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Gateway board games: how to get them hooked
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Being a part of the gaming community doesn’t usually earn cool points with non-gamer friends. This is especially true for game geeks of the non-console variety. It’s a lot easier to hand a controller to a novice friend and go a few rounds on Street Fighter IV, or pass the mic on a Singstar song, than it is to crack open a box of strange looking pieces that seem more complicated than fun. So how can a jacked up gamer hook more friends in an effort to provide the future means of access for his own craving? Well, just like any drug, the best way to get the kiddies on the hard stuff is to start with a gateway element.
Board games help people recall childhood memories of family fun.
Though those memories may be fond, they certainly don’t resonate with what many adults consider fun. The most crucial part of starting up a gateway game is the way the game is presented; and it in no way, shape or form should be part of the invitation given for the gathering. Just like it would be unwise to invite a bunch of straight laced friends over to smoke pot, it would be equally foolish to invite a bunch of club hoppers over to play Risk. The better approach would be to invite them over casually for drinks or pizza then slowly slip in the idea of playing a quick round of your gateway game of choice. Here are a few simple phrases to coax them in:
“Come on, it’s not like we’re really doing anything important right now anyway.”
“Look, let’s just try it out. If it sucks, we’ll quit.”
“All the cool kids are doing it.” - This one’s a big stretch, but it may work on buds that have had a few extra brews.
The next step is in game selection and this part is also crucial. Starting a bunch of newbies on a game like Dominion is going to lay all set-up work to waste. So which game is best? The answer is different for everyone, but after scouring the message boards for the best gateway game available there are three that will indefinitely pop up every time.
Ticket to Ride is incredibly non-threatening to new gamers. It has a board that is already set up, and all players have to do is connect the dots. The premise is that each player has made a bet that they can travel the farthest across the United States. By successfully connecting train routes between cities they collect points. If the cities are not connected points are taken away. Extra points are awarded to players who cover great distances with their routes. Simple, quick, and familiar. Ticket to Ride is going to run about 40-50 dollars new, making it the most expensive game on this list, but the results should prove worth the expense.
Carcassonne is probably the easiest of the three games listed here. There are complexities of the game that players can get into when discussing gameplay with others, but for the most part semantics don’t matter. There are three physical components to the game: Small square land tiles, tiny wooden people (referred to as meeples), and a score board. The object is to place the tiles on different areas of the board and try to claim as many pieces of land, city or road as possible before the tiles run out. The simplicity of Carcassonne is the big seller, but strategy can make it loads more fun. Blocking an opponent from taking the points for an extra long road is both fun and satisfying. It can also serve to anger the new player into wanting another round. Gamers can expect to pay 20-40 dollars for the core game set. Expansion packs are also available to add different elements to the game.
Settlers of Catan was published in 1995 and is still going strong among the board game fans as an award winning addition to any board game library. It is also the most complex of the three games listed in this article, but not by much. The concept within Settlers is that each player takes on the role of a settler on an Island. Pieces of land are represented by hexagonal game pieces; each piece provides the opportunity for players to reap certain benefits along their quest. The most overwhelming aspect of Settlers of Catan is the multiple components. Newbies will have to familiarize themselves with a constructed board, resource cards and various game pieces that serve certain marker functions. If the rules are laid out quickly and simply, Settlers of Catan can offer up a great first time gaming experience. Just beware the one guy in the corner who doesn’t want to learn anything new and plans to stop the game before it even gets started.
Now, there are many other board games out there that can be placed in the gateway category. These are simply some of the most popular. The most important thing to remember is the audience the game is being presented to. In time, you too can have friends that are so into games they'll freak out like this kid when the supply runs out:
All of the games listed in this article can be purchased at Amazon.com or any other board game specific retail stores.
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