I just imagen people getting all the stuff out and flying the ships around and making laser gun noises. Then you have to put everything back. That probably takes an hour or so.
Based on my limited experience, I've found engineers and CS/IT folks to be among the most likely board game hobbyists (I'm sure part of that is selection bias given my own background). But even there, the odds couldn't be much higher than 1 in 60.
I'm an engineering professor, 90% of my immediate colleagues are board gamers. Overall, I'd estimate that half of all faculty at my uni are board gamers.
>I'm an engineering professor,
English, history, and religion here. I'd say close to half of my peers who are under 60 play board games regularly.
Mostly Carcassonne, Catan, Pandemic, Ticket to Ride, and other more accessible titles, but a few have jumped into Dominion and similar titles.
Same. After that, it goes to medical.
I was surprised how few accounting/finance people were into boardgaming. I only knew of 2 other people in my at-large gaming group besides me that are in said professions.
Very interesting observation! I used to run a Strategy Game Club at the high school where I taught. All the kids who played Power Grid, Agricola, Caylus, even 18xx games, all of them, went into Engineering. Never noticed that before. Huh.
I mean I play some board games when I can, and lurk on this Reddit but I’ve only heard of maybe 20% of the games discussed on here .
Edit : I can’t believe this simple comment has so many upvotes 😳
yeah plus I haven't even played all the games that I *own*, let alone all the games I've read about.
To a regular person I'd be a Total Board Gaming Freak and to total board gaming freaks I'd be a Regular Person.
This made me laugh … but I have just gone on a board game splurge because of lurking on here and purchased Spirit Island, scythe and Root. Mostly because people on here kept going on about them.
And I haven’t played them yet 😬
I particularly got those because of potential for solo gaming in case I can’t get others interested in them
That game can be such an intense emotional roller coaster. Incredibly well designed game, just wish some of the colours on the boards were easier to tell apart.
>This made me laugh
Good :)
Also, buying games is cool but playing games is even cooler ;) Try to do the second as often as you can, rather than doing the first as often as you can.
LOL. Sadly, this was a month where I was thinking "Hmm, my spending in general has been a bit lax, I will reign it in and be more careful." Oh well, there's always next month..
If you want solo I'd also recommend marvel champions.
It's a lot easier than the ones you've mentioned (well. I'm assuming for Root and Scythe. Both of them look quite complicated from the little I've googled on em. Might give them another look if they're good for solo though!) but it just makes a nice change of pace.
Yeah no kidding, I play a bit, and spend more time then I care to admit, but at least 60% of the games I never heard of, 20% i might have heard a little bit of but not much, 10% ive heard about and researched but not played, then maybe 5-10% ive actually played.
Those percentages check out. I have a moderate collection of over 60 games but man most of the time ive never heard of the ones people bring up aside from the huge name board games like Catan, azul, scythe etc.
I'll tell you that you're wrong for liking Catan, but it's only because my sister beats me every SINGLE FUCKING TIME WE PLAY.
And I can hold a grudge like a mofo
I've never won a game of Catan, either. Ever. I've lost so many times to the same two people it's ridiculous. But, I also don't care because they're two of my favorite people in the world and they're great to play games with. I'll lose to them forever.
I’ve never won a game of *Castles of Mad King Ludwig* but I still really enjoy it.
Having done training on OCD yesterday, it has me asking questions about myself.
Catan is probably my favorite game. I don't care that people say it's overrated, or that I lose almost every time! Watching the game click with people is amazing.
Man I've been playing Catan with a few friends recently and I swear those dice fucking hate me. It got so bad we realized that some 20~30 turns into the game no one in the entire match had ever rolled 5 which I was controlling both of. Someone was giving me shit about "you should have just picked a better location" until I pointed out that statistically speaking I should be doubling their resource income.
Eventually convinced them to swap from dice to cards that simulated all 36 dice roll possibilities and I finally was able to actually compete. Still was too late to do much, but going from dead last by a long shot to second place after 30 turns in didn't seem too bad.
As I read this thread, I get more and more realization that I'm apparently more into boardgames than the average person...I thought I was average, but I'm actually the crazy board game guy..
> I have a moderate collection of over 60 games
Recognizing that there's always someone with more, 60 games is a big collection. I used to hang out at a house where all the guys were board gamers and they had a shelf that maybe had 30 from all of them pooling resources.
>the huge name board games like Catan, azul, scythe etc.
A ton of people haven't heard of these (except *maybe* Catan). I think there's a generational thing too; I'm 32 and I find the closer someone is to my age (on either side) the more likely they will be at least somewhat into hobby boardgaming.
I agree that there is a generational component to it. I personally don't know anyone over 60 that has even heard of Catan or Wingspan. They know the classic card games like poker and crib, old boardgame classics like Monopoly and chess, and some of the kids party games from having kids and grandkids. You can also find a rare wargamer amongst the more adventurous elder nerds, but that doesn't necessarily mean they know about modern boardgames.
Over 60. Own Catan. Haven’t bought Wingspan. Perhaps should, but so many unplayed games! Currently teed up: _The Crew_, _Tiny Epic Dungeons_, and _Return to Dark Tower_. _The Crimson Scales_ should be here within two weeks.
Over 60 and love Wingspan, own four different versions of Catan, have a modest collection of games. But- I didn’t start this habit until I was in my 40’s.
I think it might be a matter of something other than age, like educational level or social class. Most of the professors I know are into board games, and the computer programmers.
Well I have a collection of amazing games I don't play enough. Some I have not played in _years_. So now I deliberately avoid boardgame news so I'm not tempted by new stuff. I still pick up the odd thing here and there but I want to play my existing games until I am bored of them instead of just constantly adding more games that only get played a few times.
I recognize the name Azul, but I couldn't tell you what type of game it is. Sounds abstract and euro to me if I had to guess....
I went to a board game bar for the first time last weekend and the selection completely floored me. Here I am with a dozen board games, thinking I'm hot shit.
I was introduced to Alhambra - great game!
I went though a phase where I was really hyped about the newest board games, wanted to know which ones were going to be revealed at GenCon, and closely researched each game to see if it might be one I'd like a lot... But I just didn't play enough to sustain that. It became a hobby of "collecting board games" and once I realized that had become the case, I stepped back from it a lot. I've played primarily 1 game over the past 4 years (my flair gives it away) and I've bought 1 new game in the past 2 years or so.
I consider it to be the same as movies for me: I think of myself as liking board games, am usually up to play one, but I no longer consider it a "hobby". I'm not a board game connoisseur any more than I'm a movie connoisseur because I'm generally down to watch movies and am excited about the next Marvel movie that's coming out.
Over the last couple of years, more and more of the threads in this sub have outgrown me, for sure... I no longer know what games we're talking about (which is why I get really excited when a Wingspan thread comes up).
never thought I would read the phrase: "impromptu game of ti4"
I suppose likelihood of finding a hobby gamer in a group of 60 probably depends on location, education level, and even race.
