50 Etiquette Rules for Board Games

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I share my 50 etiquette rules that I try to abide by when playing board games, and hope my fellow gamers follow too.
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[@actualol]

In response to some comments - some of the rules are intended to be very tongue in cheek. I was hoping it would be obvious by how silly some of them are, but I obviously failed in getting that across. 6. Celebrate how you like! 31. I didn't say don't sleeve. I didn't say sleeving is bad. I sleeve games! I just think it's something your friends can rib you about.

[@theAstarrr]

My bad. It seemed like a mostly serious video with a 1 or 2 joke rules (Having them mixed together makes it hard to tell when you’re being serious or joking, but most of them seemed like you expected board gamers to follow them)

[@kherubim1]

Huh.😄

[@BarryDoubletBoardGames]

Next time, wear a red nose 🤡I was ready to bite your head off with your rule of "no soundtracks." Then I remembered... 😜

[@JohnFlower-NZ]

It was very clear to me that some of the rules were jokes. That as a whole the list was given as a prompt for the audience to consider what is important for them in their circumstance. The style of humour is consistent with your other videos. Catherine Tait has this issue too. I rewatched her French "Look at my face, am I bovvered?" video yesterday. Some people thought it was awful that a student could be so rude to a teacher. They thought it was real! Or others just didn't find it funny. To me the skit stood by itself... but because I have seen all her Am I Bovvered skits I laugh harder because it builds upon them. Humour is in the ear of the beholder. Some people do not have a sense of humour. They have a sense of humor. Which just goes to show what rot spelling is... until the dikshonary woz wri'en nobody cared. Now we get our knickers in a twist if someone doesn't spell things the same way our mum did.

[@OlaRozenfeld]

My take on which rules were meant to be a joke: "9. The host picks the games" -- completely false in my group, everyone is expected to bring their games, so that we have more options. (And then we spend an hour deciding what to play, so... maybe the rule has its merits 🙂) "11. Your game -- you teach the rules" -- like, why? Anyone who knows the game can teach the rules... 😕 "37. Don’t say a game is broken" Uhh, maybe that depends on the group, but when someone I play with says that a game is broken, I listen. They might be right -- and even if they are wrong, this will be an interesting discussion. I've seen them being right at least three times. One example: our player finding a loophole in Imperial Settlers enabling infinite turns. (Turned out, there are quite a few such loopholes!). And guess what: we had to fix it with a -- gasp -- house rule! "42. Don’t look up strategy tips on the sly" I mean, sure, the "on the sly" part is bad, you should never be deceptive about your own level/experience. But not studying from other people in general has to be a joke, right? Like, Magnus Carlsen shouldn't be World Champion because he read chess books instead of figuring it all out on his own... "47. Don't introduce house rules" - we had to mod games very few times, and it was always completely justified. Do we think we were able to improve something that designers spent months on? Uhh -- yep, we totally were! Playtesting is difficult. Bugs happen.

[@viewergreg]

Two rules I would add: a) don't let your kids play a game with the adults unless they can actually understand the rules and play competently. b) don't team up with your spouse/significant other if it's not a cooperative or team game. It's really irritating when a couple won't attack or block each other in a game even though they're playing as individuals.

[@mariomaqueda5135]

Teaming up just because they can really annoys me. If that's the case everyone should get a partner.

[@jediquigley2192]

Not sure rule A would work for every family, its not fair to leave a child out if the whole family are playing a game. For example my 7 year old will play Everdell with us (mum, dad and 10 year old) when he first started playing he would just go for the cute characters he liked, he still enjoyed the game and was able to take part. He has improved a lot since and now understands more about scoring points. We would barely play a game if we followed this rule.

[@GamingWithSantanas]

For rule B, my wife always tries to make sure I lose. It's the complete opposite of the team up aspect haha

[@Pomagranite167]

Lol i'm that person. Once I'm in game mode, I don't know any of you anymore. This is a new world. I'm here to win and sabotage everyone lol i do not care that we are in love in real life, I do not know you in this realm

[@rainbowskin3379]

@@jediquigley2192 It's more like "don't allow your children to participate in a game with a group of friends, if they literally can't play it" having a game night with your family is different than your friend letting their 5 year old play uno with you while constantly playing random cards and knocking things over because they think it's funny.

[@iqweaver]

The correct British response to winning is to apologise

[@fanzj914]

In italy we do different 😅

[@fionajackson8002]

"Friends first, games second." This will be an etiquette list I can get behind.

[@Leron...]

An addendum to the final rule: Something I despise worse than king-making is mood-breaking. If you've realized you're unlikely to win, don't act all "woe is me; what's the point; nothing I can do matters anymore"... It kills the atmosphere around the table. The story of the night is no longer about the fun of the game but about how your attitude ruined it. Imagine if someone shares their all-time favorite movie with you and then just before the big climactic moment you said "I don't want to finish watching it, my favorite character isn't gonna be the hero." It's very rude and selfish.

[@jedbex7070]

Y’all think you won’t win? I’ve been 5 points behind in Catan and I was still talking about how I was gonna beat them (when they had to build one more road to win)

[@ManateeGag]

my wife does this, but then ends up wining my 20 points, usually 80% of the time.

[@IanUniacke]

@@ManateeGag that reminds me of a time recently where I was like "ok I'll play carcassonne with you all but I'll probably win just checking if everyone's ok with that" (I have played that game a ridiculous amount). Then about half way one of the players (almost certainly unintentionally) blocked off my main city and I started getting depressed, but still ended up winning the game. Awkward (for me)

[@draheim90]

I think that mindset is covered under (among others, potentially) play to win and don’t complain.

[@13shoshana]

I've kingmakered before but its usually to specifically stop someone who has intentionally gone after me the whole game - i don't do it just for fun, only when theres a specific person im trying to stop who has been targeting me. I definitely agree with you though. I struggle sometimes with my extraordinarily bad luck but its my job to not complain about it all the time.

[@WispYart]

Few rules from myself: - Don't bend the cards, don't hold them tightly in one hand - Don't tell others "it's a simple game" when they are struggling with their turn, be patient if they make a rule mistake, even multiple times - Try not to leave the game. The worst feeling is when a person leaves the game, then we count their points and find out they won the game - Praise your opponent when they have a big turn: rush the dopamine into their brain with a "oooh that turn was chonky", or "wow, you got me good" or "oh how the turns have tabled!"

[@vimalveeraiyan6487]

There is a scammer alert

[@sylvainalain4749]

My main and most important "etiquette" rule would be : Please, PLEASE, plan ahead at least a bit your upcoming turn. I mean, right from the moment you finish your turn, begin analyzing, thinking about what you'll be doing next. Yeah, sure, the board and situation might change before it gets back to you again but please don't wait all the way until it gets to your turn again before taking notice and thinking about your action!! It TOTALLY RUINS the flow of the game! Any game I play, as soon as I finished my turn I begin thinking what I'll be doing next, most of the times even anticipate what actions my opponents might take and what it would change on my next turn! Most of the time, before it gets back to me, I have 3~4 options of actions to take depending on how the game changed in the meantime. By preparing your next turn, it keeps you busy and invested in the game and won't make it look long and boring to you while you wait for your turn again! Everybody wins by using some sense of anticipation!

[@DamPlays96]

Asking not to do the voices in narrative games unless you're a professional it's like asking someone not to sing in karaoke unless they're professional singers. In my experience It's always fantastic when someone does it ❤

[@MacGhillemhoail]

Agreed, I would find it hilarious. This was an odd rule. Perhaps meant for rooms where not everyone is close friends. In that case, yes, don't inflict your two months of improv training on the rest of us.

[@ashleyhart3205]

I love it when people read with accents or voices too!

