Once upon a time, board games seemed to be a very small niche for geeks and nerds, however these days more and more people are getting into the hobby, and it became a great way to make friends with whom you connect with passion to board games. There is plenty of fun to be had because you can play with only one person, some games can be played with twenty people, or there are games that are fully playable in solo mode.
You can enjoy board games all by yourself in various campaigns, but in this article, we will focus on those for many players, and these are not only limited to board games, but includes card games or tabletop games as well.
Learning the Boards
Even though not everyone knows the rules of every single game, and knows how to play blackjack or chess, or Monopoly, it is not at all required to know in order to make friends while playing. Every game can be thought of, and there is something called board game language. It is a construct made by players, but it often refers to reading rules and manuals for various games, because the language used in there, even though the words are understandable, is often formed in such a way that you need to read it multiple times.
There are also games divided into many learning difficulty levels so everyone can find something for themselves. You shouldn’t throw yourself into open water right at the start, so if you are new to the hobby, ideally find your comfort game or two that you can easily learn. Most of the social board games, and casual board games are very accessible for everyone and involve mostly drawing, miming stuff, giving clues, etc.
Entry Level Board Game Recommendations
Here are some of the best available board games, which are fun with a couple of people and a terrific way to make new friends because the questions and tasks in them often allow you to learn more about others while playing.
- Ticket to Ride designed by Alan R. Moon and published by Days of Wonder
- Catan designed by Klaus Teuber and published by Franckh-Kosmos Verlag
- Codenames designed by Vlaada Chvatil and published by Check Games Edition
- Sushi Go! designed by Phil Walker-Harding and published by Gamewright Games
- Splendor designed by Marc Andre and published by Space Cowboys Asmodee
- Wavelength designed by Alex Hague, Justin Wickers, and Wolfgang Warsch and published by Palm Court
Everyone is Welcome
Most of the board game communities, either online or local, are open to anyone who wants to join, and you will be welcome to join, and people will show you how things work. There are plenty of local communities in almost every place in the world, you can google for some groups or visit local gaming pubs or bars, where there are plenty of games to play and players to meet.
There are also plenty of console and PC gaming companies that create board games based on their virtual IPs like Bloodborne the Board Game or God of War the Board Game to name a few.
An important aspect of getting into bard games is learning more about yourself as well. You need to find out what type of player you are, what games give you the biggest amount of fun and which stress you out. There are many variations, from complicated lengthy campaigns that you will come back to every week just to make some progress with the guidance of a game master or dungeon master.
There are simple puzzle games, where you need to find a solution to a given problem. Social deduction games, a favorite of many players, are also a completely different way to experience gaming in real life. These are the games where you need to think hard, lie, deceive, and hide the truth often. A notable example of an excellent social deduction board game is Blood on the Clocktower. It is a game for up to over 20 players with one game master who is the storyteller of the town.
Each player is given a unique role, either good or bad, and the goal for one team is to eliminate and execute the demon, while the evil team needs to get rid of all the villagers. It is tense, it is immersive, and most importantly it also lets you learn other people’s mannerisms, tells, and how they think, which is a great way to connect.
There is also a possibility of making friends through board games online. Many games can be played via Tabletop Simulator or Discord, where you chat with other players. Also, a great resource we would recommend for anyone wanting to start getting involved with other players is by joining various forums and communities online. One of the biggest ones out there is Board Game Geek where you can see trending games, chat with other players and ask questions if you are new to the hobby.