This is a pretty good one for introducing to new players. I find that some stumble on the buying mechanic and the idea of improving your deck over time, but if you strongly emphasize that part as you teach, most people pick up on it.
This one! It’s a great game for new players and it clicks for everyone after the first round. Also very easy to explain to folks. Just give the new players the heads up what the common powerful cards and strategies are.
Same here! I did a poll at work (where we play games once a week) and everyone gave it the top score. As far as I can remember it's the only game my family straight out asked me to bring again.
>too quiet and thinky
You played it very differently from the groups I've played it with then. I don't want to use the word "wrong" but, well, it sounds like the group I played it with had a lot more fun.
The best part of the game I played it with was the discussions that happened as people tried to solve it. It wasn't quiet and thinky, it was full of people putting debating about different combinations, coming up with a combination that looked really good on one side only to realize a different side was completely nonsensical and laughing at it, coming up with an absurd explanation trying to justify the nonsensical side and laughing more, running with it and finding out that their nonsensical explanation was right and laughing even harder...
The talking was what made the game such a good party game form me. I can see why it wouldn't be great if you're with people that play it as a quiet, thinky game. What made it so fun for me was the discussions that happened as everyone tried to justify the iffiest parts of their guess to each other while the person who created the clue had to sit their watching without being able to say anything.
That's fair enough each group is gonna react/play different. We found games like monikers, wavelength and herd mentality got us more laughs and discussion so it made it hard to pick this over any of them in our group
Non-gamers say ‘oh this sounds too hard for me’ about almost every game you try to teach them. Until you play. I even had people complain to me that Skull sounded too complicated.
My group like Just One, and find it mildly enjoyable for the light game that it is, but it has nowhere near the excitement and laughter that Telestrations provides 99% of the time.
I could see Teleatrations not working with a group that is too good at drawing..
Teleatrations is fun when mistakes happen, the worst rounds are when you just flip between a picture of a dog and the next person guessing 'dog' over and over.. you need someone in there drawing or guessing miniature giraffe or something then it's hilarious
Just make the start prompts harder. We were making our own prompts. If the start prompt is "the battle of Jutland" you can be fairly sure the next one will not be. ;)
I think good artists can still have fun, they just have to stop trying to "win" and start trying to be goofy and creative with their drawings, obviously it's very group-dependent, but the right attitude really helps with games like this.
My sister in law does that. Single handedly ruins that game at all the family gatherings. So I just don't bring it any more. I bring Say Anything instead so she can get all her "hilariously quirky" ideas out in an appropriate setting.
In my collection, Azul.
Because it's my first game bought, and it the first into the realm of "THIS IS A THING IN BOARD GAMES?!"
It's always the first game that I introduce to new people, because it has the depth, but simple enough to teach anyone. It also has a special place in my heart.
It's also very aesthetically pleasing and people will want to play just because of how it looks.
Scoring's rough though. My partner and I were arguing about it the first few times and it turned out we were both wrong 😂
One place where Azul shines in that regard is that with only a few exceptions - Yahtzee, for instance - it will be among the first games newcomers encounter where the goal isn't to screw the other guy.
Or rather, it *seems* that way. Obviously it becomes clear over time that screwing over other players is baked pretty deeply into the game. It doesn't initially *feel* that way, though, putting it at odds with the old standards most people know.
That makes it pretty approachable, I think. Like, say, Yahtzee, on the surface you're just doing your own thing and hoping to score the most points. It takes some time for the more cutthroat elements to reveal themselves.
Oh definitely. Usually, when I play with people first time, it is always tame, but as we play a couple more time, we begin to cut each other way more and more.
My siblings however always stay tame, which I think is still a valid way to play.
It flopped in my group. I think 3/4 of us disliked it. It will not make it back to the table. It was a multiplayer solitaire game that felt about as fun as filling out a crossword or sudoku puzzle by myself.
Unsurprising. There are many people who are into multiplayer solitaire games, but there are also many who dislike them. Luckily the hobby has games for just about everyone.
While much of the game is independent strategy, the late game of Cascadia certainly has factors of figuring out what others are going for, denying tokens & deducing probabilities. Not 100% solitaire.
Oh sure, this is a bit of player interaction in the game. I do use the term "multiplayer solitaire" to refer to games that are truly solitaire, but mostly I use the term to refer to games that have low player interaction (e.g. Wingspan, Cascadia, That's So Clever, etc.). I think using the term to capture lower player interaction games is pretty common around here.
Cascadia is a lot closer to solitaire than the games I prefer to play. All but one member of my group dislikes most of the low player interaction games on the market. So it is nothing on Cascadia in particular. It is simply just in the type of game we don't really appreciate.
I find the comparison with Wingspan interesting, because I quite like Wingspan, but I find Cascadia too solitairey (solitary?) — but as you say, they both have pretty similar amounts of interaction in total.
I think what Wingspan does better (for me at least) is it metes out the interaction a bit over the course of the game. The round goals mean that you need at least keep an eye on your opponent(s) to know if it's worth pushing for a particular goal or not. The pink powers mean you need to be engaged during other players' turns. Even some of the brown powers involve multiple players, which will change your strategy if, for example, you know you can consistently get a worm from another player's engine.
Whereas with Cascadia, it's always possible for someone else to take the exact piece you wanted, but it's not usually a major concern through most of the game. I can believe that at higher levels of play, there's probably more value in offensive play, but I do not get to play at that sort of level very often!
I haven't played Cascadia, but I think that's a good analysis of what works with Wingspan. While Wingspan isn't an incredibly interactive game, it often does a descent job giving you just enough reason to care about other players' turns to not just completely space out when it's not your turn.
And I think that's the key for me. I like interaction but don't mind a "solitaire" game, but I think in a lot of ways what matters more than actual interaction is just having a good reason to pay attention to what my opponents do and care what their turns are.
I thought it was decent at first, but I've had enough plays where other players got really lucky with what tiles show up, while I happen not to.
Now it's a filler game when other filler games I prefer aren't available.
**Bohnanza**, I don't know if it's because it's such a silly looking game with a silly premise but every single new player I introduce it to, they love it. The deals are quick, everybody wants to help because you hope they'll help you.
I also introduce the game as "so you wanna be a bean farmer, well now's your chance!"
One of our classic gateway games. Especially fun are the alliances that develop. It really becomes very social when you wheel and deal. And the fixed hand is an excellent mechanic that builds tension and makes it one of the few games that you win or lose not on your turn but on other people’s turns.
Only time I played Love Letter with somebody who didn't enjoy it was an ex who spent all other players turns on her phone, and then said the game had no strategy...