[@jerryharris876]

I do voices/accents whenever I am doing a narrative story (like Frosthaven), but I don't tell other people that they need to do the same as well. If they do, then they do & if they don't, then they don't.

[@AmberMetallicScorpion]

agreed. with DnD, one of the most known content creators for it being jocat, upon being given the concern "i can't voice act or sing good songs" he responds with "embrace the bad, it's fun as heck" not to mention that you're taking away the opportunity for someone who may be good at voice acting without knowing, to find out that they actually are good. if you wouldn't tell a kid who's getting into a hobby not to talk about that hobby because they're not an expert in it, then you shouldn't do the same to someone just trying to have fun. all it does is make them trust you less, and makes them less likely to be passionate about anything else since "what's the point? they won't care anyway"

[@stoo2k]

For my character in Forgotten Waters I put on my very finest Le Chuck pirate voice, and I do narrate in character all the story parts in Sleeping Gods. It's all very tongue in cheek, but it never fails to entertain in my group :)

[@thegreatyeti33]

I sleeve my cards with pride. After this video I'm gonna start sleeving my gameboards and minis too.

[@luiscarlosqg]

Proud sleever here too 🤝🏼. I also sleeve some tiles that are grabbed frequently (such as the role tiles in Puerto Rico). And tokens that go into bags with coin caps (Altiplano).

[@christian6911]

Some won't fit back in the box though after you sleeve them.

[@Ixodides]

Yup! I am a happy owner of sleeves purchased in 1999 for my MTG deck :D since then I sleeve all games. Even my copy of Bohnanza!

[@Ogrecrusher]

You're a casual if you don't sleeve your dice.

[@luiscarlosqg]

@@christian6911 true and that is enraging. Game producers should always consider sleeves for their trays.

[@skyscraper14]

Not being on your phone is good advice for all social situations, not just game night. Thanks Jon! You always make me laugh while teaching and informing. I love the list.

[@styfen]

The correct way to do drinks at a game night is via side tables. That way people have drinks to hand, but they're not between the players and the board which is where most spillages occur.

[@deidreiannelli5660]

So true, spills are best prevented by keeping drinks off of the main play area. 95% of the spills that occur at my table are a direct result of someone not using one of several drink holding options provided to them and ultimately deciding the best place to put down their soda can is on the railing of the game table. The other 5% is one person who somehow manages to knock glass bottles and coffee cups out of deep pocketed drink holders so they shatter on the floor.

[@christian6911]

When I buy a house I'm going to buy a fancy gamer table with the removable top and the built in coasters on the edges.

[@Ixodides]

Nah... we still laugh that we flooded the Cyclades. I mean I trust my friends who I play with... so as Jon say's first friends then boardgame :)

[@davidj9293]

100% this is exactly what I do. I never allow drinks on the same table as the game, but side tables? Go ahead! The same goes for snacks. Got a grease and crumb free snack? Side table. Got a greasy messy snack? That goes on the counter. When playing short games we take a snack break between games. If we're playing something longer. We just take a break every little bit for snacks. I don't agree with the sentiment that it is your games vs your friends or your games vs your friends' comfort. I think you can have both, you just need to be creative.

[@photoben]

What giant house you living in?

[@giorgioortiz]

Rule #6 is extremely dependent on your group though. If I'm playing with new people, my wife, or some others - yes, I'll be normally humble. Buuut, if I'm playing with my brothers or best friend, I will bask in the glory of my win and rub it in their faces until they beat me next game.

[@kyleellis1825]

Most of the rules in this list depend on the group. I'm always annoyed by how OCD some people get over keeping games in mint condition. Minumum wage in Canada is 15.50. For every 15 dollars the game cost me, I only need to play it for an hour to have gotten my value out of it. Me getting pissy at my friends for having greasy fingers will save me the game a bit longer. But I'll lose friends. The time investment of making new friends who are willing to play a boardgame is way higher than the cost of just buying a new copy of a game I like enough to wear it out. Casino's will replace a deck of cards every 8-12 hours. Those are some pretty clean hands and yet normal wear and tear will mean the cards get replaced fairly often.

[@chaosblackdoom2563]

​@kyle ellis I want my belongings to last as long as they can. My furniture, my computer, my games etc. People can have clean hands or they can wash them. Also, your minimum wage analogy doesn't really work because you're never spending your whole paycheck on entertainment. I'd say maybe 5-7% of my paycheck goes towards fun, so for your analogy, basically every dollar of cost is an hour to be spent. And if it's a Kickstarter game, good luck finding 200 hours in a single game before cards feel gross without being clean.

[@kyleellis1825]

@@chaosblackdoom2563 My analogy works because that's how long it makes the make that same amount of money. I've already said that rare/old games are exempt from this. And if someone wants to be this person, fine. They just don't get invited back to any of our games. Being the asshole who ruins the night because you brought snacks out for the guests and then scream at them to wash hands before playing? It's far faster to replace the game and you, while you will now need to find an entire group of friends willing to put up with how annoying you are.

[@kyleellis1825]

@@chaosblackdoom2563 Just to be clear, I'm not talking about a polite" Hey, can you try to clean your hands." I'm talking about the anal retentitive control freeks who get mad when you hold the cards wrong and bend them, or the people who shame the sweaty hands. Respect another persons stuff. But those same people need to remember it's just stuff and it probably cost less than a hundred dollars. Is your friendship with this group worth it or should you just maybe stop providing rare/expensive games for them if it's an issue?

[@youvelookedbetter]

@@kyleellis1825 That's why I just sleeve my favourite games. It's not reasonable to have snacks and stuff out and then expect people to only have them at a specific time, when we're not playing games.

[@cranelord]

I started collecting board games this year so have become the game person. The rules bits just hit so close to home it hurts. I'll spend a few hours getting familiar with rules. I'll read the manual, set the game up, watch a how to play tutorial, even let's plays if I really need to. Then it gets to game night and I've got a whole thing rehearsed and it turns into a battle to get people to listen. And I'm right with you on the "learn as we go" people. It gets suggested all the time and I have to explain that literally never works because you need at least a basic understanding of what your goals are.

[@domicius]

Yeah. You have to do the boring, teachery thing of "Please settle down, and let me continue" a few hundred times :)

[@michaelzaragoza942]

I have been helping a friend run community game nights for years... and I started as the "explain-all-of-the-rules-upfront" kind of guy. However, after time, I found that teaching games at events is an art style. I now try my best to explain the game by clearly defining the objective followed by a brief summary (with examples if needed) of what YOU as the player can do during your turn. I then give the speech about how this is a "first game" so they should temper their expectations regarding how well they do. I find that a lot of new players learn the base mechanics and then once they learn more about the complexity... they are now equipped to have the advanced discussion. If the game has a lot if non-player mechanics, I usually run that for the group and allow players to ask questions during the game. It also helps 100x if you know the rules in advance. I will study the rules (reading and through YT vids if they exist) so that I am as prepared as possible.

[@sir_coma60]

I like the learn as we go approach to teaching new games. However, I make sure they understand the objective, know basic actions & I move 1st while forcing certain scenarios to teach mechanic. This usually means the 1st game is long and ignored for score keeping, bit what I find is that my friends usually get more invested like this, as they see potential for plays that I did not show during the tutorial, and I can make sure they like the game enough to start a proper game. Ofc this only works with shorter games, but i dont have long games to begin with.

[@domicius]

@@michaelzaragoza942 For new games I sometimes set them up and play few rounds solo, or play on a digital format if available (such as boardgame arena). It also helps if you know the players to have a second player "learn the rules", so they can also "police" the rules later on and take some of that load.

