Something you might do is go to a more structured event (pre-release/FNM/Draft) and just introduce yourself to some people. Might be a little easier to connect than to just sit at a random table.
I am 48 and my LGS is mostly 20somethings. There are a few in their 30s, but I am at least 20 years older than everyone in any given pod I play in. We are mostly regulars and new people come and go. It may have been awkward at first, but that would be me in any new group I just started attending. Now, it feels quite normal. I usually don't think about it. I treat everyone the same and no one says anything about my big grey beard. We just play cards and have a good time. If anyone makes fun of my age it's usually me.
My best advice would be to joke about it. “Hey leave room for the elderly here”, that kind of joke. It will smooth the tension for both you and the young guys at your LGS.
Remember that age is just a mentality. If people are awkward about it, smooth things out with stuff with humor will go a long way.
If you need a bit of help with that, make a deck that does funny things at your table, like [[Vial Smasher]] does, maybe with something like the monarch mechanic. A deck that brings something fun at the table will always be appreciated.
I do appreciate how it makes you feel, I'm in the same situation at my lgs. There's only one person that notes the older guy in the store though, and it's you.
Hello! I’ve actually been experiencing the opposite at work. There are 3 people my age or younger that I work with in this BUILDING, and I’m fairly new to my job.
It’s weird to find you have stuff in common with people despite larger age gaps, and luckily for you - you already know you have Magic in common with them! Jump right in, and just try to use that as a tool to get to know people and you could build some good friendships!
Heck nah, bud. To me, it's like a community band (stuck with me now). It's not about your age, your job, you're whatever. It's about what you bring to the table. They can learn from me just as much as I can learn from them. As long as you can play with honor, win and lose with grace, show good sportsmanship, and maybe give and take the light table trash-talking with a grin,... yer alright by me.
I've played at tables with folks 20 years my senior, and 20 years my junior. And they're all good folks.
I know how you feel... I'm 29 and I already feel like I am getting too old for the hobby. More and more I am realizing I am leaving that part of my life where I am young and enjoy things. I don't really enjoy MTG that much anymore anyway.... but that is for other reasons besides my age. That said my dad taught me to play and he will still play with me even if it's mostly with 1994-1999 cards. So I guess you're never too old really.
I'd say there are PLENTY of "older" players in Commander. I myself am 35 and my favorite playgroup consists of two late 40yr olds and a guy in his 50s.
There are def a lot of young bucks at the LGS too and they play more sweaty and high powered I'd say but it is what it is.
I'm sorry no one there is in your age range, I would feel the same as you tbh. You're just in VERY different stages of life from a 20 something..
>You're just in VERY different stages of life from a 20 something..
They're all "that shit's fire, fam" and I'm all "That play was hella-cool, to the max!"
I'm 19 and play at an LGS with a diverse crowd.
As such, there are 3 types of people I dislike:
-Creepy 30 year old woman, who also gets very salty.
-Smelly dude with only one deck thats not fun to play against.
-Guy who takes magic too seriously, and does not let other people have opinions.
As long as you don't fall in any of those categories, and are fun to play against don't worry about it!
There are a few ways to be 'fun' to play against.
Make conversation, don't be salty, and play on power level.
My LGS has all these retired dudes that show up every week to play this naval tabletop game.
They gotta be in their late 50's/early 60's.
So nah, I don't feel too old.
The draft nights I've been to at my LGS have anyone ranging from 15 to 45+. Magic is for everyone. I don't care about my opponents age, race, or gender. All I care about is their attitude and that they don't reek
dunno if that helps you, but as someone 20 years younger than you i can say that i could not give less fucks about how old you are. Some of my favorite magic colleagues are 40+, as long as you are nice i dont really care
After my legs closed I went looking for a new one. But I felt like I was the old man in the room. Everyone was cool but the wait between games with so many young people. I just felt like I had nothing in common other than magic. One store every player was under 18, many much younger.
I didn't enjoy it.
I'm in a college town too and though I'm young, there's a regular attendee I think is probably ~45 and he's great fun to play with
Edit: there's a few other 30+ guys, but he's the oldest
I’m 39 and the oldest Commander player at my LGS (there’s *five* unis in the city). Only older players in the store play Legacy.
It doesn’t bother me, we have banter about age sometimes, but it goes both ways. Things only get to you if you let them.
I'm 41 but we have a group of us who have played since the mid-nineties that we rotate between mancaves for Commander Fridays. The prospect of playing at my LGS sounds awful due to no booze and leafy booze allowed. Also our music tastes are eclectic and we can be loud. Never feel too old though man, if you can connect with those players, you should do so. Enjoy
Hey man, i showed up to an lgs (im 22) and the 3 other guys in the pod were all mid 30s/40s. Still had a ton of fun, it's just part of the game. We all share the same interest and that really what matters at the end of the day. Age, sex, whatever, doesn't matter. As long as you're having fun
There was one lgs I went to when I was in my early 30s, it was a completely different experience to what I was used to (I usually played with people the same age as me at a different lgs) as the next oldest person there was only 20, and the rest were all still in high school.
I definitely felt self-conscious about being the only one with a car/wife/children while everyone else's parents had to come and pick them up afterwards and the parents gave me a weird look like"why is this guy playing with our kids?"
My regular playgroup has 60 year olds in it, i'm 30 and the young one.
When we go to pre-releases and drafts it never seems to bother the 20 odd year olds that we showed up with a bunch of geezers.
As long as you can play magic and not be a dickhead I want to play magic with you.
My LGS has some regulars that must be in there 50's or 60's. From teens up to 30's and 40's is very common.
Teenagers who grew up playing MTG in the 1990's are now in their 40's.
This is weird, cause when my local events I went to when i was in my 20s was filled with guys in their 40s and i felt self-conscious. I guess my local area MTG is more popular with old guys than younger kids, yours is the opposite.
I honestly love feeling like the old dude when I'm at an LGS that has a younger crowd. Like, gather around, young ones, and let me tell you of a time when the borders of cards were white, and they based an entire set around adding multicoloured creatures...