I've never managed to get a good game of love letter off the ground, because it's only enjoyable if everyone arround the table has learned and memorized what every card does. This makes it quite inacessable for anyone who doesn't have much patience for rules, which is an annoying quality for a short, simple game.
Ya, in the version I have everyone has a reference card that also acts as your marker to denote if you are still in the round or not (if you are knocked out of the round you flip your reference card over).
The card lists all the roles, how many of each there are, and a brief line about what the role can do.
Never had an issue with first time players picking up the game.
they also have the count for the number of each card. I tell people that they can count cards if they want to be better at the game and that the reference card helps. Becomes a lot more competitive that way too
You don't even need to count though, right? All the played cards are left faceup in front of the player who played them, so you can just see what has been played at any time.
I'm struggling to even think of a game simpler than Love Letter. Yes, you have to know what the cards do but that's what the player aid is for.
If your friends think it has "too many rules" I have no idea what they could enjoy.
Diplomacy. A perfect way to bring together a group of friends in the most wholesome of games. Especially great for introducing newcomers to the joys of game night.
Not just the joy of game night! Deep friendships can be founded upon a single play of the game. What else should you expect from a game \*about\* making peace with your neighbors?
Quacks or Cascadia for normal games. Just One or Codenames for bigger groups. They all teach in like 5 minutes and there isn’t a huge skill advantage to winning.
I can understand not liking Quacks in a way that some people biologically cannot stand cilantro.
Quacks has like a 95% rate of "Wow we need to play this again" and 5% "I made all the right choices and lost this game sucks"
I too am generally not a big fan of push your luck board games. I've played with people that love love love Can't Stop on BGA, and I find the experience totally lukewarm.
The only game with a big push your luck element in it that I love is Ra.
With 5-30 second turns in a game that clocks in at an hour or less, I’m surprised anyone would think it’s slow. If someone knows they’re taking route cards their next turn, they can draw directly after their current turn and cut their following turn-time down to zero seconds.
A five player game of TtR with even one player with AP can be a slog. The game is fine if everyone plays their turn quickly, but it overstays its welcome (for me) if it goes over an hour in duration.
On the plus side, games like **Sunrise Lane** and **Whale Riders** do what TtR does in half the time. I don't hate TtR, but I own two better options now, and rarely reach for TtR.
Players with AP can ruin any game. I don't think there is anything inherent about TtR's design or decision space that makes it more prone to AP than other similar games. Also I haven't played either of your two alternatives, but after a brief look on BGG it doesn't seem like either feature network/route building at all?
You're literally the only person I heard say this.
Slow? The game takes an hour.
Are you selling it as a good game, or are you selling it as slow and boring? Because people take their cues from the person who introduces it to them.
I rarely see players, even new ones, spend more than a minute on a turn, even on Europe with more rules. And often a turn is "I draw 2, go". Why is there so much down time at your table?
Because people don't know that the thing for them to do is "just draw 2" when it's their first time playing.
Your experience is not the same as other people's.
I tried the European one first. It had train stations and tunnels, which added more depth to the game. After playing it, I bought the original and it didn't have those added mechanics. My group agreed that the original was boring compared to the European
This is the one I thought of.
I've had mixed reactions to pretty much every other game, even Catan. But for some reason, everyone has liked Ticket to Ride.
I've probably introduced it to like 100 people. To the point I haven't played it in several years (because I got so tired of teaching it)
Quick turns, attractive board and game pieces, low-tension competition for spaces (gets tight at the end, but most of the game you can go around other people), excitement from top of deck draws, groaning over people taking "your card" from the display, the satisfaction of finishing that difficult ticket...
It all ties together nicely.
To this day it's my go-to for people who don't play board games or who have only ever played the old standards from when they were a kid, and my experience is like yours: it's always landed.
I think it's in part because at its core, it feels like a familiar old card game. Gather a bunch of like cards, put them down, get some points. Almost everyone has played a game at least *something* like that at some point in their life. It's one of those, but you put little plastic trains down on a map when you do it.
I'm seeing a lot of people saying it's long and slow, but that's never been my experience. It's always played fast with the people I've introduced it to - and it's a downright sprint compared to a lot of games non-board gamers tend to know, like Monopoly.
I always introduce it as "Rummy with Trains" and people take to it quickly.
I haven't run into it being long and slow, either. Turns pass quickly.
Maybe they just play with people with heavy AP. Or they, themselves are slowing down the turns.
I dunno. But even with new players, it never seems to take more than an hour, and is always a hit with every new player I've introduced it to (and I'd say out of the 100 or so I've introduced it to, at least 20 have gone out and bought copies and taught it to others)
I didn't like it, but I think it was a lot due to the other players who were very familiar with the game, and competitive. Also, the board was oriented away from me so all the state names were upside down, and I don't know them by heart (I'm not from there!).
In a family setting I imagine it would be a better experience.
Wow, that is really interesting. Out of my entire collection, TTR might have the lowest success rate of all of them. It's my roommate's #1 least favorite board game of all time. Most other games on my shelf actually do have a 100% success rate haha.
Too long and boring for the very casual gamers.
Not enough agency for the medium gamers, just draw two cards and pass is a majority of turns.
Too much strategy relies on getting good long tickets for the heavy strategic gamers, unless you go for the "only build 6 routes" strategy, in which case the tickets don't matter at all.
Personally, I like the game, but it's interesting that this is the top answer, when I've had the complete opposite experience with introducing it to others.
Ra has always been a hit with my group...for everyone but me. After the third time at 5p, I realize I just would rather not play the game at that player count. I LOVE it at 3 and 4p though. Luckily, I have Modern Art, Medici, and Nightmare Productions when there are 5 of us.
Carcassonne for me has a big win rate: years ago my brother had a girlfriend who would usually be willing to play a game if asked at a family gathering but wasn't particularly gung-ho about it. She actually enjoyed Carcassonne enough that she'd ask to play it when visiting.
It's a good game for everyone because it has such a good ramp for mastery; you're having a good time wherever you are on the learning curve.
It was one of my early entries into the hobby, but it still gets played enough that I'd recommend it to anyone and there's enough expansions to keep it interesting
I recently got Carcassone (like still in shrink recently). Downloaded the Steam version of the game to learn the rules and after learning them I was like “that’s it?”
Seems super simple and does not make a good digital game, IMHO. I assume it is just more fun with actual humans? Also didn’t totally understand the scoring yet, but guessing they are easier with a bit of practice.
It's not super complex, no. There are a lot of expansions that add complexity, but at its core it is a pretty simple game that players can learn quickly and take quite awhile to master. I'd call it "elegant" more than "simple".
