Your gateway game of choice

scitadel · 10th March 2009, 07:37 AM

Just out of curiosity, when you introduce board games to non-gamers or new gamers, which game do you pull out?

So far, mine has fallen back (admitedly 'cause I don't own Settlers anymore) to Kingsburg and Citadels as the first choices. I might do Stone Age, but it's a tad too complicated I think while Kingsburg has less pieces to worry about. Also, the catch-up mechanics in it help beginner players not get left too far behind.

If I'm looking lighter than those two, San Juan and Citadels.

Asmor · 10th March 2009, 02:23 PM

Depends what I have on me at the time.

Ticket to Ride, Settlers of Catan and Carcassonne are alll great gateway games, though I'm not such a fan of the former two so Carcassonne is my preference.

Badwe · 11th March 2009, 05:16 AM

I like to use carcassonne, settlers, guillotine and labyrinth. Once i've roped them in we usually move on to card games like dominion, race for the galaxy, or gloom. still trying to find more folks hardy enough to handle imperial :-P

scitadel · 11th March 2009, 06:09 AM

Hmmm... interesting. Which Labyrinth are you talking about?

Badwe · 11th March 2009, 02:09 PM

the old 70s esque one with sliding tiles and a very obvious david bowie owl :-P

Crothian · 11th March 2009, 08:07 PM

We have been using Carcassonne and Pandemic.

Holy Bovine · 11th March 2009, 10:17 PM

It would have to be Ticket to Ride as I was actually able to get my mother to play a game with me and the grandkids. She really seemed to enjoy it and I plan to bring it and a few other introductory games with me when i visit next week. Carcassonne, Citadels and Kung Fu Fighting will probably be the ones I take.

scitadel · 12th March 2009, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crothian

We have been using Carcassonne and Pandemic.

Is Carcassonne that easy to teach? I haven't had a chance to try it yet myself. Red November's not something I'd try but if Pandemic works, it might be good...

Asmor · 12th March 2009, 06:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scitadel

Is Carcassonne that easy to teach? I haven't had a chance to try it yet myself. Red November's not something I'd try but if Pandemic works, it might be good...

Carcassonne's a snap. The only thing that's moderately complicated are the farms, and even those have been simplified a lot in the most recent rules. For that matter, the game plays well enough if you just leave out farmers altogether.

Crothian · 12th March 2009, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scitadel

Red November's not something I'd try but if Pandemic works, it might be good...

Like Red November, Pandemic is a completely co operative game. So, helping out the new people also helps everyone win. I haven't played Red November, but with Pandemic's ability to have fewer epidemic cards in the deck also helps the game be easier.

WillOH · 12th March 2009, 01:23 PM

Ticket to Ride is now our standard game for newbies, but Alhambra and Ivanhoe are also great titles. We used to use Settlers and Carcassonne as well.

arscott · 12th March 2009, 05:58 PM

Fluxx and TransAmerica are both simple games with good crossover appeal. Settlers of Catan is easy enough to learn and Iconic of it's genre (plus, I kinda suck at it, so the new players aren't at a huge disadvantage when they play against me).

Cadfan · 12th March 2009, 10:40 PM

Ticket to Ride
Carcassonne: Hunter's and Gatherers
Lascaux
Zooloretto
Cash & Guns

Depends a lot on the person. I've started some people right away on Agricola and had success. I knew they were geeks, so they wouldn't be turned off by a long game, and its so thematic that its easy on new players. And it really creates that "Oh, I REALLY should have done THAT!" feeling that makes people want to play again.

billd91 · 12th March 2009, 11:36 PM

Besides some of the games already mentioned, we've had luck teaching newbies:

Shadows Over Camelot
Ricochet Robot
Zombies
EuroRails (though I would probably say Ticket to Ride is even easier)

And back when I was in high school, Axis and Allies was a pretty good gateway game. It had a broad appeal.

Jan van Leyden · 13th March 2009, 09:40 AM

For board game newbies we rely on very short duration games:

- Transamerica
- Viva il Ré
- Piranha Pedro

Metro, Ticket to Ride, and Alhambra, perhaps Settlers are good follow-ups. If they 'survive' their first contact, we treat them to other games compatible with their thematic interests.

Sabathius42 · 14th March 2009, 08:08 AM

All the above suggestions are good (at least those I have heard of) and I will add my favorite non-gamer-game....

Family Business

Usually when playing with new players I will make an effort to not win. I don't necessarily throw the game, but I will sometimes do things that are stupid (like building a city on the border between a 12 and the desert in Catan) to give myself a handicap so I can see how I can dig myself out of it while the other players do their best.

DS

MerricB · 14th March 2009, 04:40 PM

Ticket To Ride (Europe or original+1910)
Carcassonne
Settlers of Catan

Cheers!

Flatus Maximus · 16th March 2009, 03:14 AM

Ticket to Ride Europe -- I even got my wife to play, and she hates to play games.

Dayspire · 16th March 2009, 04:14 PM

I recently introduced my 10 year old daughter to board gaming with Arkham Horror. She did surprisingly well, I didn't have to hold her hand very much after the first few attempts, and to hear her tell her uncle that she, "killed a Gug, and killed Ithaqua with two swords!" was quite cute.

Sabathius42 · 17th March 2009, 03:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dayspire

I recently introduced my 10 year old daughter to board gaming with Arkham Horror. She did surprisingly well, I didn't have to hold her hand very much after the first few attempts, and to hear her tell her uncle that she, "killed a Gug, and killed Ithaqua with two swords!" was quite cute.

Good crikey! That's like a pusher introducing some kids to drugs by getting them to mainline some black-tar heroin!

It took all my willpower just to shepard my wife through a game of Arkham Horror.

DS