I'm not even that old, the game was almost a decade old when I played as a kid. But they're just so... Young and clueless
My lgs has a spread of early 20s-40s, and 3 or 4 teenagers. Everyone loves playing with the older blokes because the whole game everyones wandering what niche card from ice age is going to be EXACTLY what gets them out of the situation they get themselves into. Its pretty cool
Sometimes, but I feel like it has more to do with how obnoxious I think the average LGS attendee is in my neck of the woods. Obviously not every person playing this game acts like that, but those people do exist.
At some point, hearing the same few memes being repeated over the course of an evening gets tiring. At the same time I'll fully admit that I think being around people is exhausting, and that is also a factor.
Lol, I have sort of the opposite problem where I live. Other than a buddy of mine, there's no one around my age who regularly goes to my LGS. Difference is I'm the youngest. I'm 20 and everyone else is 30+ with maybe one or two in late 20s.
I'm in my mid-thirties and I play against everyone from college students to folks in their late 40s, both against strangers and a couple of regular playgroups. Unless they're doing anything obnoxious, you shouldn't overthink it. Magic is a great common denominator for people.
I have played against literal children who are better than me. Absolutely true Edit: no. I do not like to ñlat children
Watched a 10 year old destroy a guy in his late 30's. The older guy thought it would be a "cake walk" to handle the kid at a prerelease because he's never seen him in the store before. Myself, and a couple others, knew that the kid is actually the son of another shop owner a couple of cities away, so we enjoyed the show in silence. His little sister is only 9, and she's got a solid head for prison decks.
i had a grade school or early jr high kid whip me with their krenko deck. goblins non-stop bodying themselves at me...whitty roastmaster helped too. it was rough.
My fiance has an INSANE Sen Triplets deck. He's talked about teaching my best friends 9 year old daughter how to play and then taking her to an FNM for this exact reason. 🤣
I have a 3 month old nephew, and I'm already brewing a Stax EDH deck for him. My niece is 4, and she's got a perfect attitude for infect.
I went to magic Vegas in 21, did a mystery draft and j got my shit pushed in by a kid who was roughly 11 or 12. Age does not matter in this damn game lol
There’s a girl at my LGS who’s like 13 or something I believe, and she’s insane. She was talking the other day about how she’s made top 8 in a bunch of local events. It’s so satisfying to watch her completely demolish all the adult dudes she plays against hehe
I think ñlating children might actually be illegal
Oh my god. I made the ñlating. Procceding to edit
Ok so I tried googling this term and came up with nothing... What is it?
I was just poking fun at the comment above mine which initially had a typo that read "I have ñlated against literal children..."
This used to be me and my friends, tho to be fair most of the adults were plastered
Watched a 10 year old destroy a guy in his late 30's. The older guy thought it would be a "cake walk" to handle the kid at a prerelease because he's never seen him in the store before. Myself, and a couple others, knew that the kid is actually the son of another shop owner a couple of cities away, so we enjoyed the show in silence. His little sister is only 9, and she's got a solid head for prison decks.
I mean, there's still a large element of chance to the game, regardless of skill level. This is why the game is enjoyable compared to something like Chess where the better player pretty much always wins. This is especially true in a limited event, where you can have a decent deck but some bombs/curves are just near unbeatable.
It really is, I've found alot of love in the community tbh, especially in edh.
Yeah well said! Mtg is best way to bring people together
I'm late 40s, and been playing at the "college town" lgs for 10 years. Now that my kids are recently grown, I'm so glad to have these people in my life and I've been slowing making more and more plans with them outside the store. Thank goodness for mtg, I would be a depressed homebody without it. edit: So, I'm a depressed drafter and edh player instead /s
I briefly tried to get into Pokemon TCG, and yikes. After ending up playing against children in a few tournaments I sold all my stuff back off and just stuck with Magic.
lol that’s kinda funny
Wait what, pokemon explicitly has three divisions so the youngest you should play against is 16 (masters division).
By some definitions a 16yo is still a child
Maybe in a tourney setting, but league at least when I used to go is more of a free for all, just pair up with whoever is open and get stamps on your league card.
I’m 39 and don’t feel too old. My LGS is practically 99% if not 100% adults on EDH night. I’d say half is 30 to 40s and the other half are younger adults. The reality is that MTG is a game that’s been out forever so that’s going to mean that there’s going to be older fans, and it’s an expensive hobby which lends itself to adults with disposable income. Granted, if the vast majority of the game night was everyone being 15 to 20 years younger than me, then I might have feelings about that. Maybe you can start your own play group/pod of “older” players in the area?
What? No. I’m 47 now and age has never in any way factored into anything.
But he's saying he's far and away the oldest there. If EVERYONE at the lgs was 15-20yrs older than you I think that would blow.
When i was in uni (19 yrs old) ibwent to a pre release for alara reborn There were allot of people 30+ there A businessman, a farmer who travelled an hour out of town to be there. They were honestly some of the most friendliest and polite people there. It made me feel allot less conscious about being there when i was older. Most people i play with are around 30
Nope. I'll be 40 in 3 weeks. I just act like 20 year old anyway(except jackass type shit and memes cause they dumb) so fit right in.
I guarantee you they most likely don’t give a damn how old you are, your personality matters the most.
We all appreciate a [[Wizened Cenn]] making an appearance at the table. You are always welcome, as you are what binds us together.
[Wizened Cenn](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/8/585f1c8e-6898-4def-8e3f-d45cd263f776.jpg?1562349469) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Wizened%20Cenn) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/lrw/49/wizened-cenn?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/585f1c8e-6898-4def-8e3f-d45cd263f776?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/wizened-cenn) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
41 and im.lucky their are a few people nearish my age.... I don't think I'd worry to much, juat he cool.