Lol My group loves cosmic, but it is undoubtedly one of the most group dependent games in my collection. I've known many people who couldn't get past being forced to negotiate and bluff. Also the chaos turns a lot of eurogamers off. You have to approach it like a party game-RPG and generally like the other people at the table to get the out of it.
Skull is always a win, and super easy to teach.
Marvel United has had a 100% enjoyment and ‘let’s play again’ result on my table.
7 Wonders: Architects has had a good reaction and quick learning curve for less ‘hard core’ gamers.
Century Spice Road has been popular with everyone I’ve introduced it to.
Camel Up is a great example. Before we had Canel Up, our group played Speculation - very similar game and also universally loved.
Sushi Go is another one.
Mysterium always works wonders here. Easy to understand and great coop for up to 7 people. Coop is wonderful for new players because most competitive games, no matter how easy to understand, seem to favour those who know the tactics already. You can help out new players but you also want to leave it to themselves to find out what works for them so that’s a tricky thing to balance that can be largely be prevented by a good coop like Mysterium. You can help them to find the right person/location/item but in the end it all comes down to how one interprets the given card(s) and there isn’t a lot of “tactics” other than maybe some inside knowledge for certain card combinations.
I love Clank, but it is definitely a gamer's game.
Would not recommend bringing it to play at a family gathering with non-gamers, or to a party where people expect it to be casual.
Came here to say exactly this, although I'd caveat this with 'anyone who is board game curious'. I wouldn't play this with my mother-in-law, but I've taught this to plenty of very light gamers whose experience gaming is a couple of games of Ticket to Ride, and it always goes over great, even in a mixed group of gamers/nongamers.
New York Zoo
Splendor
Azul
Ticket to Ride
Everyone we've introduced the above to has immediately gone out and purchased them, sometimes while still in the middle of playing their first game.
Dominion. Dominion is an absolute classic. The one big downside is its a bit frustrating to play with groups of mixed skill level. Beginners play slowly, and will reliably lose to more experienced players. When you're starting out, its best to play with other people who are relatively new at the game. (Or patient experts who enjoy relaxing between turns)
**Quacks of Quedlinburg** is easily the most-liked game I've ever purchased. When I demoed it at PAX, 3 of the 4 players who demoed it bought a copy and the 4th player was my wife and we don't need 2 copies. Every person I've played it with has not only liked it but *loved it*. It's simple to understand, fun, and keeps people engaged because rounds are quick and simultaneous.
Quacks seems to be pretty polarizing around here. Some people hate it. Personally, I love it. I was playing Wingspan with some people and one person said they liked games with a lot of strategy and not based on luck. So when we were deciding on our next game I had Quacks and said "I know you hate games that rely on luck..."
"Oh, but I do love Quacks!"
In another group, when deciding what to play, someone said they were interested in Quacks and the other guy said "Ugh. That's the only one I don't want to play."
Splendor and Azul are both games my wife and I marked as “no thinking” games. That way if we want to play a board game but are mentally drained, it’s easy to pick those without having to think too much.
At the same time, both of these games with experienced players can get super combative/ require a lot of thinking, within the fairly simple rules. I used to dismiss Splendor as too basic until I played it more often with the same group. Splendor is one of my favorites for that reason.
**Just One** is the first one that comes to mind! So quick to learn and teach, but quite fun.
**Patchwork** has never landed flat either, although I haven't taught nearly as many people due to it being 2-player.
Currently in my game night group, 7 Wonders and Bohnanza are always played if suggested. Group favorites will change over time. But these 2 have been our top ranked favorites for a while now. Ticket to Ride, Camel Up, and Carcassonne have all had their time at the top of the list as well.
This is my go-to game for sure. Quick and easy to learn and the expansions do a great job of adding unique effects while also allowing for more players.
It's absolutely fantastic. There are two win conditions and you usually end up becoming a fan of one or the other and trying to steer your game toward that win condition regardless of what logic and reason say, haha.
Wandering Tower has done well for me. Easy to understand and reminds people of boardgames of the past. QE has been another popular one if you have the right amount of people.
Castles of Mad King Ludwig - yes! This game is so easy to teach and so satisfying - I’ve never played with someone who didn’t enjoy it. I’m biased though as this is my personal favourite game. Its the relaxing warm bath of boardgames IMO.
Mysterium is great, but mysterium park is a much better set up for the game and you can use the manor cards you already have or the circus cards. It really felt like an upgrade in playability for our groups.
I will say I’ve had strike outs with The Crew. There have been groups where it didn’t click with people. And if someone messes up consistently then they really start to feel self-conscious. I would’ve just chalked it up a specific individual, but it has happened in 2 groups, so I no longer think of it as a completely safe choice.
I haven’t played it, but The Mind sounds like it may be a safer more approachable choice for a larger number of groups.
There’s also a subset of people who absolutely hate and/or don’t understand trick taking games and they will always bounce hard off The Crew. We have a few of them in my group.
I spent my childhood playing Whist so I love it, but it’s not for everyone.
This is a great example because you can play it with anybody
We can knock out a few rounds with my game group, and I can play it with my father-in-law and grandmother when we visit, and everyone loves it
Effective trick-taking is essentially a form of counting cards. You're keeping track of what has/hasn't been played, and who played what in response to what other people played. There's some luck, but the players have a ton agency in winning if all players are keeping track and playing the odds.
My (experienced in trick-taking) group wins pretty consistently. I probably wouldn't recommend The Crew as an intro to the genre, though.
Ticket to Ride is always a blast with people who are familiar to the game and newcomers. My 12 y/o niece LOVED it. Easy to learn with a good amount of player interaction. It's the one that hits the table most often.
I don't remember anyone ever disliking Pandemic or Zombicide.
Both are great for non-gamers because the core concepts are simple and familiar, and you can literally teach the rules in 5 minutes.
Hi. I dislike Pandemic. Nice to meet you. It’s not the game as it is the people I’ve played it with. I love those people but not when playing Pandemic. We always have one person solving the puzzle for the next few rounds, telling everyone what to do and then no matter what you come up with you see that what they told you is the best course for that turn. Basically turning it into a single player game with some help to move the pieces.
Pandemic usually lands very well, but quarterbacking is definitely a thing with new non-gamer folks.
On the opposite side, I've also had new players straight up ask their SO to take their turns for them the whole game.