[@CraigVolpe]

I wouldn’t say learn as we go literally never works. In some contexts giving a brief intro and then teaching as they go works better than a full-on rules explanation up front. I say this as someone who has taught 100s of games to 100s of people and was formerly employed as a game teacher. The right approach isn’t nearly as rigid as you’re making it out to be. Part of being an effective teacher is reading your audience and adapting in real time, which can mean cutting the teach short if they’re getting overwhelmed.

[@zhetarho]

Rule 9 actually works the opposite in my group. Choosing what games to bring is half the fun and we actually recently concluded that we usually end up playing the games of the person whose house we're not in (driving my wife absolutely nuts). Of course the down side is that we generally spend the first 30 minutes of our game night deciding which game to play, but that has also become somewhat of a tradition.

[@stevieinselby]

Yes, very much down to the etiquette of the group. Some people like to host but don't have a whole lot of games, others have a lot of games but don't find it easy to host. But if the person hosting _has_ got a cupboard full of games, it's probably best not to bring any more along uninvited.

[@Astro-bh7fv]

For me, The host picks most of the games, but everyone who attends is invited to bring a game themselves, and we try and play everyone's games, It's a great way to discover new games

[@martinmackey7191]

So do we. We give a 2-3 statement description of each game followed by everyone's top 3, followed by a couple votes. That way, we usually pick a game that everyone will be ok with, even if it's nobody's #1 pick

[@zhetarho]

@@martinmackey7191 That works! We often end up going for the reverse system where we put a bunch of games on the table and then one by one remove a game we don't particularly feel like playing. Same result, just in reverse order

[@martinmackey7191]

@@zhetarho nice yeah we've done that too, although my group seems to be more open to listing several they DO wanna play versus black balling games, for some reason

[@tylerwarner3677]

51. Ask before helping to put the game away. Some of us are finicky about how stuff should go in. 😂

[@BCGpp]

52. Don't be mad at someone who has to leave as soon as the game is finished and can't help you put away the board / their pieces.

[@parkerstoryteller]

I'd add to 52 "Especially if your Meetup has gone late."

[@alicepbg2042]

51.5 - it's always fine to just separate the stuff into easy to get piles. like separating the hearts and brains and clues etc from eldrich horror

[@joshsimpson1283]

Personally, I think talking about what to do on the turn is a core part of cooperative games. I like to try to ask everyone at the table how they think we should proceed periodically, and then let people try to execute their part of the plan for a bit before talking about what to do next. You're right, don't tell people exactly what to do on their turn, but do talk about general strategy and give some light tips to new players

[@kasperprindal-nielsen4983]

I think this was the only one I felt doesn't apply to my gaming group. We almost exclusively play coops, and the core part of the enjoyment for us comes from discussing what to do. For us planing several turns ahead is part of the fun, and not being able to suggest what others should or shouldn't do would make that impossible. I do however understand why it's not for everybody, and why some people would adhere to this rule. I would follow it if I played with strangers.

[@pionosphere]

I think that he meant that there's a difference between a robust strategy discussion (and tips for players looking for advice) and dictating to someone exactly what they should do.

[@joshsimpson1283]

@@pionosphere I agree! I just think it's easy to misunderstand the way he described it. I wanted people watching this who might be less familiar with board game etiquette to know that this shouldn't be misconstrued as advice to not talk. The conversation is the point. Just don't dominate the conversation. Get everyone involved

[@IanUniacke]

Perhaps you haven't been in the types of situations he's talking about. Me and my friends got in this situation with that exact game (Pandemic) and the comedy part of the video wasn't even really an exageration to what happened in our case. It just means that what you're doing is playing the coop game as a solo game and still expecting everyone to pat you on the back at the end and congratulate you on how intelligent you are.

[@AndreaVarnier]

@@pionosphere yes, that's the point!

[@sevreal4]

I love when my friends at my table celebrate their wins, I like to know they have been commited and have been enjoying the experience enough to show it. Although I do understand your point, bad winners can be the worst :]

[@PeteQuad]

I tried to make this exact comment. Totally agree.

[@habeashumor9814]

I came to say I'm not surprised by this KZbinr's take given that he's a Brit 😂 ("Huh... jolly good show then... well done you.")

[@commercialchase8442]

I learned this the hard way during my Gloomhaven campaign: *Never tell your group a situation is unwinnable!* Either you don’t know better, or it’s something your teammates don’t want to hear. Instead use the opportunity to discuss how to avoid the situation in the future.

[@danielfontecchio9222]

See I disagree with Gloomhaven/Frosthaven. If everyone can agree that a scenario is going to end up in a loss then players can focus on trying to loot or gain experience through cards since you keep both of those even if you lose a scenario. Now if something bad happens to a player and they just lose all hope while the other players still have 10/11 card in hand or discard pile then I would say let it play out for a bit and do what you can to help before calling it a loss.

[@brianphelps2415]

@@danielfontecchio9222 I agree, especially if there's enough time in the game night that you can try again. I'd rather that than do 20-30 minutes on an unwinnable situation (although if there is even a *slight* chance we make it you should take that risk)

[@richardz8199]

Ok..to sum up: Friends first - Games second! Great list!

[@Jonaelize]

One addendum to 24: If I'm playing against someone who doesn't know the game and I know it very well, I will not play to my fullest strength and revel in the ability to crush a newcomer. I want them to come back to gamenight after all. Instead I will play fast turns, not straining myself to deliver perfect turns and I will try out unusual strategies and concentrate on attacking some more experienced player.

[@felidonis_4z40]

True, way more fun to have people realize whether they like a game or not rather than just feel like they are being stepped on the whole game

[@sykes1024]

Yeah, last time I played Eclipse, I was the only one familiar with it beforehand, and it's such a long game it can feel really crappy if you get attacked a good system taken from you early in the game. So, while I didn't do anything particularly unconventional, and while I still made an effort to win, I tried to play quickly, and I didn't actually attack any other players, just tried to win peacefully and just defended my own sectors.

[@EmporerDragon]

Yeah, when there's a large skill gap, I will intentionally handicap myself with suboptimal or meme strategies to level the playing field to keep things interesting. Only really backfired once when I managed to completely destroy a friend in Space Base doing nothing but focusing on fighter tokens.

[@PeteQuad]

​@@EmporerDragonyes, this is how I approach all games. I simply can't have fun just throwing the game or purposely playing badly. But I can still enjoy it if I pick a route no one ever takes because it seems convoluted or strange. And yes, you do end up winning a surprising number of games doing this anyway.

[@CG_Hali]

LOL Chris reacting to winning looks extremely British. I'm sure North Americans don't find the happy 'Yes!!' problematic. It's the 'yoott YES!!!!' while standing up and saying 'I'm the best!' that would get people pissed. I think being happy for the winner is great and shows sportsmanship, while accepting with a smile and exclamation acknowledges to others that they were worthy opponents as well.

[@Sebby_Nineteen]

"Please stop bending my cards" YES. I love this man already! I am not even going to watch the video first, I am going to send this to those who bend my Catan resources as they pick them up from the stack.

