My girlfriend and I make a game out of this. We'll each pick 3 games we want to play, number them 1-6, and then roll 2 standard dice to see which numbers were picked and those are the next 2 games we play! This has also helped with getting some of the games we haven't tried yet to the table.
THIS! This is a really fun idea that I gotta try out too, especially since I just got some fun new dice in 🤣 ahhh such an awesome idea-thanks for sharing!!
My group says they are down for anything, but you know your friends (hopefully). I know which people will like which games, generally. One guy has a touch of AP. Another shrinks away from heavy games. My main goal is for them to have fun, so they keep coming back! So I usually choose the game ahead of time instead of letting the group pick or give their opinion. I send out how-to-play video links beforehand. And off we go! Recently we've had a good time with Downforce, Awkward Guests, and Wingspan. But I think those kinds of games over time primed them for a great recent play of Wonderland's War (I got pink & purple lights and dressed up the whole experience), that they all want to play again. TL;DR Know your group!
We actually decide on the main game of the night ahead of time. We send a How to Play video before we meet. If a game is new and folks like it, we try to play at the next game night while the rules are fresh. After the main game event, we play shorter games that we are familiar with. I have 4 different gaming groups: 1. Likes narrative, conflict and betrayals 2. Open to heavy euros 3. Light to Medium weight games that play in 90 minutes or less 4. Gloomhaven campaign I try to tie food and beverages to the game if it makes sense. My annual gaming goals is to shrink my Shelf of Opportunity to less than 20 and play at least 10 games that haven't hit the table in more than a year. Other considerations include the group's energy levels. If someone has had a whirlwind week, we will stick to games in regular rotation. It's part Type A personality part vibe check.
I love to plan game nights, so I always have a schedule. Each week, we rotate who gets to choose the game and they can pick anything they want. We played Stationfall, Bios Origins and Pax Rennasaince in recent weeks, so Lisboa doesn't sound too complex :) (and I would love to get that to the table again!) I basically keep a list of games that I haven't played and want to play again, and generally it's the latest unplayed game that I've purchased that has the highest priority. Hegemony is coming for my next pick and I can't wait.
A pertinent question to many in the BG community indeed! I would normally prioritise the decision parameters as such: 1. Make sure to cater to my board gaming group I dont have a staple group that meets regularly, so it is doubly important to understand the composition of my group for that night. E.g. there are days where my gf invites her friends to play (monopoly comes to their mind when they think of board games), we host our colleagues occasionally, then there are those who have their own collection at home (so they usually have certain preferences which makes it easier to decide), etc. I learnt this THE HARD WAY when I table something beyond medium-light weight to a group of party gamers out of pure zealousness, and maaaan... that definitely didn't go so well. The bottomline of this parameter is to ensure that EVERYONE (as much as it is up to you) have fun and have a good time around the table :) 2. Games that recently got added to the collection Oh, such simple joy; it is almost like opening a Christmas present the moment you receive it. Of course that doesn't always happen, which relegates it to the next point. 3. Pile of shame This includes games that have not been played at all and those that have not been touched for ages! At times, even with the above parameters, we have not quite narrowed down the list enough, so the following consideration really helps... 4. Time There is nothing like the disappointment you get when you try to over-achieve and table one too many games for the day, especially if you are carrying those games to somebody else's home to play. A good consideration of time includes average game play duration (but that comes with experience with said game), set up/tear down time, and importantly, the time it takes for teach. This relates back to point 1, e.g. if I am having seasoned gamers that are relatively independent, there is the option of learning the rules individually before meeting so that we can save time on teach. Just my two cents' worth :)
I have an excel sheet with my collection spread into categories such as Light/Medium/Heavy and grouped up based on ideal player number (some titles appear in few different columns when it's worth playing at different player counts). That way it takes a very short time to decide what can be played, and then it's based on personal preferences. Most people will play any Light game without complaining, but for Medium/Heavy you really need to know your group and possibly offer some choices
I organize my shelfs by 'best at' player count, top level 5+, mid level 4 player and 3rd level 3 player. ( i don't play 2 player games) then its ordered from complexity, left to right. I choose something based on time we have available and if they are noobies to the hobby something more on the left side. if i feel like giving them options, i will tell the theme of 2-3 games without showing them the box (some box covers are ugly) and let them choose.
