Your Hobby is What?
How many times have you heard this question?
You play board games? Are You Kidding?
I am started to become fascinated by these modern eurogames, I got a lot of funny looks from people - my wife, brother, and sister included. Their response was "Ok, if that is what you want to do ... I & # 39 ; ve never even heard of Settlers of Catan or Carcassonne. "What they did not understand is that there is quite an underground community developing around these games.
Over the past half a year or so, I have had to come up with a description for what community affectionately calls Eurogames. They go by many names, none of which are known to the general public - adult board games. Modern board games, designer games, German games, or Ameritrash games. It really just digs you into a deer hole.
You Can Not Answer Like This
We actually play modern designer games from Europe. They tend to be fairly complex and take several hours to play. Nobody is eliminated, so everyone actually has a really good time. They tend to be more interactive and engaging, yada yada ... Right. Now their eyes have glazed over and you look like a board game snob.
You are Familiar with Monopoly, Right?
Asking about Monopoly tends to be my first response to them. They are a game of understanding that it is a game more complex than your average 7 year old child can handle You are dealing with a game. You are dealing with a game. You are dealing with a game. That is mildly serious and can go for over an hour.
Now, Think About Chess
Heck, it also shows up in the first book of Harry Potter. They understand that this is a They are probably also aware that you are good at chess, you are respected and considered intelligent, by most.
Now, you have your two extremes.
Next Up ... Risk
And, everyone is fairly familiar with it. The thing you have to watch out with this game is that not everyone has had a positive experience with it It tends to be long and drawn out with two sides battling it out until the wee hours of the morning - while the eliminated players go and watch TV or munch on snacks and watch the clock.
So, Modern Board Games Are like Risk
You can actually say that a lot of the adult board games are like "Risk on steroids". You get to shape a country or landscape, manage an economy, manageable energy infrastructures, or handle political races or micromanaging small businesses.
This is much more like a eurogame, than Monopoly - where all you do is go around and around hoping to land on GO! Egypt Free Parking.
When she saw the level of art involved with Ticket to Ride, she was really interested. Carcassonne is similar - the art is more cartoon -like, but you build the city as you go. It is very rewarding to see the final city once it is done.
Have You Ever Played Video Games?
This is a real good leap because most of 30-year-olds have, at some point, seen an RTS (real time strategy) game on a PC. They may have played Warcraft, Age of Empires, Rise of Nations, Command and Conquer, or Civilization. Or, they may have played games like The Sims, SimCity, Railroad Tycoon, and Roller Coaster Tycoon. These are the PC game cousin to the modern board game.
Sid Meyer, Will Right, John Romero, Chris Sawyer
They created games like Civilization. SimCity, Railroad Tycoon, Doom, Quake, Roller Coaster Tycoon. One of the cool things about Designer board games is that the designer of a good board game can become a star in his own right.
They should understand the PC designer names, you can share your excitation for Klaus Teuber, Alan R. Moon, Richard Borg, and Andreas Seyfarth. They should understand the respect.
Blizzard and ID
Blizzard has put out several games such as Warcraft, Diablo, and and so on with these notes hit the note with the designer names, just throw out these two names and you. It is the responsible for the multiplayer game World of Warcraft. ID is the gaming company that busted down the doors of the first-person shooter game with Doom - the most downloaded shareware of its time.
Rio Grande, Days Of Wonder, and Fantasy Flight
These three companies should be at the forefront of the discussion. Most of the "hit" games come from these. Oh, and do not forget Mayfair with Settlers of Catan.
Here is an interesting point you can share with your new-found connection ...
Many PC Games are also Board Games
And, they land squarely in the modern board game game. This is what some of the gamers call Amertrash games. But, they are games you can point to that might draw the non-gamer in. Point theme Fantasy Flight Games For example, They will recognize Starcraft, World of Warcraft, and Doom. They will also be familiar with Age of Empires and Railroad Tycoon. It really should not be too much of a leap to get them to Puerto Rico, Ticket to Ride, Memoir ; 44 or Power Grid.
What You Do not Want to Do
They are a bunch of geeky guys with greasy hair in a basement or back room with funny shaped dice , a bunch of metal figures, and lots of paper. This image addition usually involves someone screaming "Shoot my +3 Fireball at the hill troll for 2d Damage ... roll for initiative" What?
These crowd is always depicted in the same way as trekkies.
This will just turn turn them off.
The Best Defense is a Good Offense
If they like it shoot. If they like it, it to the showy. Let them see the rules, touch the game, maybe even give it a shot. , great! If they do not, oh well. You gave it a fair shot and shared the gems with one more person.
Not Everyone is Going to Be a Fan
She loves puzzles., My sister and her husband, on the the other side of the people I can not forget all the people. My brother may actually convert at some point. I have get a eurogame. I might get them to try Pizza Box Football, but that is where it will end.
Do not let it bother you. Keep on playing the best games in the WORLD!