[@PolarisAUT]

Dear fellow Actualolgeeks, after enjoying this new video please have this summary of the 50 rules for your convenience. 0. Don't be the etiquette police 1. Allow drinks at the table 2. Allow snacks at the table 3. Don‘t get food on the game 4. If you spill a drink on a game, buy them a new one 5. Dont riffle shuffle some else’s cards 6. Be a humble winner 7. If you win as a team you can go nuts 8. Don’t cheat 9. The host picks the games 10. Cater the games to your guests 11. If ist your game - you teach the rules 12. Listen to the rules 13. Never say „let’s just start“ 14. A legacy game can carry on without you 15. Don’t take ages on your turn 16. Don’t rush players, it’s annoying 17. If your color is taken - get over it 18. If you’re late, they can start without you 19. Get off your phone 20. Don’t tell people what to do on their turns 21. Don’t complain that you’re losing 22. You should allow takebacks, occasionally 23. If the teacher misses a rule, cut them some slack 24. You should always play to win 25. The goal is important, not the winning 26. Don’t lose sight of what matters 27. If everyone’s hating it - stop playing 28. Don’t immediately say you hate a game someone loves 29. Don’t throw tantrums 30. Don’t be a snob 31. Be honest about how late you’ll be 32. It’s ok to make fun of card sleevers 33. Don’t whine about being attacked 34. Don’t rate a game you haven‘t played 35. Teachers should remind you of the rules 36. It’s okay to hate serial winners, a little 37. Don’t say a game is broken 38. Thematic soundtracks get boring 39. Warn others about difficult gamers 40. Don’t brag about your partner 41. Don’t ask for a new box if it’s dented 42. Don’t look up strategy tips on the sly 43. Be realistic about a game’s length 44. Don’t read all the story bits yourself 45. Narrate what you’re doing 46. You don’t have to paint miniatures 47. Don’t introduce house rules 48. Give a game back after three months 49. Don’t brag about your kids playing difficult games 50. Don’t be a kingmaker

[@actualol]

1a. Don't read this list before watching the video, there is nuance to some of these rules.

[@PolarisAUT]

@@actualol hence my subtle hint to have them after enjoying the video :) in reference to rule 25 - the entertainment is important, not the conclusion

[@XeaRae]

Thank you for the list! Very helpful to my ADHD brain that ran out of focus 4 minutes into the video.

[@photoben]

You forgot the most important one #0!

[@PolarisAUT]

@@photoben edited that one in, thanks for your contribution!

[@namelessfire]

Rule number 6 is understandable because Brits aren't supposed to feel a sense of pride or satisfaction about any aspect of themselves. But I think celebrating your wins is perfectly healthy. If you're invested, then how are you supposed to not be happy when you win? My adjustment would be, "celebrate your victories, not your friends' defeats."

[@dirkbaldorad3634]

Also, understand that you shouldn't expect anybody to care and it's all over as soon as the next game begins.

[@IanUniacke]

Yeah I feel this too. It's quite normal to celebrate your victory in Australia. Nothing too over the top maybe just holding your arms up and saying "YES!!", like, actually the exact example of what not to do he showed us in the video.

[@blueberrymuffin4921]

@@IanUniacke Yea, I kind of agree. That was a bit of a culture shock for me

[@PeteQuad]

Totally agreed. I love when people get excited about winning. It's fun. As long as it is not actual gloating it's much preferred over the "acceptable" win he described.

[@annaknitter]

Absolutely agree. If people win I wanna see them cheering. And if I win I wanna do that too. I couldn’t even hide it.

[@burgessandy]

“Narrating your turn” has a corollary, which is “pay attention to other players’ turns”. Similar to “don’t be on your phone” but paying attention to other players’ turns should be an active thing. One more related rule - “know what happened since your last turn” - you can’t figure out what your turn is when you don’t know what the game state is, and the game state includes its history.

[@headsetguy3805]

Great list, thanks! Two things I would modify: 9. The host picks the games. -> The host has the final decision about the games. I think picking games should be done together to make sure everyone has a say and is invested. It also depends on collection and host capabilities. As a teen I was basically the only one having modern board games, so I brought some games and we decided on what to play. And now I'm usually the host and I think it would be a little bit arrogant of me to always pick the games. But if the group is torn between games, I think it makes sense to have the host make the final decision. I also like to give 2-3 options of games Id like to play and think would work well with the group and then they can decide between those. 47. Don't introduce house rules. -> Very carefully introduce house rules. I agree that in most of the cases people don't know it better than the designers and shouldnt change the rules. But it can be an improvement sometimes, especially when the players are experienced and the game is older and/or has a lot of different versions with different rulesets.

[@imoh.6247]

House rules can also make sense if you know the group and the house rules are meant to make the game more fun for that specific group

[@senhalil]

I feel like 6 is more about Brits being terrible at expressing their feelings and processing others' than any general game etiquette (especially the examples). The "yes 🕺" response would be quite acceptable especially between friends in many cultures. Not being a soar loser is much more important that letting someone expressing their happiness.

[@lisamarin8836]

Laughing because I've been playing games in Britain for about 8 years now and thought that several of the rules felt culturally extremely British.

[@ThrobbiusMaximus]

Yeah I agree, 6 feels a little bit gatekeepy. Experienced players usually don't have a very strong reaction to winning or losing anyways, and I'm all for my inexperienced friends getting excited when they pull a win. Depending on the game and group, even some winner shit talk can be rightfully earned lol

[@sebastiantredinnick5060]

Yeah, that example was just weird. Expressing genuine happiness at winning with an exclamation of "Yes!" is perfectly acceptable even in the UK. It actually seems more petty to be resentful of it. Only excessive crowing or trash-talking would be unacceptable.

[@mrgen9018]

I agree. Winning the game is what has been your goal, therefore celebrating should be allowed, as long as you don't explain that your opponents are bad at the game or something.

[@VeryLostFisherman]

❌ Being humble ✅ Victory dance ✅ Pointing ✅ Cackling ✅ Gloating speech Best friends who you can enrage and be enraged by, whilst laughing the whole time, makes victory and losses more eventful and often results in bellowing demands for rematches when everyone at the table realizes the irony of taking it to the absolute extreme

[@LucyTonight]

09:00 "I can't hate late people because my therapist told me to love myself" haha love that quote!

[@timlorow2679]

My rule to add is: Dont ask questions during the teach if it hasn't been covered yet. It takes twice as long when it becomes a Q&A session.

[@sykes1024]

Or at least take "I'll get to that later" as an answer. Some times it can be hard to even understand what a rule means without extra context or what happens in an edge case, and some times all edge cases aren't directly covered in a rules explanation either because the person explaining skipped over it or just because it's hard to work out the full implications of the rules in your head from just the verbal description.

[@stevieinselby]

Yes - the number of times I have to say "I'll get to that in just a second" when explaining the rules because people are jumping the gun asking questions gets a bit annoying at times!

[@MD-vs9ff]

Especially annoying since it's almost always the exact next thing that would have been explained.

[@PeteQuad]

On the other hand, sometimes people explain games by talking about a bunch of mechanics with no context. I simply cannot learn by memorizing mechanics when I have no idea what the point is or why you would use them.

[@jwrs6292]

51. If you're playing a cooperative game, cooperate. There are coop games where you can develop your character, gain cool items, farm upgrades and complete personal quests, but if it's the only thing you're doing while everyone else is managing the overall objectives or challenges you are not playing the game together.

[@nienke7713]

With sleeved cards you can get the same proper randomness from a shuffle without having to riffle shuffle, as the sleeves allow two halves of the deck to be pushed together and have the same effect as a riffle shuffle.

[@noobslayer6915]

Which is why I love sleeving my cards if I intend to shuffle them a lot.

[@PeteQuad]

Exactly correct. One of the reasons I sleeve. The other two being that I enjoy the sleeving process, and the possibility I might sell the game someday.

[@Ekitchi0]

The last rule makes sens but in some cases I think it's acceptable. Like with the game Risk, threats of retribution are part of the negotiations and strategy. Hence if someone destroys your chances at winning, it may be fair to destroy theirs in a final suicidal attack or help an other player win first. However, it wouldn't be expected for the losing side to specifically target any other player but the one who dared attack them.

[@sykes1024]

Yeah, agree. All retribution is fair in a war game. If you get attacked or crippled first by another player, all bets are off. Being the aggressor should come with the risk of a protracted fight.

[@travioli9643]

I find this happens often in games like Coup too. Occasionally your turn, no matter what action you take, will decide which of the two other players will win, and no matter what, it wont be you.