Living in Atlanta, getting folks to my place on the regular is a challenge. Frosthaven being weekly has the dedicated crew, but beyond that it gets complicated. So I commit to one big board game day every month. I am that nerd with around 400 games, probably just under, with the perfect setup to host. It is my hobby of choice, and I have invested into providing a safe space for others to enjoy it! That means being the one to organize it, as well, and that's where my process starts. I have a private FB group for my friends that are interested in playing games. Once per month, I toss up a poll based on my available days, and they vote on which days work best (typically on the weekend). Most votes wins. I will weigh someone's vote that has not been here in a bit. Alright, now we have a day selected! Huzzah! Now we crank up the experience architecture. I split my game day into two sections: A Heavy Game for the first few hours, and then more social to whatever folks want later! Sycthe is a great example for something heavy; but a favorite for the heavy game time is Wonderland's War. Stuff like that. This allows my friends that do not have the attention span to skip over the longer game where they may struggle and not have fun and keeps the focus during the heavy game on that game without the many social distractions that come from a larger game. In order to architect the experience, I ask who is coming to the earlier part, or who just wants social. Knowing when to expect people helps me pick what game based on when folks are showing up. Nothing worse than showing up for a game day and a game just started and you have to sit there for two hours. Ok, we're at the end game now. Time to pick a game that gets played and is already setup! That big game gets based on fresh excitement, or something that we love but has not been on the table in a while (like Western Legends with all the expansions). If there is enough for two tables worth of people for the heavy games, I ask one of my "copilots" to setup a game at the second table and be able to guide people through. By the time the friends who enjoy lighter fare have shown up, we have played a nice, big game for a few hours, and are ready to play something less intense. This means I invest in games that I may not typically get to the table, but cater to my regular groups of friends and their sensibilities. Of course, all of those goes out the window when everyone has had a game under their belt for the day, and we start to ask what to play next! The panic cycle starts anew.
Thanks for sharing. Catering to those who are coming, I believe. Then, ask them based on a curated list what would interest them. Also, inception-like, add recommendations of games with different core systems and prioritize the variety based on those answers (if they are into worker placement, recommend entry level engine building).
@@TimChuon Dwellings is my go to game most days. Occasionally when I do need a break I will play Friday. If I am feeling creative I work on creating different games. I haven't played Wingspan, Everdell or Forbidden Island in awhile. I have been working on developing a spreadsheet for Dwellings. I have been using it each game and it generates a story. I have really enjoyed Dwellings tremendously.❤❤❤
Totally depends on who is coming. Weekly gaming group, we're keen on heavier games, but if we have a new player joining us, we'll go with lighter games like Takenoko, Santorini, Azul etc. to get them into "board games" in general so they know there are loads more games out there other than just monopoly!
YES exactly Emmett-you're spot on! I'll try to throw in very animated/good-looking games for new players (marvel dice throne, disney sorcerer's arena, everdell) but the core definitely lean towards heavier games like you and your group!
So I run a Board Game Club with 38 members, and as game master we have a rhythm: Wednesday is medium weight 5 players (sometimes 6); Friday is Heavy Games for 4; Saturday is Light Night with 6-8 players, lots of party games. I try to rotate some popular picks and favorites with some new stuff every now and then. We publish the schedule with the games weekly so people can choose when they feel like to come through.