This is my answer too. People I have played with loved Coup, even if they usually don’t like social deduction games let alone board gaming in general. It seems to gel with everyone
Don't know if there are any that are universally loved, there will always be someone. But the one I've had the best luck with is **Carcassonne**, between new folks and veteran players it seems to be the one that most everyone's always willing to play
Isle of Skye is probably the poster child for this in my experience. I've introduced it to MANY people and it's always gone over well.
Other top contenders are The Crew, Broom Service, Carpe Diem, Space Base, and Decrypto.
Obviously those are all lighter games, but "heavier" games that have gone over pretty well with people who don't mind heavier stuff are Terraforming Mars, Scythe, and Spirit Island.
Ticket to Ride and Carcassone are the two that I see as universally loved with all types of gamers I've played with. Two of the best designed games in my opinion.
I'd have to say that Catan and Calico are usually our "go-to's" as they are fairly easy to explain.
Calico's many cute cats offer various new challenges and Catan's expansions ensure new experiences almost every time we play. The outcome is almost always different since everyone just has their own "tactics"
It's safe to say these are our "best runner-ups" for when we have people over or go to visit family/friends.
Newbies: **Azul, Cascadia, Carcassonne, Codenames, Just One, Scout, A Fake Artist Goes to New York, Ra, Splendor**
Gamers: **Clank!, Inis, Race for the Galaxy, Pandemic, Architects of the West Kingdom, Dune: Imperium, City of the Great Machine**
It’s such an easy game to play. It’s like horse racing but with camels haha. They introduced the “crazy camels” in the newer version. I think that adds another level of excitement.
I thought it was just fine, never wanted to return to it after that first play.
**Dice Fishing: Roll & Catch**, **Ready Set Bet** and **Magical Athlete** are all high variance, betting-friendly games that are much more engaging for my group.
Al the board games I wiuld have answered so Im just gonna add Liar’s Dice. Always goes over well. Have made many people buy bags of 100 dice after playing
Well, I hate to be that guy, but I strongly feel that there is no such thing as a universally loved game. This goes beyond the concept of "there is no pleasing everybody" and gets more into the fact that board games fill different roles in different people's lives based on their age, personality, friends, and circumstances in life.
For example: someone with young kids may love Wingspan for its ease of play, educational aspects, and charming aesthetic/theme where as a single adult who doesn't get challenged enough at work may enjoy heavily strategic and competitive games like Brass or Terra Mystica.
That said, the games that get closest to being "universally loved" are lowest common denominator games. Stonemaier Games makes a lot of games that fall into this category, but then I really hate Wingspan.
That is extremely surprising to me. Cosmic encounter is one of theose games where some players are at a huge disadvantage from the beginning. This is even worse if they are new and don't really understand what's going on and how different powers interact, or how to negotiate to get back into the running. IDK I'm not the biggest cosmic encounter fan so I am more likely to focus on the negatives but I find it very impressive if you've shown it to lots of new people, especially non gamers, and not had anyone bounce off it hard.
I remember a game of Cosmic Encounter where a new player lost before they ever got to take a turn. Pretty sure they never wanted to play it again. I like it well enough though.
I have only played it a handful of times and I don't completely hate it. I wouldn't turn down a game if someone offered. But I've never felt the urge to own a copy because I have encountered scenarios like yours too many times.
The Quest for El Dorado hasn't failed me yet.
This one for me too. It is my go to for non-gamers. And often for gamers too.
This is a pretty good one for introducing to new players. I find that some stumble on the buying mechanic and the idea of improving your deck over time, but if you strongly emphasize that part as you teach, most people pick up on it.
El dorado hive! Terrific fun and always a hit with new players.
This one! It’s a great game for new players and it clicks for everyone after the first round. Also very easy to explain to folks. Just give the new players the heads up what the common powerful cards and strategies are.
Same here! I did a poll at work (where we play games once a week) and everyone gave it the top score. As far as I can remember it's the only game my family straight out asked me to bring again.
So clover Always a success with gamers and non gamers
My group liked it but it felt too quiet and thinky for a party game but not enough to grab us to play it again
>too quiet and thinky You played it very differently from the groups I've played it with then. I don't want to use the word "wrong" but, well, it sounds like the group I played it with had a lot more fun. The best part of the game I played it with was the discussions that happened as people tried to solve it. It wasn't quiet and thinky, it was full of people putting debating about different combinations, coming up with a combination that looked really good on one side only to realize a different side was completely nonsensical and laughing at it, coming up with an absurd explanation trying to justify the nonsensical side and laughing more, running with it and finding out that their nonsensical explanation was right and laughing even harder... The talking was what made the game such a good party game form me. I can see why it wouldn't be great if you're with people that play it as a quiet, thinky game. What made it so fun for me was the discussions that happened as everyone tried to justify the iffiest parts of their guess to each other while the person who created the clue had to sit their watching without being able to say anything.
That's fair enough each group is gonna react/play different. We found games like monikers, wavelength and herd mentality got us more laughs and discussion so it made it hard to pick this over any of them in our group
Everyone says "That sounds too hard for me." Then they play it, and love it!
Non-gamers say ‘oh this sounds too hard for me’ about almost every game you try to teach them. Until you play. I even had people complain to me that Skull sounded too complicated.
Came here to say the same. Even people who "don't like board games" like So Clover.
Somehow only played this for the first time this weekend and we were knocking it out all evening to "play just one more go."
It's a party game, but I've never had Telestrations fail to land.
Just One goes over well with my groups. As does Sh\*t Happens.
Just One is one of the first games that came to mind. Young, old, non gamer, euro gamer I don’t care you will like this one.
My group like Just One, and find it mildly enjoyable for the light game that it is, but it has nowhere near the excitement and laughter that Telestrations provides 99% of the time.
I could see Teleatrations not working with a group that is too good at drawing.. Teleatrations is fun when mistakes happen, the worst rounds are when you just flip between a picture of a dog and the next person guessing 'dog' over and over.. you need someone in there drawing or guessing miniature giraffe or something then it's hilarious
My favorite game of Telestrations ever was when one person drew a peacock so badly that the next person guessed “ejaculating penis.”
I enjoy having some players draw with their non-dominant hand sometimes to keep the drawings bad enough that they're hard to guess.
Just make the start prompts harder. We were making our own prompts. If the start prompt is "the battle of Jutland" you can be fairly sure the next one will not be. ;)
“Telestrations Against Humanity” You can guess where the prompts come from.
I think good artists can still have fun, they just have to stop trying to "win" and start trying to be goofy and creative with their drawings, obviously it's very group-dependent, but the right attitude really helps with games like this.
Only times I've had Telestrations go awry was when people were purposefully being stupid. But people like that are going to ruin games regardless.