[@JuliuszCovers]

Another problem with kingmaking is when people understand it too broadly. When you’re behind other players, you CAN refuse to gang up on the leader, hoping that the other players manage to stop them from winning, while you get back in the game due to them wasting more resources on that than they would had you helped. That’s strategy, not kingmaking.

[@Eiroth]

That's a very good point. There's a difference between following through on promised threats and haphazardly picking your favourite friend to win

[@stevenlester985]

I agree with the tone of this 100%. Some of these rules did feel distinctly English to an American ear, but that’s a good thing haha. Great list.

[@234930]

I like to imagine you jotting down these during game night and the awkward moment when someone curiously asks what you've written. Absolutely agree with all of it, and it could apply to other things than board games as well.

[@davidj9293]

Some of these were great, for example I agree that narrating what you're doing is an excellent idea. It really helps new folks learn a game and keeps everyone engaged. Some of the suggestions felt a quite judgmental though. For example, telling folks to _not_ put on voices during narrative games unless they are a professional voice actor lest they be seen as treating the other players as children seems a little over the top. Better than telling people not to do voices unless they're a pro, maybe suggest that folks ask the table if they mind voices. Folks can even ask if their voice was clear and understandable if that was a worry but outright saying "don't do this unless your a professional", nah pass on that etiquette rule.

[@mooseknucklematt8139]

“Shuffle fast, die young” killed me hahahahahahaah

[@Table.Fables]

This is such an awesome list thank you! The one I struggle with not doing is telling people what to do on their turn. This can happen when I am teaching a co-op game people haven’t played before.. “well, you could do this and you could do this, to avoid this happening”- I try to suggest and then leave them to it, as part of teaching the game mechanics, but I do find striking the right balance difficult; and maybe sometimes I go to far with it.

[@Milkymalk]

Concerning rule 16: We used to play a LOT of Descent 1st Edition and those games took the whole night, 4-5 hours, because everybody planned their turn so perfectly and discussed with each other who should do what. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't (it's a "one monster player against the rest" dungeon crawler where one player's mess up could cost the heroes the game). Then we had a new player, a seasoned boardgamer but totally inexperienced with Descent. I foresaw that this game would take even longer, so I made a point to have him make his own decisions based on what he thought was a good move, and if he fails, no big deal. The game took only 2 hours and we won. And honestly, I'd rather lose a game in 1 hour than win in 5 hours.

[@CameraBryan]

#41 - Years back I sold a game I hadn't opened on eBay. I should have blocked one seller when he started questioning my about the box. He won the auction, and after he received the game he started complaining about the condition of the box and demanding his money back because it had the normal slight corner wear a new game gets on a store's shelf, and threatening bad feedback if I didn't essentially give him the game for free. Luckily extortion like this was explicitly against the eBay rules.

[@nienke7713]

The annoying thing with game time is that the boxes often lie about it, and as an ADHD my timeblindness means I honestly don't know how long a game takes realistically

[@necrobata1]

This reminds me of an awful reunion in which everyone asked me to take out a boardgame, then, everyone was suddenly a stand up comedian around me explaining the rules. Everyone in their phones, only one person actually paying attention. Then i was like "welp, seems like this is not a game group afterall xD lets just drink" they all felt awful and begged me to re-explain the rules. I felt like a dumbass trying to show my friends that dorky side of me. My revenge came when i introduced them to Dobble. Then i knew, theyre just not a Gloomhaven group, but a Dobble.

[@grog3514]

The comedian thing drives me nuts. I spent time learning everything and trying to keep it all straight in my head and someone keeps making lame jokes and mugging for approval derailing my explanation and everyone trying to learn it.

[@necrobata1]

@@grog3514 yeah they derail the attention so bad. Those are kind of people you don't invite to you next game night 😅

[@raziel1178]

I disagree with 6. If the winner isn't telling us to "SUCK IT, NERDS!" he didn't even try. smh

[@ctgbmoz]

At first, I thought I cannot keep my patient for whole 50 rules, cuz people usually only mention top 10 or 20 of STH. But the way you present is so clear, comprehensive and also fun. Thanks for the video.

[@devinology7]

Well done, he hit pretty much every common issue I can think of. My personal pet peeves from the list: 12. Listen to the rules - self-explanatory 13. Never say „let’s just start“ - self-explanatory 16. Don’t rush players, it’s annoying - Yes, we cannot take forever, but if I need one longer turn to bring everything together toward the end when otherwise I'm quick, you better damn well not rush me. 24. You should always play to win - This is extremely important, and goes far beyond etiquette. You literally break the game if you do not do this. It doesn't have to be explicitly stated in the rules that you are supposed to try to win, it's a standard unwritten rule assumed in any game (unless the rules explicitly state otherwise). I can't stand it when people disregard this or argue that they can do whatever they want since the game doesn't tell them they have to try to win. Fucking mental. This is closely related to #50. 37. Don’t say a game is broken - You DO NOT know better. Play it 100 times and I will give the slightest consideration to your argument. 42. Don’t look up strategy tips on the sly - I'd argue don't look them up at all. This one is debatable, and I know that in certain heavily competitive game communities like say MtG, it is commonplace to research strategies and decks. I personally just cannot wrap my head around why anybody would want to do this. It is similar to cheating really, what are you achieving by simply copying strategies that other people have developed? For me, this completely defeats the purpose of playing. To each their own, but certainly this should be openly agreed on for every game - if not all players have researched strategies then you shouldn't be allowed to either, and if I know you have done this and I do not know the game well, I will not play with you. 45. Narrate what you’re doing - For the love of god, announce what the fuck you are doing on your turn. I will force every player to do this every single time before I take my own turn. Save yourself some trouble and simply explain what you are doing when you are doing it. Nobody wants to have to watch you like a hawk. This also avoids mistaken rules breaking. 50. Don’t be a kingmaker - For similar reasons as I listed for #24, it is completely game breaking to do this. I have seen so many people on BGG threads argue that if they reasonably believe that they cannot win then they no longer have any rational objective and therefor nothing they do matters; they should be allowed to just quit, kingmake, skip their turn, do nothing, mess about nonsensically, etc. No, just fucking no. Be a decent human being and keep playing as if you can win (what would you do if you were just trying to get as high a score as possible?) for the last 1-3 turns. You are ruining the game for everybody else the moment you stop playing this way. I don't mean take painstakingly long turns to try to pull off an impossible win, but at least go through the motions in a fairly neutral and normative manner; don't start doing things that someone wouldn't do if they were trying to play well and get the most points or whatever possible given their circumstances. It's crazy to me that this is debatable to some people, and I will never play with a person who I know does not follow this rule.

[@alicepbg2042]

"42. Don’t look up strategy tips on the sly" why exactly? just by watching gameplay in order to learn the game you already are learning strategies to win. and "You should always play to win" right? what if I feel like I'm behind everyone else and need to step up my game? do I have to reinvent the wheel by myself for every game? can't I just get a wheel from somewhere? am I not allowed to look for a different strategy in order to vary my playstyle a bit? am I not allowed to watch a professional play because I find it fun? which by default will let me know different strategies exists?

[@andrewhenshaw4067]

​@@alicepbg2042 I agree!

[@andrewellis712]

Addendum to 9: if you have a new game you are really excited about, you should definitely suggest it to the host and offer to teach it

[@kyleellis1825]

Wait and see if they have a game they're really excited about too(I usually only host a game night when I have a new game I want to play). If they do, just wait until that one is finished and then pull yours out (But don't do it in a way that makes it seem like you're having the games compete agaisnt each other.)

[@jeffmiller1872]

One rule I would add: Stay at least somewhat focused on the game. I've played plenty of games where all the people except one are focused on the game. The other one keeps gabbing on and on about some other random topic, and we all sit there waiting for him to realize it's his turn.