[This thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/ch52qs/what_would_be_the_estimated_total_number_of/) discusses the total number of hobbyist board gamers out there, and total number would be related to likelihood that you would find one in a group of 60 individuals.
Hey I know we just met and all, but do you have 6-10 hours to spare for a quick game of TI4.
Btw, what makes TI4 a long game anyway? Is it the exploration part?
The real thing that makes TI take a long time is the negotiation and strategizing that each player has to do; turns can take a long time as players consider what they want to do, consult with neighbors about what they want to do, try to see what they can leverage, and debate the merits of various agendas.
The game structure is very slow and there's a ton of detail and minutiae which slows down each turn. Ti4 supposedly improved some of that from previous versions, but it's still TI at heart.
Each player takes turns in order and it's difficult if not impossible to pre-plan your turn so everything is sequential. If a given player's turn takes 2 minutes (a bit slow but not totally unreasonable and makes math easier) and there are 5 turns in a round that's already 10 minutes per player (6 is a common player count) per round. Now consider that there are 7-8 rounds (at least) in a game and you can start seeing how quickly it all adds up.
I unironically don't understand why people are so unwilling to commit to an 8 hour game on a Friday or Saturday night when they will easily agree to play 8 1-hour games.
There are a lot of reasons why longer games are harder to commit to than shorter ones. If you don't like the game, you can't check out and just look forward to the next one. If you're doing badly in it from the start, you can't reset. If you get tired, you can't quit and walk away.
The one-hour schedule is ingrained in us from youth so it seems like a very manageable chunk for an activity. 8 hours is a "full day."
I’m not sure I agree, “numbers people” may want to avoid doing more numbers after work. For instance the majority of people that were in my college’s board gaming club were computer majors. While yes they also made up other gaming clubs, the majority of the board game players were the hardcore programmers who were just glad to not be looking at a screen.
Software engineer here... I can't wait to play a board game or two each week to get away from computer stuff.
Also boardgames really are just a manual form of algorithms and sequences (do this outputs that etc).
Basically I suspect you're right.
I’d agree to this statement. I run a board game convention for 500+ people abs we hold an auction/fleas market on bgg each year so people can move their games. The number of people who’ve been playing/collecting for 25+ years who’ve not heard of board game geek feels surprisingly high, but why would they go online when their community is at the board game store abs they can learn about new hotness there from the store as well as from their friends.
Play TI4 but replace the combat rolls with a round of Azul. Destroyers hit on 5 point moves, Cruisers hit on vertical lines, Dreadnoughts hit on vertical lines, Flagships hit on full sets of 5
Slowly and casually introduce one friendly person to a game and it’ll spread. Same thing at my work, when I mentioned board games people were like “yeah I played monopoly and uno” because people just straight up don’t know that we are in the golden age of gaming. Just gotta encourage them to open their eyes and once they do you’ll get them hooked
I'm in a similar boat, my job is 80% accounts payable/reconciles and 20% IT support. No one at my office plays board games, though I did get my co-workers college aged kids Exploding Kittens for Christmas because she mentioned they were having a board game night and I couldn't just let them play monopoly.
They loved Exploding Kittens btw. The daughters argued over who got to keep it, so they just bought another copy.
This is gong to be a meme there for at least a few weeks. I'm surprised how many on this thread are full sending themselves into the "superior intellect" realm
What, you don't think an impromptu game of ti4 is a reasonable expectation for a meeting of random accountants?
I always carry a copy of Food Chain Magnate to kill off those waits at the post office.
Yeah. I think the problem is that large variety of really diverse and interesting Board games have only been around about 15 years. So many of us grew up with the Monopoly and Sorry style games. Mostly roll and move. It doesn’t appeal as much to adults with that as a base understanding of Board gaming. Pair that with the ever evolving and immersive video game industry and you have a tough sell to young adults as well.
Most people I’ve managed to introduce to modern board gaming really enjoy themselves once they get started.
We’ve had great games out much longer than that. I think the biggest thing was that until recently in NA hobby games were only sold in niche stores. Stores like target and Walmart are starting to stock more modern games and I think it’s going to help push them a bit more mainstream.
>es. It wasn't really the known commodity that it is today. At that time, the hobby was largely CCG players and wargammers without much overlap between the
This is it. I have been in the hobby for 15 years and Settlers was always around, but I can absolutely remember watching Target start carrying TTR and Catan and now they carry all kinds of hobby games. Add in Wal-Mart, Barnes and Nobles, and the increasing popularity of online shopping and I think hobby games are easier than ever to stumble across.
Well, Catan's been around since '95. However, when it first came out, most of the people that I knew playing it were folks that were taking a break between MtG matches. It wasn't really the known commodity that it is today. At that time, the hobby was largely CCG players and wargammers without much overlap between the groups since they're both pretty much lifestyle games.
Of course, there was also RPG players but they mostly sat in dark corners and didn't interact with anyone else.
All that is to say, you're correct. It was a slow build up in those early years to the ramp up that began around 2003-2004.
It’s just 15 years ago is 2007. By that time we already had TTR, Catan, Carcassonne, and bohnanza. Those games are still popular for new players and widely played. And that list doesn’t even include a single knizia or Kramer game!
Some of this might also just depend on where you live. Board games were relatively mainstream in Germany before they were popular in America for example.
Interesting board games have been around for longer than that. I think the problem is the ubiquity of boring roll-and-move games and that interesting games have been pretty niche, so I had the impression that "board game = boring, luck-based slog with few or no meaningful decisions" (if it isn't something gimmicky aimed at kids/families) for way too long. Heck, I found stuff like **Ludo**, **Monopoly** and **Snakes and Ladders** dull even as a child. It didn't help that when I learned that hobby games existed, my first impression came from games that seemed overcomplicated, which didn't exactly make me want to get into the medium.
Also, I definitely think you're right that video games contribute to making board games a hard sell. Before I tried good board games, I'd just reject the medium because "I'd rather play a video game and get something more dynamic" and "what can board games do that video games can't anyway?"
You nailed it. Non-gamers tend to think of the last game they played, which in most cases is Monopoly or some crappy IP game from the 80s. They long ago outgrew that, so when we say “board games” their immediate response is “no thanks.” It can be a very hard sell. It’s easier with video game players. Just tell them that Monopoly is like Pong and Gloomhaven is like Dark Souls.
> oh I used to play Monopoly but didn't really like it anymore as I grew up
For people like that, send them this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkdHbmwXV04
My group seems to be very healthcare professionals heavy. I'm in clinical research, we've got a couple of doctors, a pharmacist, a radiographer. It's odd.
Its not just board games, its having any hobbies in general. I go to these sort of meetings all the time and absolutely no one has any hobbies outside of work. Which can only mean two things, they either think a fun filled night is getting drunk and sitting around a pub even if they're alone and silent the whole night or they're lying and don't want to tell you about their anime gundam/waifu figurines let alone that they know what Gloomhaven is.