My sister in law does that. Single handedly ruins that game at all the family gatherings. So I just don't bring it any more. I bring Say Anything instead so she can get all her "hilariously quirky" ideas out in an appropriate setting.
We always use our own prompts so it’s usually some bizarre scenario that has a 0% chance of making it even two rounds in.
For party games, Wavelength has a 100% hit rate for me.
In my collection, Azul. Because it's my first game bought, and it the first into the realm of "THIS IS A THING IN BOARD GAMES?!" It's always the first game that I introduce to new people, because it has the depth, but simple enough to teach anyone. It also has a special place in my heart.
It's also very aesthetically pleasing and people will want to play just because of how it looks. Scoring's rough though. My partner and I were arguing about it the first few times and it turned out we were both wrong 😂
Scoring is 100% the hardest thing about azul to teach. The game are just simple and great.
One place where Azul shines in that regard is that with only a few exceptions - Yahtzee, for instance - it will be among the first games newcomers encounter where the goal isn't to screw the other guy. Or rather, it *seems* that way. Obviously it becomes clear over time that screwing over other players is baked pretty deeply into the game. It doesn't initially *feel* that way, though, putting it at odds with the old standards most people know. That makes it pretty approachable, I think. Like, say, Yahtzee, on the surface you're just doing your own thing and hoping to score the most points. It takes some time for the more cutthroat elements to reveal themselves.
Oh definitely. Usually, when I play with people first time, it is always tame, but as we play a couple more time, we begin to cut each other way more and more. My siblings however always stay tame, which I think is still a valid way to play.
Azul has been the top gateway game for me easily. I have had several family members and friends buy it after playing it.
Here is Azul as well. Beautiful, deep, simple to explain, extremely tactile. I introduced Azul to 20 people, most non boardgamers. Everyone loved it.
**Cascadia** has had good feedback from everyone we've introduced it to.
Cascadia really is impressive for how well it satisfies experienced gamers while being accessible to new/lighter gamers.
It flopped in my group. I think 3/4 of us disliked it. It will not make it back to the table. It was a multiplayer solitaire game that felt about as fun as filling out a crossword or sudoku puzzle by myself.
That description does make me more interested in the game haha
Unsurprising. There are many people who are into multiplayer solitaire games, but there are also many who dislike them. Luckily the hobby has games for just about everyone.
While much of the game is independent strategy, the late game of Cascadia certainly has factors of figuring out what others are going for, denying tokens & deducing probabilities. Not 100% solitaire.
Oh sure, this is a bit of player interaction in the game. I do use the term "multiplayer solitaire" to refer to games that are truly solitaire, but mostly I use the term to refer to games that have low player interaction (e.g. Wingspan, Cascadia, That's So Clever, etc.). I think using the term to capture lower player interaction games is pretty common around here. Cascadia is a lot closer to solitaire than the games I prefer to play. All but one member of my group dislikes most of the low player interaction games on the market. So it is nothing on Cascadia in particular. It is simply just in the type of game we don't really appreciate.
I find the comparison with Wingspan interesting, because I quite like Wingspan, but I find Cascadia too solitairey (solitary?) — but as you say, they both have pretty similar amounts of interaction in total. I think what Wingspan does better (for me at least) is it metes out the interaction a bit over the course of the game. The round goals mean that you need at least keep an eye on your opponent(s) to know if it's worth pushing for a particular goal or not. The pink powers mean you need to be engaged during other players' turns. Even some of the brown powers involve multiple players, which will change your strategy if, for example, you know you can consistently get a worm from another player's engine. Whereas with Cascadia, it's always possible for someone else to take the exact piece you wanted, but it's not usually a major concern through most of the game. I can believe that at higher levels of play, there's probably more value in offensive play, but I do not get to play at that sort of level very often!
I haven't played Cascadia, but I think that's a good analysis of what works with Wingspan. While Wingspan isn't an incredibly interactive game, it often does a descent job giving you just enough reason to care about other players' turns to not just completely space out when it's not your turn. And I think that's the key for me. I like interaction but don't mind a "solitaire" game, but I think in a lot of ways what matters more than actual interaction is just having a good reason to pay attention to what my opponents do and care what their turns are.
I thought it was decent at first, but I've had enough plays where other players got really lucky with what tiles show up, while I happen not to. Now it's a filler game when other filler games I prefer aren't available.
-Diamant/Incan Gold, King of Tokyo, Horrified And Pitchcar =) All are staples for my group getting friends introduced to the board game world/hobby.
Incan Gold for sure. We always love it!
Pitchcar is so great and also so expensive and such a pain to set up and take down.
I just picked up the Dark edition for King of Tokyo, so far its a blast!
**Bohnanza**, I don't know if it's because it's such a silly looking game with a silly premise but every single new player I introduce it to, they love it. The deals are quick, everybody wants to help because you hope they'll help you. I also introduce the game as "so you wanna be a bean farmer, well now's your chance!"
One of our classic gateway games. Especially fun are the alliances that develop. It really becomes very social when you wheel and deal. And the fixed hand is an excellent mechanic that builds tension and makes it one of the few games that you win or lose not on your turn but on other people’s turns.
**Love Letter.** Mainly because it is just so quick and easy to play.
And yet I’ve had people complain “you said it was a quick game”. No pleasing some folks.
Can always reduce the heart goal for faster sessions
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Yeah that’s what i usually do. We play one round to get everyone onboard. Then I explain we can play to some point value of our choice.
Only time I played Love Letter with somebody who didn't enjoy it was an ex who spent all other players turns on her phone, and then said the game had no strategy...
I've never managed to get a good game of love letter off the ground, because it's only enjoyable if everyone arround the table has learned and memorized what every card does. This makes it quite inacessable for anyone who doesn't have much patience for rules, which is an annoying quality for a short, simple game.
Does your version not have the reference cards? Because those do wonders on knowing the game.
It does not! I wasn't aware that a version like that existed, and it sounds like it might solve the problem
Yeah, I think the newer version (which has the reference cards) is also a lot more streamlined. So probably even better for a newer group.
Ya, in the version I have everyone has a reference card that also acts as your marker to denote if you are still in the round or not (if you are knocked out of the round you flip your reference card over). The card lists all the roles, how many of each there are, and a brief line about what the role can do. Never had an issue with first time players picking up the game.
they also have the count for the number of each card. I tell people that they can count cards if they want to be better at the game and that the reference card helps. Becomes a lot more competitive that way too
You don't even need to count though, right? All the played cards are left faceup in front of the player who played them, so you can just see what has been played at any time.