[@purplehound2420]

It's okay to break these etiquette rules. My big board game group does so often and that is why we have so much fun. So many running jokes are because we broke these rules. :)

[@kyleellis1825]

Every group is different. As long as everyone is on the same page it;s fine. But a lot of these are things you definitly shouldn't do the first time you go play with a new group.

[@commercialchase8442]

Kind of an addendum: Be understanding if someone doesn’t want to commit to a long and/or complicated game. Find a simpler game for them if your group is okay with it. And in the case of legacy games, don’t pressure them into a multi-month campaign.

[@gillcaz]

If you're invited to a long legacy game, and you know you'll be leaving town soon, don't agree to play. Be real about your availability so you don't wind up mucking it up for the rest of the group

[@RozanovaHunter]

Pleasantly surprised by a mid-video kazoo breakdown, you certainly got a smile out of me

[@DarinMcGrew]

9 & 10: Some of my favorite game nights have been the ones where there have been enough people to play multiple games at multiple tables. For game nights like that, it makes no sense for the host(s) to pick the games everyone plays, or to discourage people from bringing their favorite games. 21: For TransAmerica, we've added an official "complain about your cards" phase after the cards are dealt, but before anyone makes their first move. 24: I have played with someone we dubbed "Captain Chaos" because he doesn't play to win; he plays to make the game "interesting". This kind of play can also fall into kingmaking (rule 50). 26/29/33: Some people shouldn't play games like Diplomacy or Junta or Bang! or The Resistance because they take in-game actions personally. Enough said. 37: I've heard people declare that The Captain Is Dead is unwinnable after losing a couple times. Like many cooperative games, there are several ways to lose and only one way to win. It can take a few plays to figure out the right balance between avoiding a loss and working towards a win. 44: Some games are a lot better when everyone does voices. In Junta, you're the patriarch or matriarch of a ruling family in Republica de los Bananas. In The Big Idea, you're an infomercial huckster. In Before I Kill You, Mister Spy..., you're a classic Bond villain. Have fun with the voices! 45: Narrating your actions helps everyone understand a new game, and it helps the owner (and rule instructor) make sure you aren't ignoring a critical rule. But for games with blind players, it's essential. If other players don't announce their actions as they play, then blind players can't keep up with the game state, and have to relearn the new game state at the beginning of every turn.

[@skorp5677]

The complain about your cards phase is an incredible idea, thank you! Definitely something I have to establish in our rounds as well xD

[@kailomonkey]

6 Don't be happy to win - I always show a little more enthusiasm for winning than you recommend. I don't play to win, in fact I often sabotage myself or gift others for the fun and a good time, so I sure give a fist pump. Although if it was my game I won at, then yes I'm not celebrating a win, that would be rude. 8 Don't cheat - Agree. Never cheat. Ruins the game. 11 Teach your own game - Agree. I've learned games for others and I don't mind, I enjoy learning games, but I wouldn't expect others to play a game I introduce if I don't know how to play myself. 12/13 Listen to the rules/Don't just start - This one is harder for many I've noticed. For me, I like to know a game thoroughly, so sometimes the explanation isn't enough and I do need to see it in action to understand fully. But agree, get through the explanation, ask questions, and anything else can wait til you start playing. 15 Don't take ages on your turn - I'm autistic. This is one a game group has to accept of me. I often have to reread cards in writing heavy games, sometimes every turn. That said I'm fully aware of how long I'm taking, and try to take less thought out actions to compensate and keep the fun flowing. 16 Don't rush people - Agree. 22 Allow takebacks sometimes - Agree. Takebacks make for pleasant gaming. I lost a group because it was my first time playing a game, I forgot something vital that wiped my hour's progress and the one guy didn't allow takebacks. I always went above and beyond to assist people with their own difficulties, but you can never expect that to earn you any sort of good treatment, which yet again was proven in this case. 24/25 Play to win/winning isn't important - Yea that is an oxymoron but I get it. I think I do this just fine. I just tend to do things for fun and fairness over explicitly winning myself. 30 Snobby - You think you're better than oysters? Bit rude. 35 Teacher rule reminders - I have to do this all the time with some games! 44 Don't narate the whole story yourself/put on voices - Ha haa. Right? I watch a lot of Twitch and it's even kinda expected in that situation, but is it always needed? Sometimes I cringe. And then do the same thing myself. 45 Narrate your turn - Yes please. Agree! Definitely make clear when your turn is over too. Agree. 47 Don't introduce house rules - Yes and no. I have to disagree with this one a bit. It's important that everyone agrees to the same rules. Sometimes a disagreement over a rule is better leading to a house rule compromise than an argument. That said, I will find out the rule and show you proof when I am free to, or eat my own mistake. And yes there are games that live and die on house rules. Maybe you're playing only the best games, but some games aren't the best and can do with fixing. For example, Labyrinth: classic child friendly family board game. But the rules say you have to go through every single item between your players, which might work for 4 players but drags for 2. So we find ways that make it more interesting and palletable. 50 Don't be a kingmaker - Hm have I done this? Maybe I could learn from this one. As mentioned, winning isn't always my own priority, but if *someone* likes to give big bravado over their gaming prowess, I'm not gonna want them to win. Is that my fault or theirs?? I guess these etiquette rules are saying it's both our faults and I should address my own behaviour not theirs.

[@channelwacke]

I have developed the perfect solution for allowing drinks and snacks at the gaming table. The main table is off limits for these things, but I put one of those small folding wooden tables at each corner. They're lower than the gaming table, and therefore nothing can spill onto the table surface. It also keeps your drinks out of the way so that they DON'T get knocked over accidentally - because you're not reaching past and over them. Try it, it's perfection.

[@tousheryang3688]

Best rule is "Friends first, games second." All I can say to that is, "Huh."

[@diegobustamante8642]

Great list! The one rule I would have added is to never take an extra turn when you can clearly win on the current one. Sort of an “I’ll give you an extra turn to see if you can beat me”

[@BCGpp]

Even more generalized version: "don't slow roll your victory"

[@dominicparker6124]

Edh players sometimes need to hear this.

[@travioli9643]

@@dominicparker6124 "sometimes" how about at least once a day

[@RandiBeeman]

I’m glad you said it’s fine to (gently) make fun of people who sleeve their cards. It’s your game, you do you … but I *will* call them card condoms.

[@MaybeAnnatar]

One thing I will say about 24, I don't only play games to win. I recently played As Above So Below and early in the game went "I just want to be the biggest legend at the table." Near impossible odds? Imma do it because if I succeed I'll be a legend. I wasn't trying to "win" by points, I was going for the moral victory of "yeah but I'm cooler"

[@billtodd2194]

While I do agree with the allowing food and drink, I do wish a lot more gamers were good about being as polite about wiping their hands after said snacks. I've had quite a few game nights and meetup games where the food was pizza and I was the only person at the table using a napkin in between holding pizza and handling components. One etiquette break I personally struggle with is I tend to both verbally obsess over misplays I make and win a lot. Midgame I'll be like, "Oh dang it, that was dumb of me, I could've just gone to that other space and had 5 extra points." At the time I say it I'm not even thinking about final score, just reanalyzing the board after my turn is over. But then we do final scoring and I win by 40pts anyways and now I realize I sounded like a dick for complaining about suboptimal moves that still won. It's been a hard habit to kick as most of us like to get some commiseration for a costly misplay in the moment, it's not like I do it much more than the rest of my group, it just sounds so much worse when its followed by a win.

[@jflartner117]

I was playing a roll and write with friends recently - it came with dry erase markers - and two of the players were COLORING IN regions of the board...I damn near lost my mind. 😂

[@ChadHensley]

Nice list! I still struggle with the drinks and food at the table thing but definitely see where you are coming. Definitely have a few people I would love to send this video to but know that they would either not watch it or be offended because they would see right through my ruse.