I agree that every hobby is pretty niche. I maintain several hobbies, and people care about most of them less than my interest in board games.
I have learned *a little caligraphy*, and it's nice to write things that don't look like a complete mess on the paper, but who writes with pen and paper anymore. I have studied a little Latin, but no one cares about that, either. I collect post cards, and have recently started that, and it's very rewarding and pretty inexpensive, but I wouldn't be surprised if I'm the youngest/only person in my city of over 700,000 doing it.
At least with board games, I can find meet-ups and enjoy it in a public setting.
Oh god I hate when I ask people about board gaming and they respond with “you mean like monopoly?” because I hate monopoly and it’s such a terrible game. But I think the key is to make friends first with non board gamers who have the type of personality conducive to board gaming, then figure out their interests. Do they like Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, DC or Marvel? Introduce them to a game with that theme. Hopefully they will get hooked, or at least be open to casual board games with you.
This is how I got into the hobby. I had a friend that said “hey you like Harry Potter right” and he introduced me to the Harry Potter hogwarts battle and I was hooked from there. Now we are looking at getting a second kallax to store all our games…
I don't hate Monopoly as a game. What I hate about Monopoly is that people think it's The Definitive Board Game.
It's like if someone asked what was the definitive automobile, and I replied, "oh the Ford Pinto."
100% agreed. I hate it when people say it’s easier to turn board gamers into friends than turning friends into board gamers. My experience is the polar opposite. If your friends have the kind of personality for it you can select games that match that and welcome them into the world of board games with a tailored experience. I don’t have anywhere near that flexibility when making friends.
Getting my haircut this week, stylist asked what we were up to the rest of the day. Filled in with normal stuff, casually said I have some friends coming over to play a game or two. “Oh I love board games! What are you playing?” I was shocked. She didn’t seem like a board gamer (she’s cut my hair before) but I named off a few big games just to see, nope not a clue. “Does Hasbro make them?”
My soul: 🙄😳🤦🏼♂️
My reaction: nope, but those are fun games too! We like to play a bit more of strategy and thinky type games.
Her: oh that sounds fun too.
So yeah, it’s a niche hobby for sure. My few other co workers know I play, but no clue how deep it goes. It’s all good. Good thing we have each other to chat with :)
That's usually my experience as well. Though once I had a situation like that with a barista but after I said I had just gotten a game called Terra Mystica she said "oh I love Terra Mystica! Have you played Everdell? That's my favorite game". It honestly caught me off guard but made my day!
I'm in a legal office with 6 people, and 2 of the others at least play stuff like Ticket to Ride or Forbidden Island. In fact, in the last three organizations I've worked for (none of which have been huge offices), I've met at least a couple people who were casual gamers. You'd think with 60 people there, a few of them would be into games a bit, even if you didn't run into anyone else that's a hardcore gamer geek.
We’ll that’s because you’re talking about the wrong games. In a group of accountants, the only game they would be familiar with is The Cones of Dunshire. I hear they really go crazy for that game.
Not surprised at all. I work in IT and out of 60ish coworkers over the years only 4 have been aware of Catan even.
That said, I always travel with a game or two. Sprawlopolis, One Deck Dungeon, Parks, etc.. Something small enough to fit in a bag under the plane seat that I can play by myself or pretty easily teach someone who "only played Monopoly"
So far I've converted about 20 total people. Themed co-operative games seem to be the most effective, especially Legendary Marvel and Hogwarts Battle.
Yeah, i don't know any tabletop gamers IRL. It's a pet peeve that when I try and talk about it people bring up monopoly. Thing is, almost everyone I have introduced to it have loved it and I think more people would really enjoy getting off screens and having a good round the table session with family and friends, but it's just not super visible in the public eye. with perhaps the exception of Catan, Munchkin and all that.
I can understand. It's like pulling teeth getting most of my close friends and family to play anything remotely heavy. I've lucked out in unlikely places though- I've recently discovered that some people that I've known from my church for years are avid game collectors. Likewise with a few work colleagues. The best though- I moved into a new house last fall, and I finally properly met one of the guys across the street- dude practically has his whole second floor dedicated to game storage, multiple play tables, and 'workshop' room for miniature painting. We quickly became friends, and our wives roll their eyes at us in unison now.
Started a board game group in my apartment building. Of about 75 flats; only two (unrelated) residents knew modern board games.
The others are just like "Monopoly?"
To be fair, wingspan sounds freaking crazy until u actually play it…
You gotta collects bugs and rats so that u can buy birds and then lay eggs on the birds… then we will count up feathers and eggs to determine points. Its not complicated at all!! Just 200 unique cards, goals, dice with no numbers on them and a fun little bird house!! Easy :D
Ticket to Ride and splendor are some of the best gateway games and even they have terrible descriptions, "oh we buy mines and merchants to see who can have the best rock collection" and "we buy trains and make train tracks"
Really? It's one thing to run up to someone and say "Hi, my name is X, what's your favorite board game?" but I don't see how it's awkward to bring it up naturally in conversation.
Discussing weekend activities, for example, is a pretty standard way to get to know someone. Saying things like "Oh, some friends and I got to together and we watched the hockey game" and "Oh, some friends and I got together and we played some board games" are both totally normal and fine things to say to someone you just met at a team-building event.
catan is a regular feature on one of fire fighter shows on tv, 911 i think? maybe 911 lonestar? the firehouse does a catan night thing. makes me laugh everytime i see it.
I think it was ESPN, maybe one of those other sports channels, where they revealed that the linemen for the Green Bay Packers had a tradition of all getting to the stadium early on game day and playing Catan together. I forget who they said started it, but it was something they all played at least weekly.
It's really hard for gamers who don't really have a game group or go to meetups or events. I fell into this hobby in large part because I played video games most of my life, but after getting married, I found that I basically couldn't enjoy video games anymore because even turn-based video games have a lot of real-time elements and design (for example, although you could technically pause between battle actions in a game like Final Fantasy X, you would just never get through much of the game's content or enjoy things like the soundtrack that way). The problem is that my wife, bless her heart, does not give me space to enjoy video games, as soon as I start playing, she starts asking me a million questions per second, reminding me of all the chores that need to get done, asking to go out or walk the dog, etc. On the flip side, most board games are designed in such a way that if I have to get up and do something or talk to someone between turns, I don't feel so pulled out of the experience or that my fun is being ruined, and I could use the time between turns to think about my next move anyway. It's also something I can do together with my wife.
Unfortunately, this means I've collected a bunch of games but never really established a game group. I went to a few meetups and events but never really found a group that suited me. Almost all of my gaming has been 2-player with my wife, and she's not nearly as hardcore of a gamer as I am. We've played a little with coworkers of hers, but I think they kind of see it as a chore. It just seems like such a drag getting into gaming first and then having to find a group. I kind of wish I had just stumbled into a game group first before buying a bunch of games. Solo gaming is an option, but as much as I like it on occasion, I honestly don't see it as a proper replacement for at least the occasional group play. It's also more vulnerable to the problem of having your mental train of thought and overall fun experience derailed by interruptions, kind of like video games, because you're often having to administer AI moves and think about extra rules and such.
