My local game store in Portland had a 'teach a newbie' night that flipped my whole approach

I went in thinking I'd just show someone how to play Catan, but I got paired with a guy who'd never touched a modern board game before. I realized halfway through my explanation that I was using way too much jargon and just overwhelming him. I had to strip everything back to the absolute basics, which honestly made me a better teacher for my regular group too. How do you guys adjust your teaching style when you're introducing games to someone completely fresh?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_blair1mo ago

Man, I used to just info dump but that night taught me to start with the core goal.

davidwright1mo ago

Wait, it took a whole night to learn that?

finley_harris55d ago

Honestly that's the only way it sticks sometimes. You gotta get burned by the info dump to really learn. Tbh I still catch myself doing it when I'm tired. The trick is to ask "what does this person actually need to know right now" before you open your mouth. Forces you to cut out all the extra junk. Saves everyone a ton of time and confusion.