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12:41 am
October 13, 2009
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QuoteWhen I tell non gamer friends about this site and what we (2D6 staff) enjoy doing with our spare time, I have a tendency to hear responses along the lines of: *mockingly* "Yeah, man. We should play Monopoly sometime." To which I respond, "No, no. Not those types of games. I'm talking about fun board games." At that point, the conversation draws to a close.
I've found that the best way to get non board gamers interested in playing board games, is to throw a basic euro game down on the table and see how they respond. The board game that Ashly and I seem to have the most luck with so far, is undoubtedly Carcassonne.
Knowing what we use to bait our friends into the hobby, what games do you folks use to get your friends interested in board gaming?
-Nick
I agree Carcassonne is usually a good intro for the "monopoly when i was a kid" set.
The other game we've found to be good for an intro is Ticket to Ride. Not too complicated but shows how much more depth a euro game can have…
6:04 pm
December 11, 2009
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My first post in this forum, which means my first chance to say "hello" to all forum users, and first of all, to the creators of 2D6.org.
I agree: Carcassonne is a good start, but I think that it's ok for two or three beginners. At four, I would suggest Settlers of Catan.
Bye,
K.
3:50 pm
December 11, 2009
OfflineI started off with Ticket to Ride on a bunch of non-gamers and it's drawn them in like moths to a flame. After that, I give them a taste of Carcassone, Pandemic, and now Dominion. We can't get off Dominion right now but I don't really mind. I enjoy the ride.
3:13 pm
December 13, 2009
OfflineWith my group, it's always been Munchkin. There's enough of us around that we can generally explain it without too much trouble. I'm sure that will all change once I get a copy of Dominion though.
9:57 pm
December 17, 2009
OfflineI started with Killer Bunnies. For a group of us non-gamers, it took awhile to understand the crazy rules of the game, but were forever hooked. With each expansion it got a little more complicated and a little more involved. It has since acted as the gateway drug to other games such as catan, citadels and hopefully many more to come.
5:53 pm
December 21, 2009
OfflineI agree: Carcassonne is a good start, but I think that it's ok for two or three beginners. At four, I would suggest Settlers of Catan.
settlers of catan has worked very well in my group in introducing new players to my board gaming group. The 4 player game is not too long and has straitforward rules
I've had a lot of success teaching family members to play Settlers of Catan and Dominion around holidays.
And believe it or not, Power Grid is actually pretty popular among people who have pretty much only played the above games and Monopoly. Some even compare it to Monopoly. I think it's the brightly colored money.
12:24 am
January 8, 2010
OfflineCarcassonne and Ticket to Ride have been the top gateway games I've used to show people what I enjoy about board gaming. With Carcassonne, you can put down the starting tile, draw another, and show them "you can place a tile like this, or like this, or whichever way fits" and then explain how they can claim landmarks, and before they know it, they're getting into it. With Ticket to Ride, I just could not believe how quickly my family took to it. What both of these games have in common is very little downtime, very simple rules ("play a tile and maybe play a follower" or "pick one of three things to do each turn"), and an emphasis on small tactical decisions instead of grand strategies. If I can explain a game well enough in 30 seconds for someone to immediately start playing and having fun, it is a good game for new players.
10:07 pm
February 5, 2010
OfflineCarc is a great one, but it is always amazing to me how much problems people have with the farmers, even after a few games. I think having a large collection and letting them see all the games is a great start, ask what looks good to them. Find a theme the people like and go for it. I get people hooked on Carc, settlers, Blue moon city, and of Course Heroscape!
Last Night on Earth is also a great one for a lot of new gamers!
4:50 pm
August 28, 2011
OfflineCarc, Settlers, Ticket to Ride, these are the "big 3" gateway games. I think Pandemic is a great one also, and on that note, I think Forbidden Island is a great one as it uses the Pandemic system but might be even a little lighter. The artwork and flipping of tiles brings a visual and tactile feel that perhaps Pandemic does not. Also, Ricochet Robots I think is great especially for people who like puzzles but haven't yet broken into games. It is just as much a puzzle as a game and takes about 1 min to teach! Oh, and its highly addictive!
P.S. Right on with the Heroscape, Henal. Such an easy game to learn but there's so much in there, and it's just so cool and visual!
A very late response, but it might help someone else. Cartagena The Escape is a very simple and fun game. It takes just a moment to explain the rules and set up. You can find a copy online for $20 or less, and the game accomodates up to five players.
Give it a shot. Every non-gamer I've introduced it to loves it. I can't say the same for the games that are usually touted as gateway games.
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