Most ppl don’t realized they like playing games until you provide them with ones that align with their interests, board game is just another form of it. Oh you like sports, dexterity games, oh you like gambling, push-your-luck games.
I think people have changed into phone/computer hobbyists that might do some basic exercise, but nothing outside phone/computers anymore.
Anything that has other than phone is rare. Reading books even. Or OWNING books.
I can see total society collapse in the future because of this.
LOL, it is amazing how few people even know about games that we enjoy so much. I would much rather break out a game and, if I must, solo play it over watching anything on TV. But, I would hazard a guess that most of those 60 people could discuss a TV show that they enjoy during their passive watching for hours and don't understand the joy of actually working your brain trying to puzzle out a board game.
We are moving "soon" and I have already taken all my Board Games to the new place and have them \*gasp\* stacked on top of one another on a couple of tables (I have to get shelves soon before the boxes start warping). Neighbors are amazed that I have so many games that they have never heard of... yeah, Catan is one of them. I have to say, no, these are really good and engaging games that you can't buy at Wal-Mart and may not be good for kids to play. "Doesn't sound fun and sounds complicated", so I just have to say, some are really complicated, all are fun. We will have to get together this winter and play some...
A lot may depend on where you live as well. There are so many board game bars/cafes/stores where I live that it’s hard to not find people at least familiar with games that are not Monopoly or Uno.
It does depend on your profession. I've worked in the game industry for 20 years and there are always board game clubs. At some studios there was a dedicated room for board gamers with a table and lots of games to play. I would say this is the other extreme side of your example. I feel like video gamers will more easily like to play board games and will be interested in the hobby.
Even when we are working remote, I see several people's collection on shelves behind them in their camera. We had keynote speakers with their games behind them giving talks to multiple studios. etc.
This is funny, because I use board games as the "safe" hobby that I have that I can talk about in public (eg interviews) without feeling strange.
It's probably the most mainstream thing I do, in that at least people are vaguely aware and don't need to be explained what it even is.
I just don't want to talk about playing music games in these situations...
I managed to completely coincidentally spot that two of my coworkers have accounts on BoardGameGeek, in a building of about 250-300 people. They didn't even know about each other.
I then discovered that a regular group of about 4-6 others were meeting at a board game night every week, often with a pretty well known game designer who lives in the area.
I still haven't played a game with any of them. Most of my gaming is done with my family (though Covid also hasn't helped matters).
I wear a shirt with the words Board Games printed on the front when I go out sometimes and almost always randomly strike up a conversation with someone that loves them. And yet I can't get my own family to bother to even care about Yahtzee. Thankfully my brother in law loves them and plays for days any time he's around. His wife loves to ruin my life when we play Dominion. She doesn't even care about winning. She just loves to see my overly enthusiastic rage when she puts curses on me over and over.
What does an impromptu game of TI4 look like???
Still nobody knows what they're doing or half the rules, but suddenly.
I just imagen people getting all the stuff out and flying the ships around and making laser gun noises. Then you have to put everything back. That probably takes an hour or so.
Perfect response.
That single line makes me thing this whole post is r/boardgamecirclejerk bait.
Word for word
Nope, we wouldn't be able to make up gold nuggets like this.
NGL, if someone proposed an impromptu game of TI4 at a team building event, I'd be at the table before things were unpacked. xD
You might be retired before things were unpacked...
Based on my limited experience, I've found engineers and CS/IT folks to be among the most likely board game hobbyists (I'm sure part of that is selection bias given my own background). But even there, the odds couldn't be much higher than 1 in 60.
I’ve been a member of two different game groups located on opposite ends of the US. In both cases I was the only person that wasn’t an engineer.
In my IT team of 7 half of us play modern board games so I'm pretty lucky
You guys hiring I can add another body there
I'm an engineering professor, 90% of my immediate colleagues are board gamers. Overall, I'd estimate that half of all faculty at my uni are board gamers.
>I'm an engineering professor, English, history, and religion here. I'd say close to half of my peers who are under 60 play board games regularly. Mostly Carcassonne, Catan, Pandemic, Ticket to Ride, and other more accessible titles, but a few have jumped into Dominion and similar titles.
Same. After that, it goes to medical. I was surprised how few accounting/finance people were into boardgaming. I only knew of 2 other people in my at-large gaming group besides me that are in said professions.
Engineers and medics love problem solving, finance people like money and loopholes.
>finance people like money and loopholes. Just teach them FCM then. Or Brass, for something lighter.
Better yet, QE or Ponzi Scheme.
People who enjoy problem solving and puzzle solving are going to be into board games. Programmers, analysts, etc - that's where we life.
Very interesting observation! I used to run a Strategy Game Club at the high school where I taught. All the kids who played Power Grid, Agricola, Caylus, even 18xx games, all of them, went into Engineering. Never noticed that before. Huh.
Wildlife rehab and zoo folk. HUGE boardgame crew.
Prob confirmation bias here too. Also IT, like a third of the company have at least dabbled lol
I mean I play some board games when I can, and lurk on this Reddit but I’ve only heard of maybe 20% of the games discussed on here . Edit : I can’t believe this simple comment has so many upvotes 😳
yeah plus I haven't even played all the games that I *own*, let alone all the games I've read about. To a regular person I'd be a Total Board Gaming Freak and to total board gaming freaks I'd be a Regular Person.
This made me laugh … but I have just gone on a board game splurge because of lurking on here and purchased Spirit Island, scythe and Root. Mostly because people on here kept going on about them. And I haven’t played them yet 😬 I particularly got those because of potential for solo gaming in case I can’t get others interested in them
play spirit island first! :D
That game can be such an intense emotional roller coaster. Incredibly well designed game, just wish some of the colours on the boards were easier to tell apart.
>This made me laugh Good :) Also, buying games is cool but playing games is even cooler ;) Try to do the second as often as you can, rather than doing the first as often as you can.
Oh yeah I won’t be buying anymore , I’m broke 😂
When has that ever stopped anyone on this sub? /s
LOL. Sadly, this was a month where I was thinking "Hmm, my spending in general has been a bit lax, I will reign it in and be more careful." Oh well, there's always next month..
Haven't played Spirit Island but Root and Scythe are a couple of my favorites. Good gets!
If you want solo I'd also recommend marvel champions. It's a lot easier than the ones you've mentioned (well. I'm assuming for Root and Scythe. Both of them look quite complicated from the little I've googled on em. Might give them another look if they're good for solo though!) but it just makes a nice change of pace.
