by El Diabolo
Recently our family had a combined game night with another family who stated that they were big boardgamers as well.As we are planning out what to bring, I hear (in slow motion, no less) "well, Nick, you just got that new Klingon Monopoly... let's bring that."
By all accounts of those watching me, the blood ran from my face and my expression became a mask of Daliesque agony. "Noooo." I was screaming in my head.
I am not looking forward to this experience with anything remotely near enthusiasm. The night arrives. We have 8 players gathered around a large table in coffee shop. I manage to get in a quick, and very fun game of Tsuro. Then it's time for the main event. Klingon monopoly.
This particular version only plays up to 6 players and suggestions are made about how to adapt it for 8. "We could use pieces from Tsuro for extra markers."" We could team up." Knowing that 8 turns each round would make the game even longer I ENTHUSIASTICALLY throw my support behind the team option. In the end we wound up with 4 teams of two.
The game proceeds as it normally does and I wind up having a far better time than expected. So, why did this work out better???
1 - No time at all explaining rules. Had I introduced awesome new games, the experience still would have been at least 25% explaining/learning the rules, which is not a great time in anyone's book.
2 - Partnerships. Having someone to work with changes the dynamics of a game from pure competition to some cooperation.
3 - No analysis paralysis. The decisions were simple and quick. There is nothing quite so painful as watching a player think through options that you know will have no affect on the outcome of the game, or your own personal strategy.
4- We called a time limit. Playing to bankruptcy is just brutal and unnecessary.
I think we had a much better time playing Klingon Monopoly than if we had attempted to learn and play unfamiliar games. The fact that the game was well known allowed for us to talk freely and make up silly rituals like team dice rolling. Some people work at playing board games. We play board games to PLAY board games... sometimes remembering that can help us to step down off our snobbish positions and just have fun!
Play well!