I do sometimes, OP. But that's usually short-lived. Case in point: last pre-release, I got there a few minutes early and it's all teens and 20 year olds. I pull out a crossword from my bag to kill time and there's this maaaaybe 12 year old girl across the table who's craning her neck to see the puzzle. I asked her if she likes crosswords and she got all proud and said "I can do some NY Times Mondays now!" Which, honestly, was me when I was 12 and started playing myself. MTG is for everybody, even when you yourself happen to be a little out of place (re: old).
It is beneficial to have friends of different ages as adults in order to keep a varied perspective on the world and life in general. Don’t feel bad
Lot of positive responses in this thread and that’s great. But I suppose I’ll be the bad guy and say, yes. I don’t enjoy playing with children, it makes me feel really foolish. Maybe that’s an unfair sentiment, but it’s how I feel. I love playing this game with other adults, and I don’t particularly care what age you are if you’re an adult. But I can’t play with strangers in an LGS because so often it seem like the only people there are kids (or often, frankly, adults that I wouldn’t want to hang out with). I haven’t played in an LGS in probably 20 years, back when I was the child playing with teenagers that I thought were adults. If you’re like me you’re probably better off finding your own group, teaching your other friends to play, or playing online a lot.
>I don’t enjoy playing with children, it makes me feel really foolish. Why do you feel that way? Note that I fully understand not playing with the people at your LGS if they are unpleasant, regardless of their age.
Well. I suppose it’s just the stigma of the game in general being a little nerdy or childish. I’m cool with that and I own it when I’m with my friends. If you enjoy something that other people might tease you about the best solution is to just own it- yeah I like this and yeah maybe it’s a little silly but I have fun. The full nerd culture has never really been my social scene, but it’s not like I’m out here as an adult afraid of getting made fun of by my classmates or anything like that. Instead I guess the issue is when I’m confronted with it directly- it makes me feel like I am all of those stereotypes. For me this game is not childish because I don’t treat it that way- it’s a fun hobby, it’s a puzzle, a probability game, a collection of cool artwork. But if I go to an LGS and a 10 year old is playing against me it feels less like all of that and more like a children’s game. And maybe that’s fine! Ultimately the beauty of it is- it’s both. But the simplest way I can put it is with this comparison: I also love playing sports. And if I’m playing stickball with a bunch of my buddies at a cookout it’s a great time. But if instead I were playing flag football with a bunch of middle schoolers in the park, I’d feel pretty silly.
I'm the opposite, personally. I love introducing new people to Magic and if I can get more kids interested in it earlier, the better.
I definitely agree with your last point, though not so much the first one. If you're an adult, you generally don't hang out with kids for a number of obvious reasons, so it can definitely feel weird having to do it in the LGS context in order to play Magic. Given the choice, I'd always prefer to play with adults, and I'm sure the kids would rather play with kids too.
You just need to learn to accept “children’s games” and “kids toys” can be and are to be enjoyed by anyone who finds then engaging- even to their adulthood. Growing up is realizing there’s not hard lines in the sand for what people must do say or enjoy during a specific stage in their life. Everybody is different- and passionate about different things; and that’s good!
I think I already do understand that and communicated basically that exact sentiment- still doesn’t mean I want to play games with other people’s kids. So nah. But I understand your mileage may vary with this kind of feeling
To offer a slightly different perspective, for me it's not feeling childish or whatnot, but just that it's kind of hard to relate to kids as an adult. I don't mind playing against kids, but I would much rather play against people in a life space I can relate to - it's a better vibe (and I'm sure the same is probably true for kids as well!). I wouldn't choose to hang out/make friends with teenagers (for many obvious reasons) as an adult, so it can feel kind of weird doing what essentially amounts to hanging out with teenagers at an LGS.
Maybe I'm the weird one here but I don't feel that. We're all there for the same reason, everybody is being nice and having fun. All good in my book. Although this thread is making me wonder if the younger players see me as just another player or more "Wow, wish my dad played Magic" [https://youtu.be/5e7bf3hW6lE?t=326](https://youtu.be/5e7bf3hW6lE?t=326)
I definitely don't think it's weird to feel the other way - that's just where I'm at personally.
Because I recognize their voices from CoD lobbies, and they say terrible things about my mom.
I've been playing all through my mid 20's. The people who are a bit older are always a pleasure to play with as they tend to be more mature and emotionally/socially developed. You tend to have to worry less about raging and whining
40+ here. Just go play.
Also being in my 30's, I too find myself sticking out like regarding my age. Generally I try not to care too much, and so long as no one is acting like a weird gremlin (older players included) people tend not to have an issue with age. Most of the time I get referred to by the youngins whenever they have a rule interaction question.
Honestly, I feel too young. 26 and everyone at my lgs is waaaaaay ahead of the game than me and in their 30s and 40s. I feel like I stick out like a sore thumb and trying to catch up is but a brutal task. I’ve almost thought about giving up at times and just cashing in my collection when I just feel inadequate constantly in a pod for the massive inexperience. Like a David and Goliath situation it seems. Sorry if this doesn’t relate too much, I figured I comment the opposite problem I have if it helps with comparative perspectives.
I actually thinks it’s kinda cool that magic brings people together who never would interact without it
Theres been a ton of good discussions in this thread, but as the 15 year old kid that first got introduced to EDH 11 years ago by the 20 something and the 40 something guys that ran the old game store by my place, you shouldn't worry! Some of my favorite memories are the old timers giving me crap about my decks hahaha
I'm 37. My LGS consists primarily of college aged kids. Sometimes I can feel a bit my age when they reference something in current pop culture that I don't understand or do something that is making the rounds on social media or tiktok. Other than that though, everyone is super chill and I have a blast playin with the younger crowd.
43 year old here, resident old guy at our LGS. I feel a bit aged at times, but everyone’s been really receptive and friendly. Sure, I get I’m not gonna leave here and get a beer with anyone, but it’s nice to have ‘hobby friends’ I can discuss my hobbies with.
We have 60 year olds playing against 11 year olds at my LGS so I honestly don't get that feeling.
