Welcome to The Game Shelf!

After getting into the board game hobby at the end of 2014, we've decided to share our thoughts on the games we're collecting on our shelves. The collection has certainly expanded over the last few years and we've been making up for lost time!

Sometimes our opinions differ, so Amy will be posting reviews every Tuesday and Fi will post on Thursdays. We hope you enjoy reading some of our opinions on board games - especially those for two players.

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Tuesday 28 March 2017

The Yellow Meeple Starts a Board Game Group at Work - Week 11

It was a smaller group this week again, but on a positive note, none of my own team came along to support me and I still managed to have a board game night, which says something about the longer term sustainability of the idea. It was another short evening but we played three games that were all new to work board game night, so definitely a successful one overall!

Week 11

Number of Attendees: 4

Games Played: Firefly Fluxx, Best Treehouse Ever, Potion Explosion

The Challenges

Fluxx
I normally provide the whole library of games for board game night, so when someone else brings a game along I really want to encourage it and always agree to play their game. So far I’ve had to play Citadels and Secret Hitler, which although I don’t really enjoy I am happy to play. However, this week I had to play the random game that is Fluxx. I’ve only ever played Fluxx once before and it was before I got into the hobby and I didn’t really have a problem with it. However, going back to it now, even with a Firefly re-skin, I just don’t get the appeal. I don’t really think anyone at the table was enjoying it and next time I might politely try and pass for the benefit of everyone involved.

The Successes

Playing a big box game
For the last two weeks I’ve said that I’ll try and introduce the group to some longer games. I didn’t go that far, but at least I brought something in a bigger box and that I would class at something a bit meatier than a filler game. Potion Explosion is definitely a good call for a gateway level game. It’s really impressive on the table, works of a really simple concept that’s familiar to most people who play games on their phone and yet adds a few more mechanisms to make the game satisfying for seasoned gamers too. Although a bit of experience won me the game, it was definitely a fair contest and I’m looking forward to trying this again with the group.

Tackling Analysis Paralysis
One of my most regular attendees is a definitely sufferer of Analysis Paralysis, overthinking every move, even in the relatively simple games we play. I was really happy that this week his friend brought it up as a joke and now it’s a fair topic to joke about. It’s still not always the best experience to have slow players at the table, but in the games we get to play it’s not too much of an issue and at least now the ice has been broken and we can joke about it and try and hurry him along!

Lessons for Next Week

Perhaps don’t invite my own friends...

So originally I thought inviting my own friends was a great idea. The first two times I think it really worked because the colleagues who came along are also people I consider as my friends. This time the only work people were two people I don’t know very well, having only ever met them at board game night and so it was a bit awkward to integrate my friend and I’m not sure she had a very good time. I’ll consider things a bit more before inviting a friend again. It definitely helps to make up the numbers but I also want them to have a good time.

2 comments:

  1. Just stumbled across your blog and was interested in your attempts to set up a boardgame group - I suspect you have either given up or continue to struggle as this seems to be the last update?

    I'm part of a weekly group meeting in a function room at a local pub and suffer similar problems in getting attendace.

    We're in our 2nd year now and despite having over 70 members in the Facebook group we only have 4 regular attendees and about another 6-10 of which 2 or 3 will come down semi-regularly.

    Plenty of people have come down once, enjoyed themselves and never come back - or continually post that they are coming down and never turn.

    Amazes me really how hard it is for people to commit to something!

    The guy who setup the group introduces lots of new games and tries to bring new players in and spends time teaching the games. Like you, he posts what games are going to be played beforehand and puts up a report the day after the meet.

    I tend to like replayablity so have a core of 5 or so games I bring down regularly rather than playing lots of different games once. Personally I find once a week is not enough and I'd love to try other games.

    I also think there is a dynamic you may be missing whereby people who enjoy games like playing within their circle of friends. They seem not to come down to organised game nights because they already play - they may on the odd occasion but getting existing gamers to come down regularly is almost harder than getting new players down!

    My close friends don't play games so finding a local games group was great I just don't know how to expand the membership to get more committed weekly players.

    All the best with your endeavours!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for your interest. This was indeed my last update. I didn't give up, but I don't work there any more - I'm actually hoping to take a couple of the group to a board game cafe new week.

      Maybe I'll try again when I get a new job, but i the meantime, we have at least found some board game opportunities locally - more than when I started the work game group - so we're still getting to play and try new games.

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