My stubborn streak about not reading rulebooks finally ended, and it made our last game night actually fun. | Board Game Geeks - Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals
Reading the rules turns confused frustration into shared problem-solving. It's not about stifling fun but about giving the game a fair shot. Once everyone knows how things work, you can actually play the game as intended, which is surprisingly enjoyable. Skipping the manual often means spending the night arguing about what move is legal instead of playing. That shared baseline lets you focus on strategy and banter, not petty disputes. It's like agreeing on the rules of a sport before you start, otherwise you're just running around with a ball.
Seriously, why do we fight the basics so hard? I see this same thing when people try to put together furniture without the manual and end up with extra parts. Actually following the steps turns a messy job into something simple. How much time do we waste pretending we don't need directions?
Come on @harper_hart71, is it really that big of a deal? Sometimes winging it is half the fun, even if you end up with a weird looking bookshelf. Not every little task needs to be a serious step-by-step process. I get your point about saving time, but a little messing around can help you figure things out on your own. Treating every project like a test you can fail just takes the joy out of simple stuff. Sure, you might have extra parts, but the thing might still hold together just fine.