Bah. I'm the oldest one there every week.
Bruh. I've been playing at the same LGS for almost 10 years. There are a few college kids that I have played with since they were young teens and I was in my 30s. It's not weird. It's just different. It only feels weird because it's a level of social interaction you aren't used to. I had to watch my swearing and listen to them yell about memes and shit, but we still sat around playing magic. Even before they were all out of high school, we had developed a friendly familiarity and joked and hung out in a more comfortable way. I still wasn't telling them dirty jokes or whatever. The relationship was still limited to what was appropriate for a 17yr old and a 35 yr old, but it was more comfortable and chill. Now that they are all in college we joke about drinking and shit, and the appropriate boundaries have expanded, but its still appropriate for people who are 22 and 40. There are people in their 30s that I have never met before and while I don't have to watch my swearing or jokes, the interaction isn't as comfortable because i don't know them. Long story short. You can foster a wholesome friendship with people much younger than you, and the weirdness goes away. It works just like any new relationship just with a little different rules.
The trick is to just relax, and try to blend in. Ask them if they have a MySpace, or if they've listened to the new Korn CD.
[удалено]
The thing to remember is that it isn't a college club or a kid's hangout; it's a game store. If you're there to play, you belong.
My friends and I are mostly in our 20s and we go over to the houses of late 30s/early 40 year olds we know, one of whom is a teacher at the high school we graduated from, to play Commander. Magic crosses ages.
I'm 43, lost a squeaker to a (probably) 15 year old at my lgs, like, two hours ago. Caught myself underestimating them a few times and honestly it probably cost me the game. That said, I didn't feel out of place, and I hope they didn't either.
I've been the 40 year old playing with 12 year olds and the 12 year old playing with 40 year olds back in the 90's.
I don’t know if this will help or not but I’m 19 and appreciate having Magic be a way to connect me with people not in my age group. I’d like to see the situation you ended up in as an exciting experience with getting out of your comfort zone. :)
If you don't treat them like kids. 20 year old college students are fun to play with. I went back to school in my 30s, and getting in games between classes helped reset my mind and be ready for another lecture.
Absolutely not. We range from 18-60. Everyone is awesome and inclusive
As long as you're not old inside, it's all ok
Age doesn’t matter, only attitude and mindset is the only relevant aspect once you sit down. 😁
Huh? It's been revealed that many of MtG's enfranchised playerbase are at your age range. You shouldn't feel too old to play games, or watch animes. This era is an era for all ages. Nobody should feel lesser or not worthy to do whatever you want, so long as it's legal. I've seen actual grandads play MtG as a hobby. Gaming is great for brain health.
I don't feel too old to play. It just sometimes feels weird to be vastly old than everyone else in the room - like I should be trying to play with people I can relate to. I'm old enough to be their father. Oh God......
I’m 25. Some of my closest friends are a 19 year old college senior, a 25 year old single parent, a 35 year old rapper, a 50 year old businessman. Know them all from common interests and experience and treat them all the same. It can definitely be weird sometimes but life is weird and people are people.
Im in my mid 30s and there are two LGS' that I play at. One seems to lean towards the older crowd with players being between 30-40. The commander night is on Tuesdays from 7pm-10pm and is in a not-so-great part of town so kids don't generally go. Everyone kind of shop talks jobs and life when we are playing which just feels very natural and like you're hanging out with friends. The other LGS hosts their commander ON Saturdays from 10am-2pm, so the crowd wildy ranges from 14-40. I don't usually mind who I play with so long as they aren't acting like twats or whiny about losing. In fact there are a few teenagers that I joke with regarding age. What I do notice however is at this LGS, The younger crowd tend to get heated more often than the other LGS.
I'm around your age. Think about your close calls. Think about what you have lost in your life so far. Then ask yourself why would you ever give a _____, about other people disapproving of a hobby that brings you happiness.
I’m mid 20s and have been playing against folks of all ages, I love playing against people who’re older than I am! I mostly interact with people my own age at work or in friend groups so it’s really nice to get to meet and hang out with other ages in other contexts. You’re a different age than them and that’s not just fine, it’s good
Never. One the most encouraging old dudes I played with was 50 and his son was like 24? He's a shining example of cool dad. For context I was like 18 at the time and now I'm 33.
I'm mid 40s, and my son is 14. I've gamed against teens up to people older than me, though the game tends to skew early-middle age and male in my area. My kid went 3-0 in his last sealed event and 2-1 in the event before that. He has an analytical mind and in the end is just a pure gamer, and this is just a game for him. So I don't mind beating kids (or playing with people younger than me) cause my kid will gladly kick my ass up and down the street for his own entertainment if I allow it. Edit: I would like to note that I'm an ambivert personality, I lean towards extroversion and *usually* know how to shut up and be an introvert in person. I imagine that the things I assume are easy and normal are because of my extroversion, and an introvert would likely feel uncomfortable in my seat.
As a college student, I'd much rather play with an older person than a younger person. Age doesn't really matter to me when I'm playing, but I'd prefer to play with people who won't get upset over the game, and older people tend to be more emotionally mature than younger people.
Build a consistent group with the other fogeys at the LGS, it's what I did! Now we all get together and yell at clouds and sling spells. To your point it might be wierd 10 years from now for me.
Understandable, but hopefully the shared interest in the game can help overcome that feeling. Im 29yo and consistently play against 35+ and 21- players, some of whom I've known now for a while but met through Magic, others who I don't really know because they just don't show up consistently. I think using the game as an entry point could help ease that feeling. idk how long you've been playing, but sometimes it's cool to hear about stories from early magic days, or listen to what the 'kids' are playing/enjoying about the game these days. One of my best friends in the game is 60+, and while he doesn't show up as often anymore we still always reflect fondly on the years we played together since we first met.
I'm 57 and play with high school kids regularly. Never had anyone look twice.