Hehe. You are blessed to have a group who is willing to start a second main course game after the first! Deciding by mechanics is fine, set-up tear-down matter more for me. Anything that requires more time to set up than scythe is my cutoff territory. My Gloomhaven group got really good at it though! But that was only because we internalized our tear down tasks
I’m a solo gamer, so the biggest deciding factor is time. I’ll usually pick the longest game I have that’ll fit in the available space of free time. Sometimes that’s a campaign game. Sometimes that’s a Button Shy. But my favorite games are campaign games, so I’ll usually try to play those. Lately, that’s been Arkham Horror LCG and Pandemic Legacy, but I recently bought Unsettled, so we’ll see how that mixes things up.
My group has developed a system. We rotate whose week it is, and they nominate 3-5 games that we then put through ranked choice voting. It brings a level of consensus while still taking turns in choosing.
I used to ask if there was any interest in a theme or if a certain box was jumping out at anyone, because I don't like making decisions. That method was never very successful because my group never had strong opinions. Luckily I know their gaming taste now and so pretty much just choose what I want to play that I think they will enjoy and no one has complained yet!
For my group: We designate certain nights for a broad idea ahead of time. Weekday game night we play a single game that has enough crunch for a 2-3 hour game OR 2 games that are estimated at about an hour with a high interaction factor. Legacy Game is Saturday mornings, and casual "learn something new" is weekend afternoons. Saturday Night games & dinner usually sees a mix based on who showed up, with a lean towards games in the more Euro style while we drink and snack.
Lisboa is an awesome choice (as would be just about any Lacerda game)!. The game night I host is usually somewhat atypical, because we have 6(!) people usually playing. Now, some would say, "you just break it up into 2 groups of 3 players," however my group doesn't like that format. We did it once, and each side felt some FOMO by not playing the other half's game. Mind you, I'm the host and know and enjoy all the games in my collection (which ranges from Catan to On Mars). So, I end up having to pick only games that can play to 6 people, which I have found limits my choices quite a a bit. We've played 6-player Catan, 6-player Scythe (with the Invaders from Afar expansion, of course), Downforce, King of Tokyo, 7 Wonders (base and with Leaders expansion, soon to add Cities), Telestrations, Time's Up, Welcome To..., and one couple has opted to play as a team (and actually enjoyed doing so) playing 5-player Wingspan (yes, it can be done and actually be okay). We usually at most have 1 person not show, leaving 5 players which, although is an easier player count than 6, is still pretty limiting. We've played 5-player Dead of Winter, as well as the games already mentioned. My big question is, how do I tactfully ask 2 people to hold off on coming to a later date, so that we only have 4 people any given night, allowing me to open up the rest of my game collection????
We have a lot of ways, sometimes heavier games are chosen beforehand so everyone is prepared mentally for the game. A lot of times, we think is fair that every person says a game and we choose with a dice or we rotate choice in the group. But always we want to play a medium/heavy game and fill the time after with fillers or light games. (usually we play 2-4 hours) When is my turn, I like to rotate genre/mechanics, if we played too much euro I want an area control or game with high interaction, after that to calm ourselves from the war I prefer a coop game...., and some weird mechanics like deduction, hidden movement or whatever is more for a special night that is connected to a movie that we saw or something that made the right mood.
YES! i definitely agree with having them mentally prepare for a heavy game-it certainly helped with Lisboa! and rotating mechanics for sure! definitely spices things up!
I usually do one heavy game and one med game and I usually try to make one of the games a game that we have all played and know how to play so we skip the teach. I try to only do one teach per game night cuz it eats up time
This is my favorite video you’ve ever posted. So conversational. I started a weekly game night in my local pub (@waco_games) and I ask myself this question every week. Like you, I base my decisions on my game group. Since I often have new folks, or at least folks who are newer to board games, I feel the need to mix it up every week and alternate between light/med/heavy weight games from week to week. Surprisingly, the heavy games have worked out just as often as the lighter games, but the lighter games always bring a bigger crowd 😅. I think it does matter how you alternate the types of games being played, but only according to your gaming group. I tend to stick to these two rules for my local game nights: (1) the game has to be social enough to let people talk and engage with each other, cuz public game nights are mostly about building connections and creating a consistent occasion for friends to gather together for fun, and (2) the game has to be different from last week cuz I’m trying to show people how many amazing games there are in the world!
