Modern board games sound cool, but what should I start with?

Over the last 20 years or so, board games have been steadily growing in popularity, to the point where there’s just so many out there, so many different genres and so much jargon that it can be quite intimidating figuring out where to begin with it all. My last post tried to briefly explain what’s so great about this hobby and why you may want to jump into it. Hopefully with this post I’ll be able to help you along your journey of discovery.

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Gateway Games

Most gamers started their journey with what we like to call a ‘gateway’ game – a simple yet engaging game that’s easy to learn, fun to play and piqued their interest to find more modern games to try. For my wife it was Ticket to Ride, where players build a rail network across North America by collecting sets of coloured cards. [You can read a more thorough overview of it in this post.]

For me it was Catan (formerly Settlers of Catan) which is hugely popular, and is often credited with revolutionising the world of board gaming when it came out in 1995. Players compete and trade for resources that they use to build their own little civilization on the island of Catan.

There are a vast array of games that fit the ‘gateway’ description, but the blog site GoPlayListen has a list of 25 of the most popular gateway games, all of which are good starting points for getting into the hobby.

One other game which I would recommend as a great starting point is Machi Koro. In Machi Koro, players are building a town complete with shopping malls, theme parks, cafes and restaurants. You roll dice to earn income, which you use to pay for new establishments. The first to complete all four of their ‘landmarks’ wins the game. Many people I’ve played with have enjoyed building their little empires, and found the simple rules quick to grasp. The cute and quirky illustrations really add to the fun as well.

Learning to Play

Of course, once you’ve bought a new game you’ll need to learn how to play. That will usually involve reading through a (sometimes dense) rule book, and many people can find those documents quite daunting. It’s usually much easier to have a person who already knows how to play teach you the rules. But that’s not really an option for a game that none of your friends have ever played before. Fortunately there are many YouTube channels dedicated to teaching and playing board games, and perhaps the best of them all is Watch It Played, created by Canadian Rodney Smith. He makes instructional videos which concisely teach you the rules to a game, and then often makes a series of play-through videos where you can literally watch him and a friend or family member play the game together to see how it works. It’s a great resource not just for learning how to play a game but also to assess whether its the sort of game you’ll actually enjoy before you buy it.

Board Game Meetups

A great way to get involved in the gaming scene and experience new games is to go join a regular gaming group or attend a gaming event.

In Auckland there are several options. Perhaps the most well known is Board Games by the Bay, hosted by the online retailer Seriously Board. They run multiple weekend-long events each year and usually have around 200 people attending. There are also a few Facebook groups that organise regular get-togethers, such as the North Shore Board Games Group and the Boardgames in Auckland group.

New Zealand’s largest board games convention, Wellycon, is held in Wellington every year during Labour Weekend.

For a comprehensive list of groups and events all around the country, check out Seriously Board’s community page.

Board Game Eateries

There are now several places across the country that offer you the chance to play games from their library while you enjoy a bite to eat. In Auckland you’ll find the cafe Cakes and Ladders, and the bar Dice and Fork which each have a large selection of games to try. Hamilton has Escapist, and in Wellington there is the famous Counter Culture cafe. I’m sure there are others around that I haven’t yet heard of just waiting to be discovered.

Other Resources

There are many other places to go to find out more about games, and suggestions for ones you might like to buy. Here’s a short list of places to go:

The Board Game Collective – a Facebook group hosted by the online retailer Mighty Ape. Gamers from all over New Zealand regularly check in to chat about the latest games they’ve played and events they’re hosting, and they will happily answer any questions you have.

The Dice Tower – perhaps the most well known board game media creators, they make podcasts and YouTube videos to review games, and they even run their own conventions.

Geek and Sundry – they create videos, podcasts, articles and more, including the hugely popular show Table Top hosted by Wil Weaton from the Big Bang Theory. They also facilitate International Table Top Day.

Shut Up & Sit Down – another group of board game media creators, run out of the UK. They also have their own forum where you can discuss games with other members.

BoardGameGeek.com – a massive online database with over 100,000 games and expansions. It’s also an online community filled with reviews, discussion boards, images and so much more. I describe it as the IMBD of board gaming. It can be overwhelming at first given the sheer volume of information, but it’s an invaluable resource for hobbyists.

Share Your Experiences

Experienced gamers and those who’ve just started to dabble, do you have any advice for newcomers to the hobby? What was your gateway game? What’s your favourite resource for finding out about the latest board game news? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments below.