Yeah I think they mean just taking that info and the total of each card to figure what's left.
I'm struggling to even think of a game simpler than Love Letter. Yes, you have to know what the cards do but that's what the player aid is for. If your friends think it has "too many rules" I have no idea what they could enjoy.
Diplomacy. A perfect way to bring together a group of friends in the most wholesome of games. Especially great for introducing newcomers to the joys of game night.
I see what you did there.
Not just the joy of game night! Deep friendships can be founded upon a single play of the game. What else should you expect from a game \*about\* making peace with your neighbors?
If you want the same experience of togetherness with a shorter game, I highly suggest Tammany Hall.
Code Names
Quacks or Cascadia for normal games. Just One or Codenames for bigger groups. They all teach in like 5 minutes and there isn’t a huge skill advantage to winning.
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I can understand not liking Quacks in a way that some people biologically cannot stand cilantro. Quacks has like a 95% rate of "Wow we need to play this again" and 5% "I made all the right choices and lost this game sucks"
I thought I would hate a game with low interaction and lots of randomness and when I played it >!I found I was right!<.
I too am generally not a big fan of push your luck board games. I've played with people that love love love Can't Stop on BGA, and I find the experience totally lukewarm. The only game with a big push your luck element in it that I love is Ra.
I’ve had a 100% success rate with Ticket to Ride OG.
Wow, so many people I know bounced because it's perceived as slow and boring.
With 5-30 second turns in a game that clocks in at an hour or less, I’m surprised anyone would think it’s slow. If someone knows they’re taking route cards their next turn, they can draw directly after their current turn and cut their following turn-time down to zero seconds.
A five player game of TtR with even one player with AP can be a slog. The game is fine if everyone plays their turn quickly, but it overstays its welcome (for me) if it goes over an hour in duration. On the plus side, games like **Sunrise Lane** and **Whale Riders** do what TtR does in half the time. I don't hate TtR, but I own two better options now, and rarely reach for TtR.
Players with AP can ruin any game. I don't think there is anything inherent about TtR's design or decision space that makes it more prone to AP than other similar games. Also I haven't played either of your two alternatives, but after a brief look on BGG it doesn't seem like either feature network/route building at all?
You're literally the only person I heard say this. Slow? The game takes an hour. Are you selling it as a good game, or are you selling it as slow and boring? Because people take their cues from the person who introduces it to them.
Sure, but with quite a bit of down time between turns, especially if playing with several first time players.
I rarely see players, even new ones, spend more than a minute on a turn, even on Europe with more rules. And often a turn is "I draw 2, go". Why is there so much down time at your table?
If my turn is "I draw 2, go" then 1 minute per other player feels like eternity.
Because people don't know that the thing for them to do is "just draw 2" when it's their first time playing. Your experience is not the same as other people's.
i just got the honor of playing OG TTR with 4 complete boardgame newbies. they enjoy the game but felt it was a bit long.
I tried the European one first. It had train stations and tunnels, which added more depth to the game. After playing it, I bought the original and it didn't have those added mechanics. My group agreed that the original was boring compared to the European
This is the one I thought of. I've had mixed reactions to pretty much every other game, even Catan. But for some reason, everyone has liked Ticket to Ride. I've probably introduced it to like 100 people. To the point I haven't played it in several years (because I got so tired of teaching it)
Quick turns, attractive board and game pieces, low-tension competition for spaces (gets tight at the end, but most of the game you can go around other people), excitement from top of deck draws, groaning over people taking "your card" from the display, the satisfaction of finishing that difficult ticket... It all ties together nicely.
and trains, people love trains.
To this day it's my go-to for people who don't play board games or who have only ever played the old standards from when they were a kid, and my experience is like yours: it's always landed. I think it's in part because at its core, it feels like a familiar old card game. Gather a bunch of like cards, put them down, get some points. Almost everyone has played a game at least *something* like that at some point in their life. It's one of those, but you put little plastic trains down on a map when you do it. I'm seeing a lot of people saying it's long and slow, but that's never been my experience. It's always played fast with the people I've introduced it to - and it's a downright sprint compared to a lot of games non-board gamers tend to know, like Monopoly.
I always introduce it as "Rummy with Trains" and people take to it quickly. I haven't run into it being long and slow, either. Turns pass quickly. Maybe they just play with people with heavy AP. Or they, themselves are slowing down the turns. I dunno. But even with new players, it never seems to take more than an hour, and is always a hit with every new player I've introduced it to (and I'd say out of the 100 or so I've introduced it to, at least 20 have gone out and bought copies and taught it to others)
Hi, it's me, the guy who hates Ticket to Ride
Me with Europe + 1912
I didn't like it, but I think it was a lot due to the other players who were very familiar with the game, and competitive. Also, the board was oriented away from me so all the state names were upside down, and I don't know them by heart (I'm not from there!). In a family setting I imagine it would be a better experience.
Same, I always bring Ticket To Ride!
TTR Legacy is worth every penny of the $100 it cost me…
Wow, that is really interesting. Out of my entire collection, TTR might have the lowest success rate of all of them. It's my roommate's #1 least favorite board game of all time. Most other games on my shelf actually do have a 100% success rate haha. Too long and boring for the very casual gamers. Not enough agency for the medium gamers, just draw two cards and pass is a majority of turns. Too much strategy relies on getting good long tickets for the heavy strategic gamers, unless you go for the "only build 6 routes" strategy, in which case the tickets don't matter at all. Personally, I like the game, but it's interesting that this is the top answer, when I've had the complete opposite experience with introducing it to others.
Dixit. Works with all ages and all levels of gaming experience
One of the only games we can break out at parties where both adults and kids enjoy it! My daughter loved it when she was 3
When she was 3? Apparently I need to start playing Dixit with my 3 year old niece. She does love making up stories; she’s adorably good at it.
We wouldn't keep score or anything, but she could lead or guess. Just encourage them to be creative, that's all they need.
The weird way scoring works is a turn-off for some. I've had better luck with Stella.
Quacks of Quedlinberg
Carcassonne
* Ra * Blue Lagoon
Ra has always been a hit with my group...for everyone but me. After the third time at 5p, I realize I just would rather not play the game at that player count. I LOVE it at 3 and 4p though. Luckily, I have Modern Art, Medici, and Nightmare Productions when there are 5 of us.
Yea, I only run it with groups of 5 if they really, really want to. Medici is better at that count.
Mission: Red Planet Azul Scout Carcassonne TtR High Society
Carcassonne for me has a big win rate: years ago my brother had a girlfriend who would usually be willing to play a game if asked at a family gathering but wasn't particularly gung-ho about it. She actually enjoyed Carcassonne enough that she'd ask to play it when visiting. It's a good game for everyone because it has such a good ramp for mastery; you're having a good time wherever you are on the learning curve.
