“I don’t like board games”
Have you ever heard someone say they just don’t like board games or card games?
We’re guessing that you have heard this comment before. There may be someone in your family or among your friends that when you pull out a board game to play, they say that they don’t like board games.
Would they say the same thing about movies?
Probably not.
Why not? Most likely because they’ve watched a bunch of movies and have liked a number of them.
We see these two questions as pretty similar. It’s tough to say that you don’t like movies – mainly because there are so many different types of movies to choose from. Some may not like slapstick comedy movies or documentaries but they love action flicks or romantic comedies. Just because you don’t like one movie, doesn’t mean that you don’t like movies in general.
The same is true with board games, but many people don’t realize it.
There are so many different types of board games that for someone to say they don’t like board games or card games in general is really a statement of what they’ve been exposed to in the past. Maybe the only experiences they’ve had with games are Monopoly and Scrabble. Well, if that were the case, then I might agree with them – because I don’t like Monopoly or Scrabble either. Yet, there are some people that can’t get enough Scrabble.
I’m just so glad that I didn’t let my experience with those games stop me from trying other games.
With tens of thousands of board games and card games to choose from, we’re sure it’s just a matter of finding the right games for each person.
But when it comes right down to it, why do we even play games in the first place?
One of the biggest reasons for playing games is the social interaction. We’ve found board games and card games are great ways to encourage face-to-face interaction. We also play to promote family togetherness. And in this regard, finding the right game for the right situation is key to engaging family members in a joint activity.
Of course, on the flip side, we’ll also highly suggest that you don’t push too hard to get someone to play a game. Otherwise, the fun of the social interaction will fly right out the window and there won’t be much enjoyment. Encourage and entice, but also be willing to engage in other ways as well to make sure you’re having fun with your time together.
What’s your answer when someone tells you they don’t like board games?
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Suck it up! We’re playing one anyway. 🙂
Kidding. Usually I launch into a rant about the evil prejudices Monopoly creates in America.
A similiar comment, but kind of inverse – when I tell people I like board games they always look at me and say, “You mean like… Monopoly and Risk?”
I just say no and explain that there are a great number of games they’ve never heard of that are delightful.
If someone says they don’t like board games, I usually assure them that the board games they don’t like actually do suck, but there are much more fun alternatives out there.
So in my search for a board game that doesn’t suck, I’ve come to the conclusion that the board games people like are the ones they already know how to play. And by that, I mean most board games are groupable by the type of strategy they utilize. If you play a lot of board games, you can recognise and apply these strategies, even in completely new games.
People who don’t play these games, don’t know these strategies so trying to play a new game is like being asked to factor polynomials, or do trig from scratch. Sure, it can be done, and you can infer the tricks and shortcuts (ie, strategies), but that’s a really boring Friday night.
My off-the-cuff response is usually something like, “then you just aren’t playing the right boardgames.” If that prompts a follow-up question, then the conversation is off to the races, and I have an opportunity to introduce a new set of experiences to someone. And if they don’t bite, well then, their loss.
So, what is the best way to create a wish list of games? I would imagine you have a great website that you use somewhere – how do I set up a wish list of my own? eg. I saw the that chinese game on your article where the pieces move and you try to get your opponents’ pieces to slide off the board – what was that called? I need to start a list of all the fun games that I can’t remember. Thanks!
BR
The game is called Tsuro – and it’s one of our family favorites.
For tracking a favorites list, the best site is http://www.BoardGameGeek.com. It’s the largest database of board games out there. Set up a free account and then you can start creating a wishlist. When you’re on a game page, near the bottom there is a link that says “Add a copy to your collection”. Simply click on that and instead of “Own” select “Wishlist”.
For example, here’s my Wishlist:
http://boardgamegeek.com/wishlist/TheBoardGameFamily
I simply do not find board games “fun”. I do not like playing cards. I do not like having to think and strategize as a way to enjoy other people’s company. I have tried dozens and dozens of different types of games over my 60 years of life, and I’ve never walked away, saying “gosh that was fun”.
Right off the hop I knew this article was gonna have nothing of note when it started by comparing movies to board games.
Movies- you choose one and play it
Board Games – you choose one and then spend 1/2hr learning the bizarre rules while arguing with everyone and then are annoyed before even starting
Movies – has a set time you know before hand
Board games – can take hours on end depending who you play with and how complicated the game
Movies – are overall low cost depending on how you get them, what service/subscription, etc.
Board games – minimum of $30 for a board game and upwards of over $100 to buy a game you might not like and never use again
Overall board/card games are just so boring, cost a lot to get into and are rarely worth it.
I honestly wished I liked them but I’ve just always been left bored and annoyed.