I appreciate you Jesse! That's so freken awesome how you started a weekly meetup at a local pub! I'm definitely surprised to see that the heavier games are being played as often as lighter games-that's awesome! As much as we'd love to have the heavier games played, I definitely think the lighter games bring in so much more fun tabletalk -and as you said, a larger crowd! Thanks so much for sharing~
Basically we just stare at all the games or throw out ideas until someone shows interest and we see if everyone agrees. That is usually when other people join in, otherwise we have campaigns of arkham horror lcg and aeon trespass going that takes priority with the 3 or 4 main people playing. Right now if it is me and a friend we go frosthaven, add my cousin and we do arkham, add another friend we do aeon trespass, add another 1 or more and it is up in the air.
AH what a dream team!! this is so awesome, and love that you're all doing the campaigns! We have a sporadic group for oathsworn but i mostly solo frosthaven for campaigns~
I go for pure volume. I ready 3 different games for 5,4, and 3 players. Then I bring an assortment of filler games. At game night, we start with the biggest game first, them work down. Any odd amounts of time before one person has to leave is spent on filler games.
Typically 2 slots per game night, 1 must be played by 80%(around) of players, second must have been played by me and another person (usually my partner). Usually means a repeat then something new that’s been tested earlier in the week.
Do you ever throw some options out to your group beforehand, and see if there is a preference consensus? Even if they don’t pick a game, they might say something helpful such as a mechanic they’d love to play.
YES! i totally ask them, but they always end up with the default answer.... "You pick" HAHA! If they do ever choosing a specific mechanic though, it'll typically involve combat 😂
I have found trying to build consensus around what game to play is like herding cats. I usually put out feelers on what folks want to try next time and execute a plan from there. Sometimes people have a hankering for a game or game type.
Wait… you can plan for game night?!?!?! This is revolutionary!!! Lisboa only plays 4. My gaming group is usually 5-7 (yes I’m bragging) so it’s difficult to play those heavy games that are only 4 or less. So we usually stay on the light side and play multiple games. But if there’s a game i really want to play (as it happened with Endless Winter a few weeks ago) i tell them in advance so they know we’ll be splitting and those that want to sink their teeth into a crunchy game have the opportunity. Other than those times when I tell in advance my game nights are really adhoc.
hahahha WE TRY! that's a totally cool way though to find a balance between the player counts-as much as i love heavier games, we typically end up playing medium games for the most part regardless! Thanks for sharing Ramon!
My game-group is not very experienced, so I make a list of games sorded by their weight according to bgg, and thats how I choose what to play when we want to explore something new) unfortunately, because of that Lisboa won't appear on our table in the near future (
I bring out 2 more games than the number of players. Then, each player chooses 1 game they don’t want to play. At the end we vote between the 2 remaining games. Everyone is happy because at least they’re not playing the game they got rid of 👍🏼
im soft spoken but also the game master ie the one with the games in my friend circle and for me the problem is not choosing the game butrather explaining the game and rules, its tedious!
My girlfriend and I make a game out of this. We'll each pick 3 games we want to play, number them 1-6, and then roll 2 standard dice to see which numbers were picked and those are the next 2 games we play! This has also helped with getting some of the games we haven't tried yet to the table.
THIS! This is a really fun idea that I gotta try out too, especially since I just got some fun new dice in 🤣 ahhh such an awesome idea-thanks for sharing!!
My group says they are down for anything, but you know your friends (hopefully). I know which people will like which games, generally. One guy has a touch of AP. Another shrinks away from heavy games. My main goal is for them to have fun, so they keep coming back! So I usually choose the game ahead of time instead of letting the group pick or give their opinion. I send out how-to-play video links beforehand. And off we go! Recently we've had a good time with Downforce, Awkward Guests, and Wingspan. But I think those kinds of games over time primed them for a great recent play of Wonderland's War (I got pink & purple lights and dressed up the whole experience), that they all want to play again. TL;DR Know your group!
