My game group in Denver tried a 10-hour Twilight Imperium session with a total newbie.

We invited my friend's partner who had only played Catan before, expecting to spend the whole day teaching. They picked up the rules fast and ended up winning by a solid 3 victory points, which completely flipped our usual power rankings. It showed me that assuming complex games are only for veterans can really backfire. Has anyone else had a beginner totally dominate a heavy game night?

3 comments

3 Comments

burns.brian4d ago

That's the kind of humbling experience that keeps a game group honest. You spend years building up this idea of who the best strategic minds are, and then someone who just learned the rules comes in and cleans house. It proves that fresh eyes without any bad habits or overthinking can be a huge advantage. Your group's usual power ranking wasn't just flipped, it was probably thrown out the window. I'd keep a close eye on that newbie, because if they can do that once, they can definitely do it again.

thomas.river4d ago

Watch out for that newbie, they're clearly a secret genius. Your whole group just got schooled by someone who probably still thinks wheat is a good resource.

park.eric4d ago

Honestly, the idea that fresh eyes without bad habits is a huge advantage feels a bit off to me. A total beginner winning a heavy game like that is way more about luck than some secret strategic genius. Twilight Imperium has so many moving parts and random elements, especially in a first game. They probably just got dealt a good slice, drew the right objectives, and didn't get picked on. It's a cool story, but it doesn't really prove anything about skill or power rankings. One game, especially a long complex one, is just too random to draw big conclusions from.