[@intri8116]

The song bits you do always crack me up. Always glad to see a new vid of yours pop up!

[@Bolpat]

2:35 Riffle shuffle is most definitely not proven to be the best way to shuffle in the sense of randomizing the order of the cards. The best way is to put the cards on the table and whirl them around. It takes some time and it requires the skills of a kindergartener, but that is actually the best.

[@SuperWilliamW]

Love the rule about not bragging about wife being good at games. The implicit sexism is so true.

[@alradig]

This list is great, well done! “Don’t ask for a new box when it’s dented!” Love this one!

[@EmporerDragon]

#9 is really the only one I disagree with. With my game group, we all each typically pick 1 game out of the collection that we want to play, with me as the host picking 1-2 extras, and we then try to get through as many as possible that night. There are some restrictions and vetos, but it means in the end, everyone usually gets to play at least one game they wanted to play by the end of the night.

[@Tolyuhh]

if it's a regular game night always hosted by the same person I think everyone should get the opportunity to bring their own games, and picking the main game of the night should rotate. If it's more of a one-off thing or the group rotates who is hosting then the host picking the game makes sense.

[@kyleellis1825]

If someone invites people over to play games, they probably have a specific one they want to play. So if someone invites you to come play a specific game, don;t bring a different one and convince the group it's better. leave it in your bag and only bring it out if theirs time after the planned game is finished. If it's a regular thing (weekly/monthly), the host picks rule is discarded for something like giving them first/last pick.

[@123ricardo210]

As a slight addendum: some people need something to do (like playing with their phone or one of the game cards) to keep their focus. That's fine as well as long as they don't damage things (and if it's too distracting look for a better option instead of outright ignoring it).

[@MD-vs9ff]

What do you mean "keep their focus"? Fiddling with a distraction like a phone is the exact opposite of focus.

[@123ricardo210]

Some people need to fiddle around for a bit to get rid of some energy or to keep their mind clear@@MD-vs9ff

[@Seryn88]

Team Snacks at the Gaming Table! Stop treating Blood Rage like it's the Mona Lisa, to be handled with rubber gloves.

[@Jeremy-The-Bullfrog]

Like the don't be a kingmaker rule. One of the most frustrating games I've ever played was a round of Catan which was coming down to the last couple rolls between 3 of the players. Our 4th who didn't have a chance decided to trade with his friend to give them their final point rather than leave it up to chance. Left a bad taste in my mouth for the rest of the day.

[@raodvanlaontotaoke4993]

You gave me almost an heartattack when you said allow snacks ... i'm ok with m&m's indeed (and cheese and dry sausage with prickers in some groups) ... but crisps and nuts are an absolutely no go for me. Drinks offcourse are welcome. The host picks the game ? We always do that together. Your point 10 clearly shows why 9 does not work ;)

[@picklez4lunch]

Cool video! I love the dozens of small jokes thrown in at random times.

[@onyx.avenger]

Okay, I have several thoughts on #23 (when the teacher misses rules): 1. Going along with this, NEVER interrupt the teacher to explain rules unless asked. It really messes up their flow for explaining, and half the time they were going to get to the thing you interjected. 2. On the other hand, I don't always agree with "cut them some slack." I've played several games where the teacher missed a MAJOR rule (or interpreted it very wrong) and the game doesn't work correctly without it. This causes cases where the game is not fun (because a mechanic that fixes an issue was skipped) or the game actually does become broken without (because a balancing mechanic was missed). These tie into #37 (don't say a game is broken - because it might become unbalanced without the rule) and #47 (don't introduce house rules - because this is exactly the same issue, just less intentional). 3. If you as the teacher miss a rule or explain a rule wrong, KEEP THE SAME RULING unless everyone at the table agrees to change it. I had a bad experience with Carcassonne because the teacher failed to explain one of the major scoring mechanics, but DID apply them at the end of the game ... at which point it was impossible for new players to attempt to win the game because they hadn't been considering this other point mechanic. It really just feels like cheating, and kinda violates the ethos of "Friends first, games second."

[@PeteQuad]

Never interrupt assumes the explainer is good at explaining. What's the point of not interrupting if they finish and you understood nothing?

[@arrapippol3741]

@@PeteQuad if they truly finished, then you're not interrupting.

[@lisahasegawa2674]

This is such a good list! I especially like the mantra "friends first, then games." To elaborate on "listen to the rules," I would say listen to ALL the rules before asking questions... wait until AFTER I've explained a thing before asking about a thing. Asking for clarification is one thing, but asking questions right after I say, "so this is a game about..." is just rude. Calm it down.

[@stevieinselby]

🎶 And a great singer as well! 🎶 A couple of key ones for me are: 🔸 If you're coming to play games, play games. That doesn't mean you can't talk about anything else, but at least be paying some attention to the game and have a vague idea when it's coming round to your turn and what you're going to do. 🔸 Don't batter newbies! If one player is new to a game that the rest of you know well, make sure you help them get into it, give them some pointers about tactics and strategy as they're going along (without getting too bossy or patronising) so that they can enjoy it and have a chance of success.

[@nicolusebrink9997]

Maybe more as a mantra to myself " Dont fight videos because your a less than ideal person and feel called out".

[@branboom3342]

I dont agree with all these rules but you always provide such great and entertaining content!

[@paulkanja]

I personally agree with all of them except that last one: While playing kingmaker out of spite is not a good idea, easing the game a bit in favour of a player at a clear disadvantage might be nice. Only in strategy games however, luck-based games might take an unexpeced turn.

[@photoo848]

I'm struggling with the "Don't complain about being attacked". I know I've done that (even recently). Mostly cause they were attacking me for petty reasons instead of attacking the runaway leader (who did end up winning the game). On the fence about rule 33 but will keep it in mind so I don't overdo it :)

[@TomFrusciante]

@@paulkanja Happened to me while playing Twilght Imperium... We were six ,and there were two players (the most experienced ones I may add) who were on the brink of winning. We had been playing for 11 hours, and I made an alliance with the apparent loser. I gave him everything he needed just so he could stop the others from crowning, my only goal was to make the game a little bit longer so I could have my chance... And the guy I was supporting, the apparent loser, ended up winning, so everyone else got mad at me for kingmaking. Needless to say I wasn't kingmaking, but I understood why the ones who had been doing everything right for half a day and rightfully winning got super frustrated at me. In their eyes I was just a chaotic agent who ruined their game. Despite all of that I stand by my choice of supporting the underdog if it gets me more time to achieve my goals :D

[@jasonnewell7036]

Being honest about the play time of a game would be easier if game designers were honest about the play time of a game.

[@MarcusCactus]

Being 62, I totally agree with the advice at 9:50 : cherish the friends while they are there with you. There is nothing more sad than to not have friends to play with (playing in clubs or conventions is luch more tedious). And solo games are a chore too!

[@Friendlyfirefish]

If someone says they don't like a game I liked find that as an opportunity for conversation too.

[@tiffanycoleman3127]

I like having video game background music to board games since it helps my friends focus and pop songs can be distracting. I particularly like spooky instrumental music when playing horror games.

[@bluebillygrit1]

I agree that choosing or creating a playlist with the appropriate music/soundtrack can elevate nearly any game to the next level.

[@ronaldbharvey]

Sometimes the "kingmaker" is faced with the trolley problem. No way not to be a kingmaker.

[@parkerstoryteller]

Thank you for this! I love when you talk about this type of meta board game topic. What a great list!!

[@CraigVolpe]

Such a great list and so well produced to boot! A bunch of them I felt similarly, and a few I had never even considered before. Thank you for making this!

