TDG: Cody's Top Ten Tips for New Gamers (July 2024)

Join Cody as he discusses his top ten tips for people new to the gaming hobby.
Cody Carlson, PhD: / @codycarlsonph.d.5591
Facebook: / thediscriminatinggamer
Twitter: / codyk76
Galaxy of Games: galaxyof.games/

[@trevorsmith8014]

I think that last point is the most important. I like having a lot of different games for a variety of genres, player counts, and complexities but it means I end up playing each game maybe once or twice a year if even that. The only reason I have that many is because I host board game nights with friends who vary greatly in experience. I could probably get rid of 75% of my games and still have a great collection. It would just be harder to host game nights. Only buy the games you love and play the snot out of them. Also, probably just make friends with someone who has too many games so you have only your favorites.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Good points. Thanks!

[@douglewis1273]

Great tips. I would add that if wargames are your thing find a book on the same theme of the game you are playing/interested in. Really builds the excitement. About being open to new games, that is how I found my favorites …from others who introduced me to them.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@douglewis1273 Good tips. Thanks!

[@gregorys9629]

#1 hits close home to me - I'm still waiting on kickstarters to arrive from my "shiny, shiny, give me" phase when I got into the hobby. Great tips!

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Ha! Thanks!

[@MaryJoSminkey]

@@TheDiscriminatingGamer Honestly I would tell new gamers not to back kickstarters at ALL until they have more knowledge of board games in general. I had no idea how to tell which were going to be good games and which were not and wasted a LOT of money just because I liked the theme, or the look of a game, only to find the game itself was lack luster. In other cases, I backed games that it turns out are not a style of game I enjoy or that the people I end up playing with the most don't like. This happened to me with Foundations of Rome which I personally love but the people I play with every week don't really care for. So it rarely gets to the table.

[@zacharyclark3693]

Great tips. I always enjoyed board games, but I got way more into the hobby on the tail end of the pandemic. At first, I just started buying nearly everything that caught my eye. Now I’ve slowed down and I try to take time and ask myself, do you really need this game? Can I really afford this, in time and money? That has meant turning down crowdfunded games or new games that looked amazing, and had great reviews. I’m trying to take more time to enjoy what I’ve got. I’ll still buy new games, but I’m trying to be more responsible and realistic. It’s all about having the right balance.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@zacharyclark3693 Indeed. Balance - good advice for life.

[@jasonc2784]

Great list. I would probably suggest avoiding crowd funded games. You may not be interested in a year and a half. Also, before buying a game, ask your group whether they are interested in playing that game. They may just want to play the same game over and over.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Be conscious of your group's tastes, for sure.

[@count3r3xampl39]

Yeah, I was “that guy” too. Slowly learned to be more flexible

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@count3r3xampl39 A pain I know only too well.

[@glaxonberry3667]

One thing I learned about the hobby is that boardgames are like pokemon. You can probably name like a hundred or two. And blogs and websites will tell you what's hot and what's good. But there's ALOT of pokemon. Some old but gold. Some underrated because of a small publisher. For every gem you find, there's a ton more that's just hidden and niche.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@glaxonberry3667 Indeed.

[@seanobrien798]

Excellent tips. Definitely agree with number 1. When I got into the hobby, I was quite poor so buying shiny things was not an option. I did have to watch out once I got a real job and a paycheck slightly above minimum wage. This channel is one channel I like to watch. I have based some of my decisions to buy or not to buy a game based on this, and some other channels. I will say ALL the games I have chosen to purchase based on a review from this channel I enjoy a great deal. Thank you for your time and effort in making these videos.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Thank you. I appreciate that.

[@mickbeast8371]

Along your number one, me and my kids love to treasure hunt at thrift stores…we have “discovered” many old games we would have never known about…Lionheart and Chopper Strike being two of them … we are willing to spend thrift store prices on new things … we hold off and research the big price items…

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Good advice. Thanks.

[@carlossteffens7659]

So the "T" in "TDG" stands for "That Guy", lmao...

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

My secret shame...

[@jamielehn6926]

I like that you have added a tips summary at the end of the video

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Happy to help.

[@jamielehn6926]

@@TheDiscriminatingGamer 😂

[@PartnersofMachino]

Thanks for the great video, Cody. I enjoyed this slightly different video regarding some of your philosophy about gaming.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@PartnersofMachino Thanks. Glad you liked it.

[@PsRafael84]

All great advises. But I would add another one: have fun. Dont make the hobbie some stressful. Ive seen people doing that

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@PsRafael84 Good point.

[@eatingweevils]

A couple years ago a non gaming friend who loves the film Aliens was interested in Aliens: Another Glorious Day in the Corps. He then said he was put off that he had no artistic talent to paint miniatures . I told him that painting miniatures is not essential its whether or not the game has fun gameplay whats important. But understand why a non gamer would find miniature games daunting when most social media game pages are posts showing off their painting abilities rather than posts on gameplay. In the end he decided not to buy another day in the corp after he played the game at my house and found it too complicated. I then had a game of Fate of Nostromo with him what he liked better and ended up buying a copy

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Glad he decided to get a game in any event. Thanks.

[@blotter2217]

Great tips overall!

