I used to think playing board games was just about winning, but a game night in Portland showed me I was wrong

At a friend's house last month, we were playing a heavy strategy game and I was focused only on my own points. My friend Sarah, who was losing, pointed out a cool combo I missed that would have helped another player. She said, 'The fun part is watching the whole puzzle come together, not just your corner of it.' That stuck with me. I've been playing for about 8 years and always treated it like a solo race. Now I try to see the whole board and appreciate other people's moves, even if it costs me the win. Does anyone else find they enjoy games more when they stop trying to crush everyone?

3 comments

3 Comments

grantc802d ago

That part about seeing the whole board really hits home. I used to get so mad when someone blocked my perfect strategy. Now I get a kick out of seeing a clever play, even if it wrecks me. It's like watching a good move in a sport. The game becomes a thing you're all building together, not just your own little project. Makes losing way less annoying.

garcia.cameron2d ago

Totally get that shift in thinking lol. Had a similar moment playing a co-op game where my plan would have screwed the team. Letting it go made the whole night way more fun for everyone.

craig.piper2d ago

Oh man, my friend had that exact thing happen. He was so sure his way to beat the raid boss was perfect, kept telling us to follow his weird path. We wiped like three times. He finally gave up and just went with the group's call. Next try, we cleared it easy and he was laughing the loudest. Letting his plan die saved the whole run.