I used to think teaching new games was about explaining every rule up front

For years, I'd spend like 20 minutes going through the whole rulebook before we even touched a piece, and people's eyes would just glaze over. Then, at a game night in Austin last month, my friend just said, 'Let's play a practice round, I'll explain as we go.' We were playing Azul, and after three turns, everyone got it. Now I just teach the absolute goal and the basic turn structure, maybe 5 minutes max, and we jump in. It's way less stressful for everyone. How do you guys handle teaching a complicated game without losing the group?

2 comments

2 Comments

nathanb7128d ago

Totally agree with jumping in fast, but I'd say you still need to explain the scoring before you start Azul. In my experience, if people don't know how they're getting points, those early turns feel pointless. I give the goal and the basic turn, then explain scoring right after the first practice round, before we reset. That way they see the pieces in play and understand why they're collecting them.

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kevin_wells4628d ago

Yeah, the "practice round then reset" method is what that Shut Up and Sit Down video recommended too.