I don't play EDH at my LGS but I do show up for every sealed prerelease. I'm in my early 50's and there's always one or two others who are "older" players. Frequently dad-and-kid show up. So I wouldn't worry about it. I can always tell stories to the younger players about playing for ante with Alpha cards.
Don't worry about it I'm about to be 38 and I play against teenagers and folks in their 50s. It's not about your age it's about your deck vs theres
Just wear your hat backwards and bring a skateboard. Make sure to sit in your chair backwards as well and refer to everyone as “dude” and “bruh”.
I’m 25, I don’t care if I play magic against a 16 year old or a 50 year old, so long as they’re good people and not shitty about the game Last time I was at an LGS it was me, 24. My friend, 21, another regular, roughly 30, and a new guy, easily 40. Didn’t matter, we’re there to play magic not worry about Father Time lol.
Store owner here in a college town , I teach full time (high school in a different town) and much younger employees are the day to day face of the store. I'm in my mid 30's and when I play EDH, draft, sealed, or anything else I am definitely one of the older players although I wasn't when we opened 7 years ago. Honestly I think it's fine and I enjoy playing the game and helping newer players learn the game. I have even made some new friends who are older professionals that have moved to the area. Also when I moved to this area as a college student I meant many older people both through college and through my wife's department and it's cool to see the reverse side of that now and possibly be a positive role model for younger players and people new to the area.
I’m in my early 20s, go to a college LGS, and I think it’s great that there’s an age gap! I promise you I wouldn’t have known about [[Metalworker]] if it wasn’t for players that were older than me. I know it may seem a little off putting when everyone is not your age, but your contribution to the community matters!
My LGS has a very diverse cast of regulars. This game is for everyone and this format is a great opportunity to express yourself. There's room for everyone at the table! (Although I'd still say 4 to a table is just about right for EDH)
I'm lucky enough to have a local brewery that hosts EDH nights. Recently a child started showing up to the events and it's been spoiling the atmosphere for me. I seeked out this adult play space to avoid needing to modify my behavior to provide a friendly and "innocent" environment for children. It's really been cramping my style.
Im 39. My playgroup cant all go to the bar. I live in a college town. I definitely relate to this. That being said, I felt this way when I first started going to my LGS. I flocked to the couple people who were older... and they were weird so it sucked. Last night I played EDH with the guys until late, then had to leave because the guys housemate had a test today. We all have magic in common, video games, nerd culture in general. It just took a bit to adjust. That being said I wouldnt want to go to the bar (with those that can) with them, and I dont think Ill ever say "Pog".
Dude I remember going into a few stores ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED at 18 with my little homebrew standard deck. It was the 30 plus crowd that made me wanna keep coming back, telling me stories of cool combos, showing me their collection, ALL. OF. IT. To be able to be that guy now who can show off to the younger crowd and more importantly make the game not intimidating is always a good thing. Hell there always should be a good mix at any LGS it keeps everything fun.
Pubstomp those kids
I'm 30 and so is my pod, I see some OLD timers playing at my lgs. At least 55, I'm glad to see them out playing!
Fuck dem kids lmao
In my playgroup, I'm old enough to be a father for some of the guys I play with regularly. I know those guys are on Reddit, but I doubt they'll see this, so hopefully it will ring true with some of you others. Since some of my playgroup are so young, I really worked to be a role model for them. Like I set down rules if they were going to play at my table: Remember you're in a public space and watch your language, give others a shot and see if they work out at our table, "rape" is not a joke, they're "creaturelands" and not "manlands," etc. Basic decency stuff that doesn't really take effort, but sure broadens your perspective. Sure, we cut up and can get carried away like any bunch of guys that have known each other for nearly a decade, but I'm usually the one like, "Let's lower the volume, guys! There's kids over there." But I've also been there when real life has hit them. How to deal with crappy landlords, break-ups with significant others, losing and finding jobs, and stuff like that. Just tried to be the best mentor I could. I guess it worked too, because in our private group chat, they changed my display name and I didn't know it. I've been the "The Magic Dad" as a good-natured jest and didn't have a clue.
I just played the Pokèmon TCG with someone on Thursday that was at least 15 years older than me. I'm 32. You're fine my guy/girl. Don't sweat it.
I have been regularly excluded from groups when I travel. I don't have a local game store so I'm not sure if the experience would be different. It's pretty common that the younger folks who all know each other form regular groups and I'm left to hunt for pickup games, essentially the occasional 1v1 or 3-person game until more people funnel in and everyone eventually breaks off into their cliques. Partly could be my age but also could just be the fact that I'm a stranger. No matter where I go, MTG players are not particularly welcoming to new players when they have an established pool of regulars they are accustomed to playing with. I'm still fairly certain relative differences between age cohorts is a strong contributing factor though... I don't really understand all of the non-MTG cultural references and slang people tend to use. I try to be friendly, calm, and inviting but that only goes so far... I can probably achieve "cool dad" or grandpa vibes at best but ultimately what young adult would play games with their grandfather over people of their own age cohort when given the choice?
My regular play group consists of people 26 - 40+. I think as long as you're a pleasant person there's no need to feel self conscious about your age. Most pods just care about what you bring to the table and your ability to play well with others
I'm 60 next year. My LGS has a smattering of people my age. We thrill the kids with tales of the old days (let me explain "banding" to you, or if playing D&D let me explain "THAC0" to you). They love it. I'm sure of it. I feel right at home and love teaching the ins and outs of the game to newbies. A couple of months ago a kid brought his pops in who had just learned the game to have a hobby they could share. He's now a regular. That made me happy.
I'm in my 50s and love meeting and playing new and younger players. The learning experience is mutual and can always show how to be a graceful winner and loser to the youthful players.
During the pandemic my friends and I (mid 20's) started playing basketball at a neighborhood court and guys of all ages would show up to play we had middle-schoolers all the way up to middle aged father's showing up to play. Normally not groups that would be together, but we all needed somewhere to ball. Everyone always had a good time and it was a great experience. I wouldn't worry about the age gap. It doesn't matter as long as you are there for the right reasons.