We actually decide on the main game of the night ahead of time. We send a How to Play video before we meet. If a game is new and folks like it, we try to play at the next game night while the rules are fresh. After the main game event, we play shorter games that we are familiar with. I have 4 different gaming groups:
1. Likes narrative, conflict and betrayals
2. Open to heavy euros
3. Light to Medium weight games that play in 90 minutes or less
4. Gloomhaven campaign
I try to tie food and beverages to the game if it makes sense. My annual gaming goals is to shrink my Shelf of Opportunity to less than 20 and play at least 10 games that haven't hit the table in more than a year. Other considerations include the group's energy levels. If someone has had a whirlwind week, we will stick to games in regular rotation. It's part Type A personality part vibe check.
I love to plan game nights, so I always have a schedule. Each week, we rotate who gets to choose the game and they can pick anything they want. We played Stationfall, Bios Origins and Pax Rennasaince in recent weeks, so Lisboa doesn't sound too complex :) (and I would love to get that to the table again!) I basically keep a list of games that I haven't played and want to play again, and generally it's the latest unplayed game that I've purchased that has the highest priority. Hegemony is coming for my next pick and I can't wait.
A pertinent question to many in the BG community indeed! I would normally prioritise the decision parameters as such:
1. Make sure to cater to my board gaming group
I dont have a staple group that meets regularly, so it is doubly important to understand the composition of my group for that night. E.g. there are days where my gf invites her friends to play (monopoly comes to their mind when they think of board games), we host our colleagues occasionally, then there are those who have their own collection at home (so they usually have certain preferences which makes it easier to decide), etc. I learnt this THE HARD WAY when I table something beyond medium-light weight to a group of party gamers out of pure zealousness, and maaaan... that definitely didn't go so well. The bottomline of this parameter is to ensure that EVERYONE (as much as it is up to you) have fun and have a good time around the table :)
2. Games that recently got added to the collection
Oh, such simple joy; it is almost like opening a Christmas present the moment you receive it. Of course that doesn't always happen, which relegates it to the next point.
3. Pile of shame
This includes games that have not been played at all and those that have not been touched for ages!
At times, even with the above parameters, we have not quite narrowed down the list enough, so the following consideration really helps...
4. Time
There is nothing like the disappointment you get when you try to over-achieve and table one too many games for the day, especially if you are carrying those games to somebody else's home to play. A good consideration of time includes average game play duration (but that comes with experience with said game), set up/tear down time, and importantly, the time it takes for teach. This relates back to point 1, e.g. if I am having seasoned gamers that are relatively independent, there is the option of learning the rules individually before meeting so that we can save time on teach.
Just my two cents' worth :)
I have an excel sheet with my collection spread into categories such as Light/Medium/Heavy and grouped up based on ideal player number (some titles appear in few different columns when it's worth playing at different player counts). That way it takes a very short time to decide what can be played, and then it's based on personal preferences. Most people will play any Light game without complaining, but for Medium/Heavy you really need to know your group and possibly offer some choices
I have a similar file.
I organize my shelfs by 'best at' player count, top level 5+, mid level 4 player and 3rd level 3 player. ( i don't play 2 player games) then its ordered from complexity, left to right. I choose something based on time we have available and if they are noobies to the hobby something more on the left side. if i feel like giving them options, i will tell the theme of 2-3 games without showing them the box (some box covers are ugly) and let them choose.
hahah omg ugly box covers are a thing though! i'm so guilty of this-thanks for sharing John!
