For those interested in board gaming, I would like to suggest a few things.
Primarily, set up an account on BoardGameGeek. Known as BGG, it’s a website that is both a database of over 56,000 board games and a growing community of players, developers, testers, and industry leaders. Information about board games, reviews, and FAQs can all be found there. Once an account is setup, you can even keep track of all of the games you have, the ones you have played, and the ones you want. The site is far from easy to navigate, and even people who have been using it for years still struggle, but it’s a great resource for information.
Secondly, find a friendly local game store, known to most as an FLGS. Your FLGS is a great place to meet gamers, learn about games, and of course increase the size of your collection. If you don’t know of a local store, try searching on either BGG or Google for one. Most cities have a game store of some kind and many specialize in hobby level games.
Third, try lots of games. Try short, entirely luck based games that take a whole five minutes. Try long, three hour heavy strategy games where one mistake means you can’t win the game. Try games you don’t think you’ll like. Check out any games you’ve never heard of read about them or talk to other gamers about them. It’s only once you try a game that you know how you actually feel about it.
Finally, whether through joining one, helping start one yourself, or dragging your friends and family into it, actually play the games, preferably with a regular group. You’ll make new friends, have great discussions, and get to play games. If you can’t get your friends into the hobby, check your FLGS, BGG, or Meetup.com. If you’re near Northeast Ohio, please check the demo calendar, and stop by a game night.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I can give game advice if you’re after games for yourself or someone else, looking for help in finding a group, or just want advice on getting into the hobby. You can email me at Ken@Geek-Craft.com or once you’ve set up a BGG account, shoot me a message on there.
Game conventions are a great place to see and try new games. Most all of them run scheduled games, many open to beginners and some dedicated tournaments for hard core players. Many cons, particularly the big ones like Origins and Gen Con have demonstrations of games run by the manufacturers. This is a great way to try a game before buying. Companies like Mayfair Games have a demonstration participation program that offers discounts for attendees who try a number of their games. Often cons are the first place to experience new games or games in development. Our own convention, AnCon promotes independent and new game designers by having their games run at our show.