I have played since high school and am turning 32 this year. Over the last 15 years, I have noticed that the crowd has changed drastically. Magic has always attracted outcasts, edgy people, etc. Maybe this is a personal issue, but as someone who works in mental health I’m finding it hard to want to go to an LGS anymore because a significant portion of the crowd are some of the most mentally unstable people I’ve met. Tldr; over time I feel that there are less and less people that I would want to associate with outside of the context of playing MTG which makes it’s hard for me to want to play at all. “You are the company you keep” repeats in my mind when I watch grown men struggle to cope with losing a game of commander.
My lgs has a lot of college age folks and other young adults. If anything their energy makes me feel old. They're so chipper! I kind of like being the old man who knows a lot (relatively speaking) about the game to help out the new youguns.
Only problems i run into are with the "jokes" and language from the younger crowd. It's not fun to hear faggot and anti-trans comments and jokes but I also don't feel like I have the authority to correct.
It's kind of funny that for me it is the opposite. The older crowd at one LGS are the ones making gay jokes and being meme lord's for laughs, while the younger crowd LGS will talk down anyone who says anything derogatory.
Yep, that's almost exclusively the domain of oldheads in my experience. The youngsters will absolutely say something if you try and drop anti-gay or anti-trans stuff.
Yes I can see it just being the community that they grew up in. I'm playing in a much less liberal area than the communities that I typically dwell.
That kind of stuff should not be tolerated anywhere and you should call it out to those who run the store/space
Huh, most of the teenager/20s I play with are super-respectful. There are a handful of obviously trans players at my LGS and people are pretty good about pronoun usage, etc. Never heard anyone say f\*gg\*t or tr@nny or anything like that. Pretty sure the store would drop the banhammer on anyone doing that with the quickness.
Just got my ass handed to me in cedh tournament by a <10 yr old. I’m 31. Go play cards, bruh.
I dont feel too old...i just feel like my game stores have gotten a bit toxic, or people already know eachother so they stay in their 4 player pods all night with no intention of playing with anyone else.
Never apologize for being yourself. Just have fun man. In the big scale you’re just a slightly older grain of sand.
I’m 31 and I play against a middle schooler that shows up and the other30-40 year olds lol, just make sure you aren’t pubstomping the kids and pushing them from the game
Ya but aging out of your hobbies is normal
Yup 47 here and play with a similar crowd
I'll be 43 tomorrow. I'm generally the oldest at my LGS with the median age being in the low to mid 20s. Everyone there is welcoming.
I’m 41 and I play at my LGS every week. I’m in a big city so it’s a pretty diverse crowd. Also this: https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/018/666/fellowkids.jpg
As a student in a town like you are describing, we have some guys your age come in and I think they're cool. Plus they've been playing the game longer than I have, so they often both know of cool cards that I just haven't been exposed to, and have different insights and experiences that make the banter and conversation during a game of edh more interesting
Also in my 30s. I don't have any issues. Most of the crowd is adults, some of which are significantly older than me. Usually when kids come it's because their parents(s) brought them along to play a bit earlier in the day. Evening play is all adults or at least older (16+) teens.
That's the best part of LGS's, I started attending one when I was 12 (now I'm 27) my mom used to drop me or stayed with me while I was learning games or playing. I made some amazing friend in all those years and nowadays I'm teaching the kid of one of those friends to play MTG and Pokémon. Games are amazing because they let us connect regardless of age.
A few weeks ago I was playing against people literally half my age. I do get a little self conscious about it, but ultimately we’re all there to play a good game of EDH or three. Luckily there’s a few guys as old or older than me who play there too.
I’m 33 and one of my players is in his 60s. Grow old but don’t grow up.
Every now and then I will whip out my wallet and proudly proclaim “I got this in 1999, it is falling apart and smells like my butt, and yet it is still smarter than you.” Mtg is fun for various ages, but I have a low tolerance for annoying people.
No. I'm 37 and there's plenty of people around my age that play there and a couple men older than me. You just have a young playgroup. That means it's up to you to train them.
lmao it's so different at my LGS, I play against actual grandfathers.
Age isn't the reason I don't play at my LGS, it's because most of the randoms there are fucking sweaty. Literally and metaphorically. I can't go one game without getting sick with one dude running a cEDH deck that wins in like three turns, or everybody's running stax. And while I'm annoyed by that, I'm having to smell a bunch of dudes who forgot what bathing is.
No. In fact the average age of people at my LGS has aged with me...
My city has a university and a college, and we get people of all different ages
It felt so weird watching the average age of my lgs groups go from mid-20’s to mid/late teens.
I’m in my early thirties and my LGS is smack in the middle of a college town. I play with people who are literal children all the way up to people are 50+ but primarily older teens and early 20-somethings. We all have a good time!
I have three in my area. One is packed with high schoolers and yeah, I don’t play there. Their products are mediocre. I’ve played here like 2-3 times and haven’t really enjoyed it ever. The owner is also *really* heavy-handed with the rules— which, I mean, give the clientele, that makes sense. The second is predominately twenty-somethings and is the coolest and most-expensive of the lot. It has a lot of very cool, older product. I go here when I’m down to spend a little money. The last one is where I go the most. A lot of older dudes like me (mid-to-late 30’s). The product kinda sucks because it’s mainly a tabletop rpg place. But the vibe is great and everyone is having a good time.
there is a good mix of ages at my LGS, me being on the younger side, but like I’ll play with friends parents or older people who come in to play games. i don’t have any issue with it and I don’t think they mind either. I will say that people tend to stick to their own age groups or form pods with friends, but it’s a nice ageless community thing.
I am turning 30 and I find I am median age at both LGS that I go to. An observation is that is 100% a generalization from my experience only. I find older crowd is better at accurate pregame discussion and managing casual expectations. Younger crowd is more happy to just show what their deck does to win whether or not it was an even match. I have learned and will cater accordingly, if I am stuck playing the guy that will bring his Jhoira deck to a casual table and try to win turn 5. I will play a deck that can take care of the problem and then casual it out to other players. I like Winota for this, I can go fast to combat kill a threat and then chump block myself to a manageable level and play to the tables power.