Living in Atlanta, getting folks to my place on the regular is a challenge. Frosthaven being weekly has the dedicated crew, but beyond that it gets complicated. So I commit to one big board game day every month. I am that nerd with around 400 games, probably just under, with the perfect setup to host. It is my hobby of choice, and I have invested into providing a safe space for others to enjoy it! That means being the one to organize it, as well, and that's where my process starts. I have a private FB group for my friends that are interested in playing games. Once per month, I toss up a poll based on my available days, and they vote on which days work best (typically on the weekend). Most votes wins. I will weigh someone's vote that has not been here in a bit. Alright, now we have a day selected! Huzzah! Now we crank up the experience architecture. I split my game day into two sections: A Heavy Game for the first few hours, and then more social to whatever folks want later! Sycthe is a great example for something heavy; but a favorite for the heavy game time is Wonderland's War. Stuff like that. This allows my friends that do not have the attention span to skip over the longer game where they may struggle and not have fun and keeps the focus during the heavy game on that game without the many social distractions that come from a larger game. In order to architect the experience, I ask who is coming to the earlier part, or who just wants social. Knowing when to expect people helps me pick what game based on when folks are showing up. Nothing worse than showing up for a game day and a game just started and you have to sit there for two hours. Ok, we're at the end game now. Time to pick a game that gets played and is already setup! That big game gets based on fresh excitement, or something that we love but has not been on the table in a while (like Western Legends with all the expansions). If there is enough for two tables worth of people for the heavy games, I ask one of my "copilots" to setup a game at the second table and be able to guide people through. By the time the friends who enjoy lighter fare have shown up, we have played a nice, big game for a few hours, and are ready to play something less intense. This means I invest in games that I may not typically get to the table, but cater to my regular groups of friends and their sensibilities. Of course, all of those goes out the window when everyone has had a game under their belt for the day, and we start to ask what to play next! The panic cycle starts anew.
Thanks for sharing. Catering to those who are coming, I believe. Then, ask them based on a curated list what would interest them.
Also, inception-like, add recommendations of games with different core systems and prioritize the variety based on those answers (if they are into worker placement, recommend entry level engine building).
This is a issue that I don't have because I play solo typically. Dwellings, Dwellings and Dwellings.❤❤❤
solo gaming is always fun! What else have you enjoyed besides solo dwellings Mark?!
@@TimChuon Dwellings is my go to game most days. Occasionally when I do need a break I will play Friday. If I am feeling creative I work on creating different games. I haven't played Wingspan, Everdell or Forbidden Island in awhile. I have been working on developing a spreadsheet for Dwellings. I have been using it each game and it generates a story. I have really enjoyed Dwellings tremendously.❤❤❤
Totally depends on who is coming. Weekly gaming group, we're keen on heavier games, but if we have a new player joining us, we'll go with lighter games like Takenoko, Santorini, Azul etc. to get them into "board games" in general so they know there are loads more games out there other than just monopoly!
YES exactly Emmett-you're spot on! I'll try to throw in very animated/good-looking games for new players (marvel dice throne, disney sorcerer's arena, everdell) but the core definitely lean towards heavier games like you and your group!
So I run a Board Game Club with 38 members, and as game master we have a rhythm: Wednesday is medium weight 5 players (sometimes 6); Friday is Heavy Games for 4; Saturday is Light Night with 6-8 players, lots of party games. I try to rotate some popular picks and favorites with some new stuff every now and then. We publish the schedule with the games weekly so people can choose when they feel like to come through.
Hehe. You are blessed to have a group who is willing to start a second main course game after the first! Deciding by mechanics is fine, set-up tear-down matter more for me. Anything that requires more time to set up than scythe is my cutoff territory. My Gloomhaven group got really good at it though! But that was only because we internalized our tear down tasks
I’m a solo gamer, so the biggest deciding factor is time. I’ll usually pick the longest game I have that’ll fit in the available space of free time. Sometimes that’s a campaign game. Sometimes that’s a Button Shy. But my favorite games are campaign games, so I’ll usually try to play those. Lately, that’s been Arkham Horror LCG and Pandemic Legacy, but I recently bought Unsettled, so we’ll see how that mixes things up.
My group usually decides together after dinner, but the issue is always that it takes a long time to decide, and we only get one game in.