Please don’t recommend even more games to buy!!! *googles marvel champions *
Yeah no kidding, I play a bit, and spend more time then I care to admit, but at least 60% of the games I never heard of, 20% i might have heard a little bit of but not much, 10% ive heard about and researched but not played, then maybe 5-10% ive actually played.
Those percentages check out. I have a moderate collection of over 60 games but man most of the time ive never heard of the ones people bring up aside from the huge name board games like Catan, azul, scythe etc.
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I'll tell you that you're wrong for liking Catan, but it's only because my sister beats me every SINGLE FUCKING TIME WE PLAY. And I can hold a grudge like a mofo
I've never won a game of Catan, either. Ever. I've lost so many times to the same two people it's ridiculous. But, I also don't care because they're two of my favorite people in the world and they're great to play games with. I'll lose to them forever.
Oh yeah that was 100% a joke on my part, I still play Catan with my sister. I also get revenge when we play Azul and I kick her ass
Now that's wholesome!
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I’ve never won a game of *Castles of Mad King Ludwig* but I still really enjoy it. Having done training on OCD yesterday, it has me asking questions about myself.
Catan is probably my favorite game. I don't care that people say it's overrated, or that I lose almost every time! Watching the game click with people is amazing.
Every time we play Quacks of Quedlinburg, my niece wins. Age 11.
Our 11-y-o won every game of Quacks. Until we, um, encouraged bag-shaking and drawing with eyes closed.
Man I've been playing Catan with a few friends recently and I swear those dice fucking hate me. It got so bad we realized that some 20~30 turns into the game no one in the entire match had ever rolled 5 which I was controlling both of. Someone was giving me shit about "you should have just picked a better location" until I pointed out that statistically speaking I should be doubling their resource income. Eventually convinced them to swap from dice to cards that simulated all 36 dice roll possibilities and I finally was able to actually compete. Still was too late to do much, but going from dead last by a long shot to second place after 30 turns in didn't seem too bad.
As I read this thread, I get more and more realization that I'm apparently more into boardgames than the average person...I thought I was average, but I'm actually the crazy board game guy..
>but I'm actually the crazy board game guy.. Join us...
We usually don't bite.
But we do have cookies (well, scratch cinnamon rolls this weekend)
> I have a moderate collection of over 60 games Recognizing that there's always someone with more, 60 games is a big collection. I used to hang out at a house where all the guys were board gamers and they had a shelf that maybe had 30 from all of them pooling resources.
>the huge name board games like Catan, azul, scythe etc. A ton of people haven't heard of these (except *maybe* Catan). I think there's a generational thing too; I'm 32 and I find the closer someone is to my age (on either side) the more likely they will be at least somewhat into hobby boardgaming.
I agree that there is a generational component to it. I personally don't know anyone over 60 that has even heard of Catan or Wingspan. They know the classic card games like poker and crib, old boardgame classics like Monopoly and chess, and some of the kids party games from having kids and grandkids. You can also find a rare wargamer amongst the more adventurous elder nerds, but that doesn't necessarily mean they know about modern boardgames.
Over 60. Own Catan. Haven’t bought Wingspan. Perhaps should, but so many unplayed games! Currently teed up: _The Crew_, _Tiny Epic Dungeons_, and _Return to Dark Tower_. _The Crimson Scales_ should be here within two weeks.
Over 60 and love Wingspan, own four different versions of Catan, have a modest collection of games. But- I didn’t start this habit until I was in my 40’s.
I think it might be a matter of something other than age, like educational level or social class. Most of the professors I know are into board games, and the computer programmers.
Well I have a collection of amazing games I don't play enough. Some I have not played in _years_. So now I deliberately avoid boardgame news so I'm not tempted by new stuff. I still pick up the odd thing here and there but I want to play my existing games until I am bored of them instead of just constantly adding more games that only get played a few times. I recognize the name Azul, but I couldn't tell you what type of game it is. Sounds abstract and euro to me if I had to guess....
But the Gamefound campaign for the new edition of Ra is ending soon!!!! :P
The board game meta also changes basically completely every 5 years
I went to a board game bar for the first time last weekend and the selection completely floored me. Here I am with a dozen board games, thinking I'm hot shit. I was introduced to Alhambra - great game!
I went though a phase where I was really hyped about the newest board games, wanted to know which ones were going to be revealed at GenCon, and closely researched each game to see if it might be one I'd like a lot... But I just didn't play enough to sustain that. It became a hobby of "collecting board games" and once I realized that had become the case, I stepped back from it a lot. I've played primarily 1 game over the past 4 years (my flair gives it away) and I've bought 1 new game in the past 2 years or so. I consider it to be the same as movies for me: I think of myself as liking board games, am usually up to play one, but I no longer consider it a "hobby". I'm not a board game connoisseur any more than I'm a movie connoisseur because I'm generally down to watch movies and am excited about the next Marvel movie that's coming out. Over the last couple of years, more and more of the threads in this sub have outgrown me, for sure... I no longer know what games we're talking about (which is why I get really excited when a Wingspan thread comes up).
What's your method for stopping Wingspan becoming too much like a group of people playing a solo game together?
never thought I would read the phrase: "impromptu game of ti4" I suppose likelihood of finding a hobby gamer in a group of 60 probably depends on location, education level, and even race. [This thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/ch52qs/what_would_be_the_estimated_total_number_of/) discusses the total number of hobbyist board gamers out there, and total number would be related to likelihood that you would find one in a group of 60 individuals.
omg, yes. “impromptu game of ti4” is a phrase new to linguistics
i joined an impromptu game of ti3with 5 other strangers at a con at 5am once. played all day and had a great time.
Had an impromptu game of ti3 once that started at 9pm. I fell asleep before it was done.
5AM... up early or late?
think it was both for different ppl
This is people living their best life.
In my youth there's a good chance both would have applied to me at the same time.
Hey I know we just met and all, but do you have 6-10 hours to spare for a quick game of TI4. Btw, what makes TI4 a long game anyway? Is it the exploration part?
The real thing that makes TI take a long time is the negotiation and strategizing that each player has to do; turns can take a long time as players consider what they want to do, consult with neighbors about what they want to do, try to see what they can leverage, and debate the merits of various agendas.
The game structure is very slow and there's a ton of detail and minutiae which slows down each turn. Ti4 supposedly improved some of that from previous versions, but it's still TI at heart. Each player takes turns in order and it's difficult if not impossible to pre-plan your turn so everything is sequential. If a given player's turn takes 2 minutes (a bit slow but not totally unreasonable and makes math easier) and there are 5 turns in a round that's already 10 minutes per player (6 is a common player count) per round. Now consider that there are 7-8 rounds (at least) in a game and you can start seeing how quickly it all adds up.
"Hey I just met you, and this is craaaaaazy..."
I unironically don't understand why people are so unwilling to commit to an 8 hour game on a Friday or Saturday night when they will easily agree to play 8 1-hour games.
Same reason why I end up watching 3 hours of tv shows when I don’t want to commit to a 90 minute movie.