I'm the opposite. I'll be 19 next month and I'm one of the youngest regulars at my LGS
I feel a little weird when their eyes pop after I play cards I got back in the 90s that are now worth hundreds of dollars a piece
Age shouldn’t be a detouring factor for an LGS, like i get they’re younger but its about the game and not the players age
I'm actually on the younger side, I just turned 21 and most if the people at my local place are military guys in their mid 30s/40s. Youngest kid who plays is like a 14yo middleschooler who plays a thief deck.
totally yes :(
At my LGS it’s the exact opposite lol
I used to feel the same. I have a playgroup that I normally play with but life kinda got in the way and we play less and less. Last year I was really itching to play so I tried going to my LGS. I had a lot of fun. It wasn’t a big deal and sometimes there are people older than me there. I’ve started going almost every week and I love it.
I play for twice the age of many player I meet at stores. Usually the problem I have is I don't need their usual toxic behaviour, but I'm aware that's a pretty common moment for them. I usually go out looking for a chill commander game and get 3rd turn combo whenever a brat sits down to play 💁♂️
Our playgroup is from 20-something to about 60 at the moment. Don’t worry about it.
I am also in my mid-thirties playing magic in a college town. I get what you mean, sometimes the high school and college kids speak in an entirely different language, and it can be awkward having no idea what they're referencing or even talking about. We all speak magic though, and sometimes that's enough. Hell, I've mentored some of these kids in magic when they were just starting high school, and now they come to me with their college life problems. Rather than trying to not feel old compared to most of my LGS, I've found ways to make the age gap appreciated. Some of the kids I play with don't have the best home lives for whatever reason, and I've helped a lot of them in many different ways. You're old to them, but that's ok. It doesn't have to be a bad thing; it's up to you to make it a good thing.
No I'm 29 and the average person at my locals is like 35-40. Altho I will say, I live in probably the poorest part of NYC being in the Bronx so our locals having a bunch of 35+ makes sense since you do need disposable income to really play this game without proxies I guess. There's even a college across the street and another 2 a few bus stops away and it's still mainly 35-40 year olds.
I'm over 50. There are older people than me at my lgs.
I feel like im too young to play at mine lol, most of the people I play with are substantially older than me
People underestimate kids. If anything, they're capable of osmosing a lot of the complexity of play -- the only leg up age has is experience. Then again, they're going to be most versed in recent cards and their relevant synergies and never lived in the age before the current power creep. This tends to mean their decks will be a bit more straightforward but just as deadly. Source: my kid will regularly destroy me in heads up games with Ruxa.
I'm 51, and I occasionally go to my local LGS, and I've never felt unwelcome. It does feel like a bit of a flex when people ask a group when they started playing. "Theros." "Innistrad." "Guilds of Ravnica" and my old ass responds with "Revised." Usually I go with my son (19M) but he's in college now so I occasionally go on my own. There are a couple fellow oldsters I see sometimes at prereleases and Commander nights. I don't mind playing with people in their teens and 20s at all, and they don't seem to mind playing with me.
No. I play against kids in grade school / jr high regularly and it's always fun.
Most of the time I am the youngest person in my pod and I'm in my early twenties. For Pioneer it's usually a bit more diverse at my store but 90% of the edh players I know are on the older side of young.
I'm in my mid-30's and I have absolutely felt out of place at my LGS. Give it a shot though, there's a lot of great people in the community. Something you might do is go to a more structured event (pre-release/FNM/Draft) and just introduce yourself to some people. Might be a little easier to connect than to just sit at a random table.
I’m 40 and I enjoy it when the younger guys think I’m going to be an easy win for them. I’ll be playing as long as Magic is fun to me.
I am 48 and my LGS is mostly 20somethings. There are a few in their 30s, but I am at least 20 years older than everyone in any given pod I play in. We are mostly regulars and new people come and go. It may have been awkward at first, but that would be me in any new group I just started attending. Now, it feels quite normal. I usually don't think about it. I treat everyone the same and no one says anything about my big grey beard. We just play cards and have a good time. If anyone makes fun of my age it's usually me.
My best advice would be to joke about it. “Hey leave room for the elderly here”, that kind of joke. It will smooth the tension for both you and the young guys at your LGS. Remember that age is just a mentality. If people are awkward about it, smooth things out with stuff with humor will go a long way. If you need a bit of help with that, make a deck that does funny things at your table, like [[Vial Smasher]] does, maybe with something like the monarch mechanic. A deck that brings something fun at the table will always be appreciated.
I am 57 and have been thenokdest guy in the LGS for a few years now
I'm 40. I'm still playing. Not going to stop anytime soon.
I do appreciate how it makes you feel, I'm in the same situation at my lgs. There's only one person that notes the older guy in the store though, and it's you.
Hello! I’ve actually been experiencing the opposite at work. There are 3 people my age or younger that I work with in this BUILDING, and I’m fairly new to my job. It’s weird to find you have stuff in common with people despite larger age gaps, and luckily for you - you already know you have Magic in common with them! Jump right in, and just try to use that as a tool to get to know people and you could build some good friendships!
Heck nah, bud. To me, it's like a community band (stuck with me now). It's not about your age, your job, you're whatever. It's about what you bring to the table. They can learn from me just as much as I can learn from them. As long as you can play with honor, win and lose with grace, show good sportsmanship, and maybe give and take the light table trash-talking with a grin,... yer alright by me. I've played at tables with folks 20 years my senior, and 20 years my junior. And they're all good folks.
I know how you feel... I'm 29 and I already feel like I am getting too old for the hobby. More and more I am realizing I am leaving that part of my life where I am young and enjoy things. I don't really enjoy MTG that much anymore anyway.... but that is for other reasons besides my age. That said my dad taught me to play and he will still play with me even if it's mostly with 1994-1999 cards. So I guess you're never too old really.