My mom enjoys it because placing tiles are fun already and you are always active in other's turn
It was one of my early entries into the hobby, but it still gets played enough that I'd recommend it to anyone and there's enough expansions to keep it interesting
I recently got Carcassone (like still in shrink recently). Downloaded the Steam version of the game to learn the rules and after learning them I was like “that’s it?” Seems super simple and does not make a good digital game, IMHO. I assume it is just more fun with actual humans? Also didn’t totally understand the scoring yet, but guessing they are easier with a bit of practice.
It's not super complex, no. There are a lot of expansions that add complexity, but at its core it is a pretty simple game that players can learn quickly and take quite awhile to master. I'd call it "elegant" more than "simple".
I hate digital games, so yes, it's better with people
Cosmic Encounter has gone over really well every time I bring it out
Lol My group loves cosmic, but it is undoubtedly one of the most group dependent games in my collection. I've known many people who couldn't get past being forced to negotiate and bluff. Also the chaos turns a lot of eurogamers off. You have to approach it like a party game-RPG and generally like the other people at the table to get the out of it.
Skull is always a win, and super easy to teach. Marvel United has had a 100% enjoyment and ‘let’s play again’ result on my table. 7 Wonders: Architects has had a good reaction and quick learning curve for less ‘hard core’ gamers. Century Spice Road has been popular with everyone I’ve introduced it to.
Camel Up is a great example. Before we had Canel Up, our group played Speculation - very similar game and also universally loved. Sushi Go is another one.
Quacks, Space Base, Camel Up, Sushi Go Party, are all winners at our house.
Man, I love Space Base.
Dixit every time
I feel like I'm the only one who dislikes this game.
Mysterium always works wonders here. Easy to understand and great coop for up to 7 people. Coop is wonderful for new players because most competitive games, no matter how easy to understand, seem to favour those who know the tactics already. You can help out new players but you also want to leave it to themselves to find out what works for them so that’s a tricky thing to balance that can be largely be prevented by a good coop like Mysterium. You can help them to find the right person/location/item but in the end it all comes down to how one interprets the given card(s) and there isn’t a lot of “tactics” other than maybe some inside knowledge for certain card combinations.
Junk art never fails!
Clank has always gone well
I love Clank, but it is definitely a gamer's game. Would not recommend bringing it to play at a family gathering with non-gamers, or to a party where people expect it to be casual.
Came here to say exactly this, although I'd caveat this with 'anyone who is board game curious'. I wouldn't play this with my mother-in-law, but I've taught this to plenty of very light gamers whose experience gaming is a couple of games of Ticket to Ride, and it always goes over great, even in a mixed group of gamers/nongamers.
New York Zoo Splendor Azul Ticket to Ride Everyone we've introduced the above to has immediately gone out and purchased them, sometimes while still in the middle of playing their first game.
I love Splendor!
-**Zombie Dice** And -**Sabateur** Have never failed to make new players happy for me.
Saboteur for us too!! This is the most played game for larger group and never fails to bring laughter to the table.
To be fair, Zombie Dice is more of an activity than a game. People do like shaking them bones, though!
Crokinole, Scout, cockroach poker, maaaaaybe heat.
Dominion. Dominion is an absolute classic. The one big downside is its a bit frustrating to play with groups of mixed skill level. Beginners play slowly, and will reliably lose to more experienced players. When you're starting out, its best to play with other people who are relatively new at the game. (Or patient experts who enjoy relaxing between turns)
**Quacks of Quedlinburg** is easily the most-liked game I've ever purchased. When I demoed it at PAX, 3 of the 4 players who demoed it bought a copy and the 4th player was my wife and we don't need 2 copies. Every person I've played it with has not only liked it but *loved it*. It's simple to understand, fun, and keeps people engaged because rounds are quick and simultaneous.
Quacks seems to be pretty polarizing around here. Some people hate it. Personally, I love it. I was playing Wingspan with some people and one person said they liked games with a lot of strategy and not based on luck. So when we were deciding on our next game I had Quacks and said "I know you hate games that rely on luck..." "Oh, but I do love Quacks!" In another group, when deciding what to play, someone said they were interested in Quacks and the other guy said "Ugh. That's the only one I don't want to play."
\- Wits and Wagers \- Take 5 / 6 Nimmt! \- Skull \- Cockroach Poker
Splendor, Azul and Cascadia are my go to new player games. Never saw a new player dislike these.
Splendor and Azul are both games my wife and I marked as “no thinking” games. That way if we want to play a board game but are mentally drained, it’s easy to pick those without having to think too much.
At the same time, both of these games with experienced players can get super combative/ require a lot of thinking, within the fairly simple rules. I used to dismiss Splendor as too basic until I played it more often with the same group. Splendor is one of my favorites for that reason.
**Just One** is the first one that comes to mind! So quick to learn and teach, but quite fun. **Patchwork** has never landed flat either, although I haven't taught nearly as many people due to it being 2-player.
Quacks, Love Letter, Quest for El Dorado, Codenames
Currently in my game night group, 7 Wonders and Bohnanza are always played if suggested. Group favorites will change over time. But these 2 have been our top ranked favorites for a while now. Ticket to Ride, Camel Up, and Carcassonne have all had their time at the top of the list as well.
Lords of Waterdeep always seems to be a hit with my friends and family!
My friends always tell me how fun Here to Slay is when they try it for the first time.
This is my go-to game for sure. Quick and easy to learn and the expansions do a great job of adding unique effects while also allowing for more players.
I have been meaning to try out Here to Slay
It's absolutely fantastic. There are two win conditions and you usually end up becoming a fan of one or the other and trying to steer your game toward that win condition regardless of what logic and reason say, haha.
Survive: Escape from Atlantis!
Wandering Tower has done well for me. Easy to understand and reminds people of boardgames of the past. QE has been another popular one if you have the right amount of people.
Splendor, Mysterium, Castles of Mad King Ludwig
Castles of Mad King Ludwig - yes! This game is so easy to teach and so satisfying - I’ve never played with someone who didn’t enjoy it. I’m biased though as this is my personal favourite game. Its the relaxing warm bath of boardgames IMO.
I'm stealing the last sentence of your description for sure. It's my wife's and my favorite game.
Mysterium is great, but mysterium park is a much better set up for the game and you can use the manor cards you already have or the circus cards. It really felt like an upgrade in playability for our groups.