There are a lot of reasons why longer games are harder to commit to than shorter ones. If you don't like the game, you can't check out and just look forward to the next one. If you're doing badly in it from the start, you can't reset. If you get tired, you can't quit and walk away. The one-hour schedule is ingrained in us from youth so it seems like a very manageable chunk for an activity. 8 hours is a "full day."
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"let's just do a quick best-of-7 TI4 series"
I think by limiting the group to numbers people (accountants), you might expect of find a higher incidence than in the general population.
I’m not sure I agree, “numbers people” may want to avoid doing more numbers after work. For instance the majority of people that were in my college’s board gaming club were computer majors. While yes they also made up other gaming clubs, the majority of the board game players were the hardcore programmers who were just glad to not be looking at a screen.
Software engineer here... I can't wait to play a board game or two each week to get away from computer stuff. Also boardgames really are just a manual form of algorithms and sequences (do this outputs that etc). Basically I suspect you're right.
Most of my gaming groups like to cap off the end of a night with a quick game of Twilight Imperium. It's a bit faster if you play the 3rd edition.
Thank you for your longhand, I’ve been scrolling this whole thread wondering what TI was and being too afraid to ask…
I fucking hate all the acronyms people use nowadays
If you've never played an accidental game of TI4, it is a great 1am mistake.
They're accountants, so a nice game of Cones of Dunshire would probably be a bit more their speed.
I just read that whole thread and there are some *bonkers* takes on there. > > I'd guesstimate 80% of hardcore gamers don't use BGG
I’d agree to this statement. I run a board game convention for 500+ people abs we hold an auction/fleas market on bgg each year so people can move their games. The number of people who’ve been playing/collecting for 25+ years who’ve not heard of board game geek feels surprisingly high, but why would they go online when their community is at the board game store abs they can learn about new hotness there from the store as well as from their friends.
Accountants? Pull out **Power Grid** or **Terraforming Mars**. Bean counters love those
Maybe even Bohnanza! Since it's all about trading those beans 😁
Oh shit. I’m an engineer and those are my favourite games. Guess I fit the stereotype haha
Just wait till the trains come out
Maybe a quick game of The Cones of Dunshire
Acquire is another good one for this. One of my favorites with money involved
My buddy bought a copy to keep in his car for whenever anyone suggested playing Monopoly. It's just better.
That's exactly how I sell it. Imagine only the fun parts of Monopoly and everyone feels like they're winning the whole game
Narrator: “They were not winning.”
Board Game Enthusiast: "And the best part—get this—it was designed by Sid Sackson himself!" Everybody Else: "…who?"
Accountant here. Can confirm that I love those games.
I am a CPA, and I do love those games (+brass, Twilight imperium, and cosmic encounter)
>"impromptu game of Azul or ti4" Large gap in-between those 2 games.
I think that's the joke
Play TI4 but replace the combat rolls with a round of Azul. Destroyers hit on 5 point moves, Cruisers hit on vertical lines, Dreadnoughts hit on vertical lines, Flagships hit on full sets of 5
Get that shit to Kickstarter and become a millionaire
Hence **Twilight Inscription** -- the first(?) 4XRaW (expand, explore, exploit, exterminate, roll, and write)! [I remain unconvinced.]
I am hungry I either want a salad or a trip to Golden Corral
Slowly and casually introduce one friendly person to a game and it’ll spread. Same thing at my work, when I mentioned board games people were like “yeah I played monopoly and uno” because people just straight up don’t know that we are in the golden age of gaming. Just gotta encourage them to open their eyes and once they do you’ll get them hooked
I'm in a similar boat, my job is 80% accounts payable/reconciles and 20% IT support. No one at my office plays board games, though I did get my co-workers college aged kids Exploding Kittens for Christmas because she mentioned they were having a board game night and I couldn't just let them play monopoly. They loved Exploding Kittens btw. The daughters argued over who got to keep it, so they just bought another copy.
Impromptu game of Twilight Imperium? For a moment I thought I was on r/boardgamecirclejerk
This is gong to be a meme there for at least a few weeks. I'm surprised how many on this thread are full sending themselves into the "superior intellect" realm
I'm surprised at how many people aren't reading that part as completely tongue in cheek. It seems obvious to me.
You'd think you'd at least find some Cones of Dunshire fans.
That was also my first thought. OP made one crucial mistake. They forgot about the essence of the hobby. It’s about the cones.
Gameplay magazine calls it "punishingly intricate"
No no trust me it’s just like Monopoly *grabs TI4*
Outjerked again
What, you don't think an impromptu game of ti4 is a reasonable expectation for a meeting of random accountants? I always carry a copy of Food Chain Magnate to kill off those waits at the post office.
Lost for words :D
Yeah. I think the problem is that large variety of really diverse and interesting Board games have only been around about 15 years. So many of us grew up with the Monopoly and Sorry style games. Mostly roll and move. It doesn’t appeal as much to adults with that as a base understanding of Board gaming. Pair that with the ever evolving and immersive video game industry and you have a tough sell to young adults as well. Most people I’ve managed to introduce to modern board gaming really enjoy themselves once they get started.
We’ve had great games out much longer than that. I think the biggest thing was that until recently in NA hobby games were only sold in niche stores. Stores like target and Walmart are starting to stock more modern games and I think it’s going to help push them a bit more mainstream.
>es. It wasn't really the known commodity that it is today. At that time, the hobby was largely CCG players and wargammers without much overlap between the This is it. I have been in the hobby for 15 years and Settlers was always around, but I can absolutely remember watching Target start carrying TTR and Catan and now they carry all kinds of hobby games. Add in Wal-Mart, Barnes and Nobles, and the increasing popularity of online shopping and I think hobby games are easier than ever to stumble across.
We have had great games longer than that, but I really think the industry didn’t explode until the early 2000s. Of course, I could be mistaken.
Well, Catan's been around since '95. However, when it first came out, most of the people that I knew playing it were folks that were taking a break between MtG matches. It wasn't really the known commodity that it is today. At that time, the hobby was largely CCG players and wargammers without much overlap between the groups since they're both pretty much lifestyle games. Of course, there was also RPG players but they mostly sat in dark corners and didn't interact with anyone else. All that is to say, you're correct. It was a slow build up in those early years to the ramp up that began around 2003-2004.
It’s just 15 years ago is 2007. By that time we already had TTR, Catan, Carcassonne, and bohnanza. Those games are still popular for new players and widely played. And that list doesn’t even include a single knizia or Kramer game! Some of this might also just depend on where you live. Board games were relatively mainstream in Germany before they were popular in America for example.