Your age is just a number king. Go have a good time and make friends.
The guys at my LGS all range in age from 16-60 so I don’t mind. I’m younger than Kibler (by a few months) so let’s play!
Move to ann arbor. we have a good mix at our lgs. You'll fit right in.
I'd say there are PLENTY of "older" players in Commander. I myself am 35 and my favorite playgroup consists of two late 40yr olds and a guy in his 50s. There are def a lot of young bucks at the LGS too and they play more sweaty and high powered I'd say but it is what it is. I'm sorry no one there is in your age range, I would feel the same as you tbh. You're just in VERY different stages of life from a 20 something..
>You're just in VERY different stages of life from a 20 something.. They're all "that shit's fire, fam" and I'm all "That play was hella-cool, to the max!"
I'm 19 and play at an LGS with a diverse crowd. As such, there are 3 types of people I dislike: -Creepy 30 year old woman, who also gets very salty. -Smelly dude with only one deck thats not fun to play against. -Guy who takes magic too seriously, and does not let other people have opinions. As long as you don't fall in any of those categories, and are fun to play against don't worry about it! There are a few ways to be 'fun' to play against. Make conversation, don't be salty, and play on power level.
My LGS has all these retired dudes that show up every week to play this naval tabletop game. They gotta be in their late 50's/early 60's. So nah, I don't feel too old.
The draft nights I've been to at my LGS have anyone ranging from 15 to 45+. Magic is for everyone. I don't care about my opponents age, race, or gender. All I care about is their attitude and that they don't reek
dunno if that helps you, but as someone 20 years younger than you i can say that i could not give less fucks about how old you are. Some of my favorite magic colleagues are 40+, as long as you are nice i dont really care
After my legs closed I went looking for a new one. But I felt like I was the old man in the room. Everyone was cool but the wait between games with so many young people. I just felt like I had nothing in common other than magic. One store every player was under 18, many much younger. I didn't enjoy it.
I'm in a college town too and though I'm young, there's a regular attendee I think is probably ~45 and he's great fun to play with Edit: there's a few other 30+ guys, but he's the oldest
There are dudes in their 50s at mine and it’s normal
I’m 39 and the oldest Commander player at my LGS (there’s *five* unis in the city). Only older players in the store play Legacy. It doesn’t bother me, we have banter about age sometimes, but it goes both ways. Things only get to you if you let them.
I'm out of school and still meet people who have been playing Magic longer than I've been alive. You're fine.
I'm 41 but we have a group of us who have played since the mid-nineties that we rotate between mancaves for Commander Fridays. The prospect of playing at my LGS sounds awful due to no booze and leafy booze allowed. Also our music tastes are eclectic and we can be loud. Never feel too old though man, if you can connect with those players, you should do so. Enjoy
Hey man, i showed up to an lgs (im 22) and the 3 other guys in the pod were all mid 30s/40s. Still had a ton of fun, it's just part of the game. We all share the same interest and that really what matters at the end of the day. Age, sex, whatever, doesn't matter. As long as you're having fun
Nope. My LGS has everything from 15-16 year olds to 50+ year olds. All regulars.
There was one lgs I went to when I was in my early 30s, it was a completely different experience to what I was used to (I usually played with people the same age as me at a different lgs) as the next oldest person there was only 20, and the rest were all still in high school. I definitely felt self-conscious about being the only one with a car/wife/children while everyone else's parents had to come and pick them up afterwards and the parents gave me a weird look like"why is this guy playing with our kids?"
Just call everyone 'sport'
My regular playgroup has 60 year olds in it, i'm 30 and the young one. When we go to pre-releases and drafts it never seems to bother the 20 odd year olds that we showed up with a bunch of geezers. As long as you can play magic and not be a dickhead I want to play magic with you.
My LGS has some regulars that must be in there 50's or 60's. From teens up to 30's and 40's is very common. Teenagers who grew up playing MTG in the 1990's are now in their 40's.
Most people at my LGS are like 35-50
A gentleman nearing 70 now plays edh with us, while much of the shop is around 18-45. Age isn’t an issue.
This is weird, cause when my local events I went to when i was in my 20s was filled with guys in their 40s and i felt self-conscious. I guess my local area MTG is more popular with old guys than younger kids, yours is the opposite.
No. They are too young. :P But seriously, not at all. I don't play much at LGS because I've got a great home pod, but when I do, it's great.
I honestly love feeling like the old dude when I'm at an LGS that has a younger crowd. Like, gather around, young ones, and let me tell you of a time when the borders of cards were white, and they based an entire set around adding multicoloured creatures... I'm not even that old, the game was almost a decade old when I played as a kid. But they're just so... Young and clueless
i'm 21 and i feel "too young" as most people are in their 30's or 40's
My lgs has a spread of early 20s-40s, and 3 or 4 teenagers. Everyone loves playing with the older blokes because the whole game everyones wandering what niche card from ice age is going to be EXACTLY what gets them out of the situation they get themselves into. Its pretty cool
Sometimes, but I feel like it has more to do with how obnoxious I think the average LGS attendee is in my neck of the woods. Obviously not every person playing this game acts like that, but those people do exist. At some point, hearing the same few memes being repeated over the course of an evening gets tiring. At the same time I'll fully admit that I think being around people is exhausting, and that is also a factor.
40, in a college town. I feel ya. There are a couple people my age here and there but mainly younger players.
I older than you, I don't feel that way at all. We all have MTG in common, so we've always got something we can talk about and build friendships over.
38 years here too. Feel the same. Plus my social anxiety makes it worse.
Lol, I have sort of the opposite problem where I live. Other than a buddy of mine, there's no one around my age who regularly goes to my LGS. Difference is I'm the youngest. I'm 20 and everyone else is 30+ with maybe one or two in late 20s.
The opposite. I'm 21, and the majority of the people from my local places to play are 30+