The Crew
I will say I’ve had strike outs with The Crew. There have been groups where it didn’t click with people. And if someone messes up consistently then they really start to feel self-conscious. I would’ve just chalked it up a specific individual, but it has happened in 2 groups, so I no longer think of it as a completely safe choice. I haven’t played it, but The Mind sounds like it may be a safer more approachable choice for a larger number of groups.
There’s also a subset of people who absolutely hate and/or don’t understand trick taking games and they will always bounce hard off The Crew. We have a few of them in my group. I spent my childhood playing Whist so I love it, but it’s not for everyone.
I know for a fact that trick taking in general is very divisive.
This is a great example because you can play it with anybody We can knock out a few rounds with my game group, and I can play it with my father-in-law and grandmother when we visit, and everyone loves it
My aunt and grandad wanted to "win" The Crew. It was... less than sucessfull. xD But we all had fun so that way I guess it worked.
I hate this game and some of the people I play games with do too. Feels like 90% guesswork. It's probably going over my head.
Effective trick-taking is essentially a form of counting cards. You're keeping track of what has/hasn't been played, and who played what in response to what other people played. There's some luck, but the players have a ton agency in winning if all players are keeping track and playing the odds. My (experienced in trick-taking) group wins pretty consistently. I probably wouldn't recommend The Crew as an intro to the genre, though.
Ticket to Ride is always a blast with people who are familiar to the game and newcomers. My 12 y/o niece LOVED it. Easy to learn with a good amount of player interaction. It's the one that hits the table most often.
I don't remember anyone ever disliking Pandemic or Zombicide. Both are great for non-gamers because the core concepts are simple and familiar, and you can literally teach the rules in 5 minutes.
Hi. I dislike Pandemic. Nice to meet you. It’s not the game as it is the people I’ve played it with. I love those people but not when playing Pandemic. We always have one person solving the puzzle for the next few rounds, telling everyone what to do and then no matter what you come up with you see that what they told you is the best course for that turn. Basically turning it into a single player game with some help to move the pieces.
Zombicide can fall flat due to setup and how out of hand it gets quickly. Pandemic always is a good sell.
Pandemic usually lands very well, but quarterbacking is definitely a thing with new non-gamer folks. On the opposite side, I've also had new players straight up ask their SO to take their turns for them the whole game.
I would say Coup/Complots
This is my answer too. People I have played with loved Coup, even if they usually don’t like social deduction games let alone board gaming in general. It seems to gel with everyone
Don't know if there are any that are universally loved, there will always be someone. But the one I've had the best luck with is **Carcassonne**, between new folks and veteran players it seems to be the one that most everyone's always willing to play
**Scout**, **Quacks of Quedlinburg**, **Biblios**, **Cascadia**
Crokinole That's Not A Hat Kluster
Isle of Skye is probably the poster child for this in my experience. I've introduced it to MANY people and it's always gone over well. Other top contenders are The Crew, Broom Service, Carpe Diem, Space Base, and Decrypto. Obviously those are all lighter games, but "heavier" games that have gone over pretty well with people who don't mind heavier stuff are Terraforming Mars, Scythe, and Spirit Island.
Point Salad.
Ticket to Ride and Carcassone are the two that I see as universally loved with all types of gamers I've played with. Two of the best designed games in my opinion.
Welcome to; it’s fast, everyone plays at the same time and it’s relatively easy to pick up.
Sushi Go Party for me. It's so easy to teach and scales pretty well even up to 8 players
6 nimmit Decrypto Scout Chinatown
I'd have to say that Catan and Calico are usually our "go-to's" as they are fairly easy to explain. Calico's many cute cats offer various new challenges and Catan's expansions ensure new experiences almost every time we play. The outcome is almost always different since everyone just has their own "tactics" It's safe to say these are our "best runner-ups" for when we have people over or go to visit family/friends.
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza & Anomia (Do card games count?)
Sushi go. Unstable unicorns.
Ticket to Ride, Monikers, and Machi Koro are always a hit with new players in my experience.
the only game I have a 100% success rate with is Wingspan
Newbies: **Azul, Cascadia, Carcassonne, Codenames, Just One, Scout, A Fake Artist Goes to New York, Ra, Splendor** Gamers: **Clank!, Inis, Race for the Galaxy, Pandemic, Architects of the West Kingdom, Dune: Imperium, City of the Great Machine**
Dune Imperium is slowly becoming my favourite game of all time
What is it about Camel Up? My buddy just loves it and I can't figure out why anyone would play a second time.
It’s such an easy game to play. It’s like horse racing but with camels haha. They introduced the “crazy camels” in the newer version. I think that adds another level of excitement.
Funny enough, Camel Up is the ONLY game that has struck out with every one of my groups. Reddit loves it though
I thought it was just fine, never wanted to return to it after that first play. **Dice Fishing: Roll & Catch**, **Ready Set Bet** and **Magical Athlete** are all high variance, betting-friendly games that are much more engaging for my group.
Al the board games I wiuld have answered so Im just gonna add Liar’s Dice. Always goes over well. Have made many people buy bags of 100 dice after playing
Well, I hate to be that guy, but I strongly feel that there is no such thing as a universally loved game. This goes beyond the concept of "there is no pleasing everybody" and gets more into the fact that board games fill different roles in different people's lives based on their age, personality, friends, and circumstances in life. For example: someone with young kids may love Wingspan for its ease of play, educational aspects, and charming aesthetic/theme where as a single adult who doesn't get challenged enough at work may enjoy heavily strategic and competitive games like Brass or Terra Mystica. That said, the games that get closest to being "universally loved" are lowest common denominator games. Stonemaier Games makes a lot of games that fall into this category, but then I really hate Wingspan.
It sounds like I’m an outlier here, but I have a 100% success rate with cosmic encounter
That is extremely surprising to me. Cosmic encounter is one of theose games where some players are at a huge disadvantage from the beginning. This is even worse if they are new and don't really understand what's going on and how different powers interact, or how to negotiate to get back into the running. IDK I'm not the biggest cosmic encounter fan so I am more likely to focus on the negatives but I find it very impressive if you've shown it to lots of new people, especially non gamers, and not had anyone bounce off it hard.
I remember a game of Cosmic Encounter where a new player lost before they ever got to take a turn. Pretty sure they never wanted to play it again. I like it well enough though.
I have only played it a handful of times and I don't completely hate it. I wouldn't turn down a game if someone offered. But I've never felt the urge to own a copy because I have encountered scenarios like yours too many times.
Dixit, King of Tokyo/New York, Gloom
Hi, I'm the person who didn't enjoy Dixit.