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Thanks.

[@raymyers700]

Great list! NUMBER ONE IS SO HARD BUT SO SO SO VERY TRUE!!!

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Thanks.

[@zfighter3]

Local game stores prices are twice as much as buying online. If you're new to the hobby, save money learning what you like by buying online.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@zfighter3 Perhaps, but game stores are a great place to meet other people in the hobby.

[@robertthurman9866]

Very good video. One thing to look for in a game is the community. Is there support from the fans? For the most part I have stayed in my comfort zone, but it is a wide one. Right now there is not much that I see that is much different than what I already have. For the most part I have been buying game that are 4 to 10 years old. This is due to still thriving communities for the game that keep it interesting.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@robertthurman9866 Good point. Thanks!

[@KabukiKid]

Oh man... such a shame your boss refused to play Star Wars: Rebellion... that is not only the best Star Wars board game, but seriously one of my all-time favorite board games! He missed out!

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@KabukiKid Indeed. Great Game.

[@squigburger]

Hey glad I found your channel.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@squigburger Glad you like it.

[@MagicMan508]

You should make a video about the best and worst board game mechanics/rules

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Maybe at some point.

[@christopherwilson2606]

First time GenCon this year! Woo

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Fantastic! Have fun!

[@seanmulroy6897]

where was this top 10 a couple of years ago. i'm a solo only wargammer live in Australia , we have no Cons here , need to get to Buckeye fest or WBC in the states.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Indeed. Best of luck.

[@varovaro1967]

i did buy everything …. mistake…. very frustrating. You have to limit yourself. The Pericles and the kind still watch me…

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Yeah. When you're new you just get so excited.

[@davidcanas105]

Bonus tip: suscribe TDG, enjoy every video, but beware of the final buy it. That thing is dangeorus.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@davidcanas105 Ha! Truth!

[@jankogo]

I ordered Europa Universalis The Price of Power all in and it was not cheap I tell you... 😅 Any interest in that game, Cody?

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@jankogo kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3WraomVo8l9eJosi=oyzzGfmAJLzgSOFM

[@crimsonstudios680]

Another great video Cody, love the videos as always, and I agree with you once again. Always trust your reviews since we agree a lot of the time. Great list!

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Thanks. Glad you liked it.

[@richarddefortuna2252]

Number one? Whoopsie!

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Yikes!

[@danflashes2]

Thanks for the tips, Cody! I’m curious if you have any other strategies for meeting people with similar gaming tastes in your area? For example, I really want to get into some of the Napoleonic games you talk about on the channel but no one in my life seems remotely interested. Are there any sites you recommend like Meetup or Reddit? How have you met fellow gamers while moving around?

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@danflashes2 Can’t recommend any specific sites, but maybe search for FB groups? Seems like there’s no shortage of people who create those.

[@MaryJoSminkey]

It depends on where you live but Meetup definitely can be a good place to look as well as Facebook. Many stores now have their own Discord server which is one of the best ways to find other players in your area, but I've sometimes found that I have to adjust to what games are popular where I live rather than being determined to find someone to play my personal wishlist. For instance, I wanted to play Middle-Earth SBG but no one around me plays it, but they DO play Marvel Crisis Protocol, so that's the one I jumped into and have a lot of fun playing now. Conventions are one of the best places to find players for more niche games that might not be popular where you live.

[@danflashes2]

@@MaryJoSminkey Thanks for the tips!

[@Ecto_Fox]

still waiting to meet you at a con and play a game 😛

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@Ecto_Fox Maybe one day.

[@mikesimpson7007]

So many good ones here. #1 is great. You can be a board gamer and own 1 game. Or zero games and play with friend's copies. Or you can be a collector and own hundreds. None of these is the wrong option. I would add a few more. 1. Complexity fever is a hobby killer, there is effectively no upper limit on how complex you go with games, you don't have to prove how clever you are by playing exceptionally tough and long board games. Some of the best games are very simple. 2. Get used to selling games you don't play any more. 3. In line with the video, a good group / opponent is more important than any specific game. 4. Learn rules from a range of sources, especially KZbin. There are a lot of great games with terrible rulebooks out there. 5. Don't drag your friends through a game they aren't loving. If you propose something new and your group are generous to go along with it, have a fall back option you all know ready to go in case it falls flat. 6. There will always be a hyped game of the month. It will usually be in the bargain bin next year.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@mikesimpson7007 Great ideas here. Thanks!

[@mikesimpson7007]

@TheDiscriminatingGamer Thanks for your reply. Just for the record, I think you are one of the very few games commentators I've seen with the confidence and honesty to say that you don't like a specific game because of its complexity. I've seen this in a few of your videos and I find it really helpful.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@mikesimpson7007 Thank you. Much appreciated.

[@RolandoRatas]

Did you hear about Pamela Anderson's gaming advice ? .. .. .. .. ... ... She released an instructional video for two player games with a couple of great tips.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

Ha!

[@SardonicArtery]

Curious what the deckbuilder you didn’t like was.

[@TheDiscriminatingGamer]

@@SardonicArtery I played a prototype that someone created at a designers guild, and had a bad experience, but then I played Arctic Scavengers and just didn’t get it.