[@actualol]

Thank you! Glad you liked it

[@nettogames4268]

One very contentious subject in terms of etiquette that comes up now and then I've noticed- *Conceding.* In 1v1, 2v2, etc. games there's usually no problem, and all it does is take away the opponent's ability to showboat their victory. Usually this can be replaced with a "Here's what my end-game was", with some quick demo rather than playing it all out properly. However the difficulty is when it comes to games with 3+ teams, or Free For All. In those situations, you have the issue where one player dropping out leaves the whole thing unbalanced. This leads to a few questions as to how to resolve it; - Do you leave their pieces in play and just let them exist neutrally without any decisions affecting them? - Do you, with your remaining opponents, co-operatively control this player's pieces for a fair 'here's what should happen'? - Do you remove their pieces and pretend they were never there, continuing as if it had always been one less player? - Do you try and pull in a new player to take their place (if applicable, usually not in an in-person game night) IMO conceding in a free-for-all game is definitely bad manners, but there are situations where it's understandable. The good thing to do is to stick it out and just try your best, as you still influence the game. But it's not always possible, especially in long and involved games, that sense of "I literally can't win" can really drag on.

[@c.w.2000]

Your coolness quotient went up at least 25% with that riffle shuffle.

[@joaoleite3433]

Man, your delivery is great. Awesome video!

[@navybrandt]

I'm the guy that tends to always win, so for certain games, it tends to be my entire family/group ganging up on me. The attitude is "I don't care if I win, as long as Brandt loses." It's a shame and has ruined many games for me. I don't think I'm a bad winner, but it's not fun to play games when I KNOW I'm going to lose since it's so stacked against me. Being a "game spoiler" is just as bad as being a kingmaker.

[@actualol]

Yeah, 100% "Don't meta game" was a rule that almost made the list.

[@mikaeki5245]

My sister was the worst. 11 years older than me, but if I won she'd say "You only won because: - you studied the rules and practised strategies by yourself - memorized the entire 300 card deck - cheated somehow" If I lost, I sucked. So there was never winning against her. She would also be the one to rush rules and "let's just start and learn while playing". I hated that. And years passing by I learned I kinda hated her...

[@mikaeki5245]

And for me it wasn't even about the winning, but playing and enjoing a good game. Co-op games might have gone better, but sadly there wasn't that many of them when we played.

[@devinology7]

@@actualol #24 and #50 basically fall into this. I'd say this is the most important, because it is not just about etiquette, it's about unspoken rules that allow the game to work at all. I'd argue that you are playing a different game if you are metagaming in any way, and it simply doesn't work for people to be playing 2 different games at once like that.

[@christian6911]

In competitive games, shit talking is not only allowed but highly encouraged.

[@redstone1538]

i think im just realizing just how different cultures are in the way they play games.

[@theAstarrr]

4:13 I'm coming to the table to destroy my friends. Personally I don't care if the winner loses their mind if they aren't bad sports (such as, "you guys suck at the game and shouldn't play it anymore")

[@naturesfinest2408]

Exactly. Half the fun, depending on the game, is winning and howling in victory at the close match and sharing thoughts on what you did. Or howling that you lost while sharing thoughts on what you did. I wouldnt howl in excitement for winning wingspan, cascadia, or games like that. But war games? Diplomacy games? Bluffing games? Where you lied, back stabbed, or always told the truth to victory? Yeah im making a big deal whether i win or lose if it was a good game. Second, the point of a bluffing game IS to make people feel bad. Lie, guilt, make deals, break them. Im animated when it comes to bluffing games, so long as we only play a few times, and everyones is fine with me being loud/excited and usually enjoys it. They know what i think and can make deals with others while in front of me while the spectacle (me) is making a scene. Its all in good fun and wouldnt be nearly as fun if not for the excitement, guilting, lying, etc. And guilting at any experienced table just doesnt work.

[@mich_mash]

I love this sense of humor... so many things said catch me off guard laughing out loud.... :)

[@wibby1617]

aww man so many things, I would like to say agree like 90%. I think it's just my group is more competitive overall. As the main host, I kind of feel like if you won and don't celebrate a bit then you didn't have a good time. I would say the hardest night I hosted was with 4 people. We were going to play eclipse second dawn, 2 of the 4 liked heavier board games and the other 2 said they wanted to play a heavier game but still played a lot of other games after talking to them. The night started really well the rules went pretty smoothly and of course, they had some questions but nothing too crazy. About halfway through I noticed the first 2 were really getting into it and liking it. 1 of the 2 that didn't play as many heavier board games were struggling here and there and knew what was going on 75% of the time. and by the end, the last guy was really out of it. there were 8 rounds in th game and I knew this wasn't his thing at round 4. So the last bit I was trying to do a bit of everything. being competitive with the first 2 players, helping out the 3rd, and trying to help the 4th find the path of least resistance through the game(which is really easy in Eclipse because you can just pass if you don't want to do anything). we decided to end it a round early. then we played camel up and crokinole. So overall it was a great time.

[@cg5380]

I think rule fifty is debatable based of the situation. If its an aggressive game or the guy in first has screwed you over all game go for it. They deserve it(somtimes).

[@sethvanorden1]

Definitely one of the best board game videos I've seen in a while.

[@pate2683]

Thanks for the great video! The rule 32. "It’s ok to make fun of card sleevers" made me wonder why sleeves are made fun of? Then there's another case. Why don't the most game companies make inserts where the sleeved cards can fit in?

[@marvinko6610]

Yes! Food and drinks at game nights is a must. A single m&m or a sip of water can make the time between turns so much more enjoyable

[@sykes1024]

On the no kingmaking rule, I'd give the one exception that if another player attacking you earlier is what led to you being no longer able to win, it's fine to get revenge on that player even if it's not necessarily the best move to increase your own score/chances. And likewise on the complaining about being attacked or trying to change some one else's mind, for certain games like Root that are all about diplomacy and backstabbing, I'd say this sort of thing is explicitly warranted. But I'd say when you're trying to convince them not to attack you or to attack some one else, you should limit your arguments to how a different action will be better for them, and not argue against it just because it's bad for you. If attacking you is possibly the best move or even just likely a good move for them without there being any other clearly better option, be quiet and resign yourself to your fate.

[@alexbarth4771]

I had the same feeling about the kingmaker rule, thanks. Especially when someone constantly attacks the weakest, I love spoiling their cheap victory.

[@kyleellis1825]

All depends on if the first attacker was malicious in it. But getting petty because someone beat you and then spending the rest of the game going after them means you have some issues that need to be worked out.

[@dominicparker6124]

Some games put a player in a kingmaking decision whether they intend it or not

[@TheAush22]

I accommodate drinks with stools next to the table. Stools are an essential piece of furniture in my house 😄

[@JoelDullard]

Aah, I have such mixed feelings about these rules. My friends wanted to play Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion. We got one session in before one of the players moved overseas. And another friend brought chips and gravy to the table. Chips and gravy! Sucking the gravy off your fingers doesn’t make them clean! Good thing I sleeved the cards. Next time we met up, we played Skull, which is essentially 30 drink coasters in a box.

[@sojourner650]

Two rules in and I'm already thumbing this video up. I clicked because of the still image -- pizza and cards. Funny thing is I've met a couple times at a pizza joint to play haha EDIT: And after another 6 rules, this video is incredibly great. Can't wait to finish it when I get some time!

[@christopher3226]

I remember the moment when I riffle shuffled a friend's cards without thinking (do it to mine), but then saw their face in that moment. I immediately changed what I was doing while pushing down the embarrassing shame I just incured.

[@JJ_TheGreat]

7:06 This one REALLY irritates me! It happens to me all the time when I try to play a game with my family. They are just un-interested. And then, I am the bad guy - because I shouldn’t have tried to teach them THAT game…