My group has developed a system. We rotate whose week it is, and they nominate 3-5 games that we then put through ranked choice voting. It brings a level of consensus while still taking turns in choosing.
I used to ask if there was any interest in a theme or if a certain box was jumping out at anyone, because I don't like making decisions. That method was never very successful because my group never had strong opinions. Luckily I know their gaming taste now and so pretty much just choose what I want to play that I think they will enjoy and no one has complained yet!
For my group: We designate certain nights for a broad idea ahead of time. Weekday game night we play a single game that has enough crunch for a 2-3 hour game OR 2 games that are estimated at about an hour with a high interaction factor. Legacy Game is Saturday mornings, and casual "learn something new" is weekend afternoons. Saturday Night games & dinner usually sees a mix based on who showed up, with a lean towards games in the more Euro style while we drink and snack.
Lisboa is an awesome choice (as would be just about any Lacerda game)!. The game night I host is usually somewhat atypical, because we have 6(!) people usually playing. Now, some would say, "you just break it up into 2 groups of 3 players," however my group doesn't like that format. We did it once, and each side felt some FOMO by not playing the other half's game. Mind you, I'm the host and know and enjoy all the games in my collection (which ranges from Catan to On Mars). So, I end up having to pick only games that can play to 6 people, which I have found limits my choices quite a a bit. We've played 6-player Catan, 6-player Scythe (with the Invaders from Afar expansion, of course), Downforce, King of Tokyo, 7 Wonders (base and with Leaders expansion, soon to add Cities), Telestrations, Time's Up, Welcome To..., and one couple has opted to play as a team (and actually enjoyed doing so) playing 5-player Wingspan (yes, it can be done and actually be okay). We usually at most have 1 person not show, leaving 5 players which, although is an easier player count than 6, is still pretty limiting. We've played 5-player Dead of Winter, as well as the games already mentioned. My big question is, how do I tactfully ask 2 people to hold off on coming to a later date, so that we only have 4 people any given night, allowing me to open up the rest of my game collection????
Looking forward to your thoughts on Lisboa!
Thanks friend! Gotta get at least one more play in and will definitely drop a review for this!
We have a lot of ways, sometimes heavier games are chosen beforehand so everyone is prepared mentally for the game. A lot of times, we think is fair that every person says a game and we choose with a dice or we rotate choice in the group. But always we want to play a medium/heavy game and fill the time after with fillers or light games. (usually we play 2-4 hours)
When is my turn, I like to rotate genre/mechanics, if we played too much euro I want an area control or game with high interaction, after that to calm ourselves from the war I prefer a coop game...., and some weird mechanics like deduction, hidden movement or whatever is more for a special night that is connected to a movie that we saw or something that made the right mood.
YES! i definitely agree with having them mentally prepare for a heavy game-it certainly helped with Lisboa!
and rotating mechanics for sure! definitely spices things up!
I usually do one heavy game and one med game and I usually try to make one of the games a game that we have all played and know how to play so we skip the teach. I try to only do one teach per game night cuz it eats up time
ah yes it definitely does! i think most of our game nights end up like this regardless of how i plan it haha!
This is my favorite video you’ve ever posted. So conversational. I started a weekly game night in my local pub (@waco_games) and I ask myself this question every week. Like you, I base my decisions on my game group. Since I often have new folks, or at least folks who are newer to board games, I feel the need to mix it up every week and alternate between light/med/heavy weight games from week to week. Surprisingly, the heavy games have worked out just as often as the lighter games, but the lighter games always bring a bigger crowd 😅. I think it does matter how you alternate the types of games being played, but only according to your gaming group. I tend to stick to these two rules for my local game nights: (1) the game has to be social enough to let people talk and engage with each other, cuz public game nights are mostly about building connections and creating a consistent occasion for friends to gather together for fun, and (2) the game has to be different from last week cuz I’m trying to show people how many amazing games there are in the world!