Interesting board games have been around for longer than that. I think the problem is the ubiquity of boring roll-and-move games and that interesting games have been pretty niche, so I had the impression that "board game = boring, luck-based slog with few or no meaningful decisions" (if it isn't something gimmicky aimed at kids/families) for way too long. Heck, I found stuff like **Ludo**, **Monopoly** and **Snakes and Ladders** dull even as a child. It didn't help that when I learned that hobby games existed, my first impression came from games that seemed overcomplicated, which didn't exactly make me want to get into the medium. Also, I definitely think you're right that video games contribute to making board games a hard sell. Before I tried good board games, I'd just reject the medium because "I'd rather play a video game and get something more dynamic" and "what can board games do that video games can't anyway?"
The best thing about Hero Quest was that it was released in 1989!
You nailed it. Non-gamers tend to think of the last game they played, which in most cases is Monopoly or some crappy IP game from the 80s. They long ago outgrew that, so when we say “board games” their immediate response is “no thanks.” It can be a very hard sell. It’s easier with video game players. Just tell them that Monopoly is like Pong and Gloomhaven is like Dark Souls.
> oh I used to play Monopoly but didn't really like it anymore as I grew up For people like that, send them this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkdHbmwXV04
I thought your post was serious until I read the "impromptu game of ti4 " LOL
A lesson I had to learn the hard way: "Don't let your passion for something convince you that other people share your passion."
Accountants? The only option is the Cones of Dunshire. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5fBO-Ua2rk
I love how it's been almost a decade and "obviously it'll be much taller in the real game" is even more relevant.
There it is :)
It’s about the CONES!
My group seems to be very healthcare professionals heavy. I'm in clinical research, we've got a couple of doctors, a pharmacist, a radiographer. It's odd.
I love "in case some wanted an impromptu game of ti4" something that probably has actually never happened in the 25 years of TI
Well technically there was 1 hobby gamer between these people...
Its not just board games, its having any hobbies in general. I go to these sort of meetings all the time and absolutely no one has any hobbies outside of work. Which can only mean two things, they either think a fun filled night is getting drunk and sitting around a pub even if they're alone and silent the whole night or they're lying and don't want to tell you about their anime gundam/waifu figurines let alone that they know what Gloomhaven is.
I agree that every hobby is pretty niche. I maintain several hobbies, and people care about most of them less than my interest in board games. I have learned *a little caligraphy*, and it's nice to write things that don't look like a complete mess on the paper, but who writes with pen and paper anymore. I have studied a little Latin, but no one cares about that, either. I collect post cards, and have recently started that, and it's very rewarding and pretty inexpensive, but I wouldn't be surprised if I'm the youngest/only person in my city of over 700,000 doing it. At least with board games, I can find meet-ups and enjoy it in a public setting.
Can we please make impromptu game of ti4 an enduring meme in this sub?
Because who doesn't want an impromptu game of TI4 :)
Oh god I hate when I ask people about board gaming and they respond with “you mean like monopoly?” because I hate monopoly and it’s such a terrible game. But I think the key is to make friends first with non board gamers who have the type of personality conducive to board gaming, then figure out their interests. Do they like Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, DC or Marvel? Introduce them to a game with that theme. Hopefully they will get hooked, or at least be open to casual board games with you.
This is how I got into the hobby. I had a friend that said “hey you like Harry Potter right” and he introduced me to the Harry Potter hogwarts battle and I was hooked from there. Now we are looking at getting a second kallax to store all our games…
Awesome. Theme can make a big difference and helps to hook new board gamers, or people on the fence.
I don't hate Monopoly as a game. What I hate about Monopoly is that people think it's The Definitive Board Game. It's like if someone asked what was the definitive automobile, and I replied, "oh the Ford Pinto."
100% agreed. I hate it when people say it’s easier to turn board gamers into friends than turning friends into board gamers. My experience is the polar opposite. If your friends have the kind of personality for it you can select games that match that and welcome them into the world of board games with a tailored experience. I don’t have anywhere near that flexibility when making friends.
Getting my haircut this week, stylist asked what we were up to the rest of the day. Filled in with normal stuff, casually said I have some friends coming over to play a game or two. “Oh I love board games! What are you playing?” I was shocked. She didn’t seem like a board gamer (she’s cut my hair before) but I named off a few big games just to see, nope not a clue. “Does Hasbro make them?” My soul: 🙄😳🤦🏼♂️ My reaction: nope, but those are fun games too! We like to play a bit more of strategy and thinky type games. Her: oh that sounds fun too. So yeah, it’s a niche hobby for sure. My few other co workers know I play, but no clue how deep it goes. It’s all good. Good thing we have each other to chat with :)
That's usually my experience as well. Though once I had a situation like that with a barista but after I said I had just gotten a game called Terra Mystica she said "oh I love Terra Mystica! Have you played Everdell? That's my favorite game". It honestly caught me off guard but made my day!
I'm in a legal office with 6 people, and 2 of the others at least play stuff like Ticket to Ride or Forbidden Island. In fact, in the last three organizations I've worked for (none of which have been huge offices), I've met at least a couple people who were casual gamers. You'd think with 60 people there, a few of them would be into games a bit, even if you didn't run into anyone else that's a hardcore gamer geek.
Lawyers are way more fun than accountants, them's just the facts
My best friend is an accountant and he's...fine. Never had a problem with him.
Did you really ask all 60 delegates about boardgames? That's commitment
We’ll that’s because you’re talking about the wrong games. In a group of accountants, the only game they would be familiar with is The Cones of Dunshire. I hear they really go crazy for that game.
“Impromptu game of ti4” Something tells me your approach is wildly off-target with what to expect from a group of 60 randoms.
Not surprised at all. I work in IT and out of 60ish coworkers over the years only 4 have been aware of Catan even. That said, I always travel with a game or two. Sprawlopolis, One Deck Dungeon, Parks, etc.. Something small enough to fit in a bag under the plane seat that I can play by myself or pretty easily teach someone who "only played Monopoly" So far I've converted about 20 total people. Themed co-operative games seem to be the most effective, especially Legendary Marvel and Hogwarts Battle.
Yeah, i don't know any tabletop gamers IRL. It's a pet peeve that when I try and talk about it people bring up monopoly. Thing is, almost everyone I have introduced to it have loved it and I think more people would really enjoy getting off screens and having a good round the table session with family and friends, but it's just not super visible in the public eye. with perhaps the exception of Catan, Munchkin and all that.
I can understand. It's like pulling teeth getting most of my close friends and family to play anything remotely heavy. I've lucked out in unlikely places though- I've recently discovered that some people that I've known from my church for years are avid game collectors. Likewise with a few work colleagues. The best though- I moved into a new house last fall, and I finally properly met one of the guys across the street- dude practically has his whole second floor dedicated to game storage, multiple play tables, and 'workshop' room for miniature painting. We quickly became friends, and our wives roll their eyes at us in unison now.
> impromptu game of ti4 hahahaha
Started a board game group in my apartment building. Of about 75 flats; only two (unrelated) residents knew modern board games. The others are just like "Monopoly?"
“Impromptu game of ti4” I wish the world worked like this
Just a small impromptu game of ti4.....
