Chits and Giggles

Musings from a video game professional that prefers spending his own time playing non-digital games with friends and family.

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Introducing my Wife to Board Games

Posted by Joshua Gertz

06 Aug 2011

Joshua Gertz

(Gertz)

United States
Las Vegas
Nevada

There are days when I come home and all I want to do is play a game of Dominion, 7 Wonders or even Munchkin. Most of the time though my wife is uninterested in anything beyond a common board game like Scrabble or Monopoly.

I don't mind them but they don't really provide much of a distraction to me either.

Now she has played Magic before and Zombies! with just her and I which didn't work out very well. In fact she really liked Magic and even bought her own cards for a time, but it didn't last that long because I was playing competitively at the time.

Now don't get me wrong here, I didn't curb stomp her with power nine or anything. We would pace each other and I kept the cards that I used to play with my wife separate from my collection. When I got a pack I bought one for my wife as well and we each added another pack to our sets to play with each other. Its just certain things come natural to me because of my tournament background and it was the small things that dramatically tipped things in my favor 90% of the time.

So how do I get her to play game again? Take a look at my collection and please give me some insight!

Or/and...take a look at my Shopping List and thumb the items you think would work well.

-Gertz

7 Comments

Sat Aug 6, 2011 9:41 pm

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Laughing Cow Cheese

(Laughing Cow Cheese)

Spokane
Washington

Play Boggle.

No, seriously, you dismiss Scrabble as a "common board game" and want to play the games that you enjoy and in which you are strong. Where's the fun in that for her?

If she likes science fiction/horror films, play Grave Robbers From Outer Space. Like Magic, it is a card game of mutual combat; unlike Magic, it's too random to reward smart play and is really all about making up silly stories so it is more like Munchkin as relaxing. (Actually, it probably rewards smart play even less than does Munchkin).

I like both games like Magic and Boggle. I'm stuck playing Boggle with my computer because my family members won't play it with me.

Posted Sat Aug 6, 2011 11:02 pm
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Joshua Gertz

(Gertz)

United States
Las Vegas
Nevada

Laughing Cow Cheese wrote:

Word games are awful for both of us...its a battle of four letter words for 2 hours and then we both regret playing anything.

My issue is that we have played a handful of games, she hasn't liked them and now I have a hard time trying to get her to play anything non-digital. We both didn't really care for Grave Robbers From Outer Space, we did try it but it fell flat. Zombies!! doesn't work well with 2 players but is fun with about 4...anything more takes too long.

I think if I can get her to play Dominion or Ascension that she would like them. I also think she would like Settlers and Carcassone if she would try them.

I also think I may be able to trick her with Blokus or Qwirkle and then throw in something a bit heavier.

Posted Sun Aug 7, 2011 5:35 am
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Chris Askew

(slightly askew)

United Kingdom
Pelaw, Gateshead
Tyne & Wear

My other half isn't a 'gamer' either, although she will play games in a group. However, as for couples only games she much prefers to play 'multiplayer solitaire' games where there's little or no interaction (or rather direct confrontation).

She likes Pandemic, Dominion, Ingenious, Settlers (with little or no trading), Agricola and Carcassonne.

I'd second the idea of an abstract or puzzle game like Ingenious as there's often a simple ruleset and I've yet to meet a woman who doesn't like puzzle type games.

Its also perhaps worth trying a co-op game such as Pandemic, as this is very much playing 'together' and could be seen as bonding rather than gaming.

Good luck!

Posted Sun Aug 7, 2011 1:01 pm
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Kathy Sheets

(Mamadallama)

United States
Port Saint Lucie
Florida

Set up Stone Age and maybe she will find just the look of it appealing! I know that I do. It's not terribly hard to play and it's fun with just two people, too. Good luck. I'm going to go look at your shopping list now...good luck!

Posted Mon Aug 15, 2011 1:34 am
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Kent O.

(Sprout)

United States

Kansas

I might recommend Fresco, too. The art theme is pretty fun. Not really direct confrontation. I haven't played Stone Age, basically because the theme isn't as attractive as Fresco for me. But I hear that they have a lot in common.

San Juan is also a nice little game that is not too difficult to teach.

Posted Wed Aug 17, 2011 10:45 pm
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Stuart Poll

(tornadojake)

England
matlock
Derbyshire

I am afraid that as hard as we may find it to comprehend some people just dont enjoy playing board games. Two suggestions spring to mind.
1) Get a new hobby which she enjoys and feels happy to participate in, you may even want to seek her opinion before deciding what direction your new shared interest should take.
2) Get a new wife.
Personally i favour option 2 but ultimately its your call. devil

Edited Mon Aug 29, 2011 4:11 am
Posted Mon Aug 29, 2011 4:10 am
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Joshua Gertz

(Gertz)

United States
Las Vegas
Nevada

tornadojake wrote:

Haha

Well she did enjoy Ticket to Ride so now I just have to find a few more she likes.

Posted Mon Aug 29, 2011 4:37 am
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Introducing my Wife to Board Games

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