I appreciate you Jesse! That's so freken awesome how you started a weekly meetup at a local pub! I'm definitely surprised to see that the heavier games are being played as often as lighter games-that's awesome! As much as we'd love to have the heavier games played, I definitely think the lighter games bring in so much more fun tabletalk -and as you said, a larger crowd! Thanks so much for sharing~
Basically we just stare at all the games or throw out ideas until someone shows interest and we see if everyone agrees. That is usually when other people join in, otherwise we have campaigns of arkham horror lcg and aeon trespass going that takes priority with the 3 or 4 main people playing. Right now if it is me and a friend we go frosthaven, add my cousin and we do arkham, add another friend we do aeon trespass, add another 1 or more and it is up in the air.
AH what a dream team!! this is so awesome, and love that you're all doing the campaigns! We have a sporadic group for oathsworn but i mostly solo frosthaven for campaigns~
I go for pure volume. I ready 3 different games for 5,4, and 3 players. Then I bring an assortment of filler games. At game night, we start with the biggest game first, them work down. Any odd amounts of time before one person has to leave is spent on filler games.
ohhhhh that's a really interesting idea! I usually put off filler games, but this is a great way to utilize them! Thanks for the tip!
Typically 2 slots per game night, 1 must be played by 80%(around) of players, second must have been played by me and another person (usually my partner). Usually means a repeat then something new that’s been tested earlier in the week.
oh ok that's cool! See, the testing before game night is so important to help with smoother gaming overall!
Do you ever throw some options out to your group beforehand, and see if there is a preference consensus? Even if they don’t pick a game, they might say something helpful such as a mechanic they’d love to play.
YES! i totally ask them, but they always end up with the default answer.... "You pick" HAHA! If they do ever choosing a specific mechanic though, it'll typically involve combat 😂
I have found trying to build consensus around what game to play is like herding cats. I usually put out feelers on what folks want to try next time and execute a plan from there. Sometimes people have a hankering for a game or game type.
Wait… you can plan for game night?!?!?! This is revolutionary!!! Lisboa only plays 4. My gaming group is usually 5-7 (yes I’m bragging) so it’s difficult to play those heavy games that are only 4 or less. So we usually stay on the light side and play multiple games. But if there’s a game i really want to play (as it happened with Endless Winter a few weeks ago) i tell them in advance so they know we’ll be splitting and those that want to sink their teeth into a crunchy game have the opportunity. Other than those times when I tell in advance my game nights are really adhoc.
hahahha WE TRY! that's a totally cool way though to find a balance between the player counts-as much as i love heavier games, we typically end up playing medium games for the most part regardless! Thanks for sharing Ramon!
My game-group is not very experienced, so I make a list of games sorded by their weight according to bgg, and thats how I choose what to play when we want to explore something new) unfortunately, because of that Lisboa won't appear on our table in the near future (
hey that's awesome though! just being able to play games is awesome, and there are a ton of light-medium weight games that are incredibly fun
I bring out 2 more games than the number of players. Then, each player chooses 1 game they don’t want to play. At the end we vote between the 2 remaining games. Everyone is happy because at least they’re not playing the game they got rid of 👍🏼
OHHH that's such a fun idea! i'm 100% going to try this next time for our next gaming sesh-that's so cool!
Let us know how Lisboa goes! It's one of my favorite games.
ahh i LOVE it so far! will try to get at least one more play in and then make a full review!
I feel personally and brutally attacked by this video
Jelly. I just want a game group other than my kids. 😅
ahh hopefully you can find some local gaming groups soon! mine are mostly my college friends!
im soft spoken but also the game master ie the one with the games in my friend circle and for me the problem is not choosing the game butrather explaining the game and rules, its tedious!
ah yeah i totally agree! explaining rules can totally be fun if the teacher keeps it super short and entertaining!
I hate the "you pick" "eh I don't wanna play that". Well then you pick! "Idk"
HAHA i felt this. it's the worst! 🤣
I don't plan anything 🤣🤣
that's fair! sometimes spontaneous games are the best gaming nights!