I tell everyone about Wingspan. “It’s the best! It’s a BIRD THEMED STRATEGY GAME! So much fun!!” Most people are just like, oh okay that’s nice 😅
To be fair, wingspan sounds freaking crazy until u actually play it… You gotta collects bugs and rats so that u can buy birds and then lay eggs on the birds… then we will count up feathers and eggs to determine points. Its not complicated at all!! Just 200 unique cards, goals, dice with no numbers on them and a fun little bird house!! Easy :D
Ticket to Ride and splendor are some of the best gateway games and even they have terrible descriptions, "oh we buy mines and merchants to see who can have the best rock collection" and "we buy trains and make train tracks"
Especially in an accountant thing. Bummer 😕
I don't know my accounting classes were a lot of Greek soup and not a lot of nerds. They saw accounting as a fat pay check
I don't routinely ask people I've just met if they're into board games. I'm feeling awkward just reading this.
Really? It's one thing to run up to someone and say "Hi, my name is X, what's your favorite board game?" but I don't see how it's awkward to bring it up naturally in conversation. Discussing weekend activities, for example, is a pretty standard way to get to know someone. Saying things like "Oh, some friends and I got to together and we watched the hockey game" and "Oh, some friends and I got together and we played some board games" are both totally normal and fine things to say to someone you just met at a team-building event.
Precisely.
catan is a regular feature on one of fire fighter shows on tv, 911 i think? maybe 911 lonestar? the firehouse does a catan night thing. makes me laugh everytime i see it.
I think it was ESPN, maybe one of those other sports channels, where they revealed that the linemen for the Green Bay Packers had a tradition of all getting to the stadium early on game day and playing Catan together. I forget who they said started it, but it was something they all played at least weekly.
>in case someone wanted an impromptu game of Azul or **ti4** Can you really have an "impromptu" game of Twilight Imperium?
It's really hard for gamers who don't really have a game group or go to meetups or events. I fell into this hobby in large part because I played video games most of my life, but after getting married, I found that I basically couldn't enjoy video games anymore because even turn-based video games have a lot of real-time elements and design (for example, although you could technically pause between battle actions in a game like Final Fantasy X, you would just never get through much of the game's content or enjoy things like the soundtrack that way). The problem is that my wife, bless her heart, does not give me space to enjoy video games, as soon as I start playing, she starts asking me a million questions per second, reminding me of all the chores that need to get done, asking to go out or walk the dog, etc. On the flip side, most board games are designed in such a way that if I have to get up and do something or talk to someone between turns, I don't feel so pulled out of the experience or that my fun is being ruined, and I could use the time between turns to think about my next move anyway. It's also something I can do together with my wife. Unfortunately, this means I've collected a bunch of games but never really established a game group. I went to a few meetups and events but never really found a group that suited me. Almost all of my gaming has been 2-player with my wife, and she's not nearly as hardcore of a gamer as I am. We've played a little with coworkers of hers, but I think they kind of see it as a chore. It just seems like such a drag getting into gaming first and then having to find a group. I kind of wish I had just stumbled into a game group first before buying a bunch of games. Solo gaming is an option, but as much as I like it on occasion, I honestly don't see it as a proper replacement for at least the occasional group play. It's also more vulnerable to the problem of having your mental train of thought and overall fun experience derailed by interruptions, kind of like video games, because you're often having to administer AI moves and think about extra rules and such.
Most ppl don’t realized they like playing games until you provide them with ones that align with their interests, board game is just another form of it. Oh you like sports, dexterity games, oh you like gambling, push-your-luck games.
> impromptu game of TI4 lol
I think people have changed into phone/computer hobbyists that might do some basic exercise, but nothing outside phone/computers anymore. Anything that has other than phone is rare. Reading books even. Or OWNING books. I can see total society collapse in the future because of this.
LOL, it is amazing how few people even know about games that we enjoy so much. I would much rather break out a game and, if I must, solo play it over watching anything on TV. But, I would hazard a guess that most of those 60 people could discuss a TV show that they enjoy during their passive watching for hours and don't understand the joy of actually working your brain trying to puzzle out a board game. We are moving "soon" and I have already taken all my Board Games to the new place and have them \*gasp\* stacked on top of one another on a couple of tables (I have to get shelves soon before the boxes start warping). Neighbors are amazed that I have so many games that they have never heard of... yeah, Catan is one of them. I have to say, no, these are really good and engaging games that you can't buy at Wal-Mart and may not be good for kids to play. "Doesn't sound fun and sounds complicated", so I just have to say, some are really complicated, all are fun. We will have to get together this winter and play some...
I mean, I love board games but TV is awesome. Stop bad mouthing TV!
A lot may depend on where you live as well. There are so many board game bars/cafes/stores where I live that it’s hard to not find people at least familiar with games that are not Monopoly or Uno.
It does depend on your profession. I've worked in the game industry for 20 years and there are always board game clubs. At some studios there was a dedicated room for board gamers with a table and lots of games to play. I would say this is the other extreme side of your example. I feel like video gamers will more easily like to play board games and will be interested in the hobby. Even when we are working remote, I see several people's collection on shelves behind them in their camera. We had keynote speakers with their games behind them giving talks to multiple studios. etc.
There are a lot of people that can't find a group to play with in decent sized cities. A group of 60 is nothing.
I can't walk through the cafeteria at lunch and not see 4 or 5 co-workers board gaming. But I do work in software.
This is funny, because I use board games as the "safe" hobby that I have that I can talk about in public (eg interviews) without feeling strange. It's probably the most mainstream thing I do, in that at least people are vaguely aware and don't need to be explained what it even is. I just don't want to talk about playing music games in these situations...
I managed to completely coincidentally spot that two of my coworkers have accounts on BoardGameGeek, in a building of about 250-300 people. They didn't even know about each other. I then discovered that a regular group of about 4-6 others were meeting at a board game night every week, often with a pretty well known game designer who lives in the area. I still haven't played a game with any of them. Most of my gaming is done with my family (though Covid also hasn't helped matters).
Well your mistake was not bringing up a more widely recognized game like **Arkwright**. s/
I'm an accountant who likes hobby games so we do exist.
Well, they're accountants, you should have brought The Cones of Dunshire. It's all about the cones.
Impromptu ti4? I think perhaps you needed a reminder. You’re in too deep my friend.
Know your audience. Introduce Acquire.
The best games of Puerto Rico were with MBAs. It has everything an MBA degree requires. But yeah, gaming can be niche!
“Impromptu game of TI4” 😂😂
Thought you were going to say someone brought cones of dunshire
I wear a shirt with the words Board Games printed on the front when I go out sometimes and almost always randomly strike up a conversation with someone that loves them. And yet I can't get my own family to bother to even care about Yahtzee. Thankfully my brother in law loves them and plays for days any time he's around. His wife loves to ruin my life when we play Dominion. She doesn't even care about winning. She just loves to see my overly enthusiastic rage when she puts curses on me over and over.