Hello everyone!
This blog post is the first of a series I'm going to write inspired by my brother David. Being still stuck in quarantine (May 31st, 2020 time of starting this), I have had many game nights with my roommates and neighbors - the five of us relying on board/card games for a lot of our entertainment. Recently we played the game Clue, and I enjoyed it so much, I decided to learn about it more and the strategies people use to win. This is something my brother and I both are really interested in - learning the small lessons it takes to go from a general understanding to becoming an amatuer expert. I was explaining to him how I really enjoyed diving into Clue (it being a game from my childhood) and learning all about it. The only problem was that when we had another Clue game night, I was so far advanced in my knowledge of the game of Clue that it was highly unlikely that I lose a game. So I wanted to figure out how to channel this energy into something that doesn't ruin game nights for my family/friends and therefore me (game nights where it is predetermined that I will win 90% of the time isn't as fun for me).
I discussed with David how we are in the minority in regards to mastering game theory and strategy - most of the family/friend game nights I partake in I am the most strategically-minded and simultaneously competitive person there. Because of this, I'm willing to take the time and devote anywhere between 5-20 hours in the weeks afterwards really looking into a game and learning all about it. David suggested I take this information and share it. Take everything I've learned about a game, and condense it into a blog post for others to read before they go out to their game night, giving them a significant advantage.
I loved the idea! This blog post is the result of that - me taking the knowledge that I've gathered through tutorial videos, articles, practice, etc. and condensing it into a manageable read for you! This is the introduction to this blog series so I won't be delving into specific games for this one, but instead tackling some general strategies I utilize going into a game night. If you have a specific game that you and your family/friend group play a lot, let me know and if I hear it from multiple people that will probably be enough for me to write a blog post about it!
The primary audience for these posts are the typical game night attendees - if you relate to me in learning more intense games and enjoying those, it's very possible that you would know all the information I'd have to share. I will try to stay focused on games that you would be able to expect your typical non-gamer family members to engage in. Strategically probaby won't be tackling games more complicated than Settlers of Catan, Clue, etc.
Thanks for reading. I'll add links below to the blogs as I write them, so this can also serve as a table of contents of sorts for it as well. Read below for general strategies to take to your next game night!
Photos from Google Images rarely used with permission.
Know your Games
As stated above - taking a little bit of time to prepare can often make you an expert on the game compared to your friends. Being prepared beforehand can be as simple as asking the host of the game night "Are there any games you'd like me to bring?" That will start the conversation where you can find out what games other friends are bringing, or what games the host expects to play. Look up the rules to give yourself the base-level knowledge beforehand. Especially for a game you haven't played before, this will help so your mental capacity during the game isn't simply focused on learning the actual game. Get that out of the way before you get to game night - that way you can focus on maximizing your chances to win rather than comprehending the rules. Playing a game featured in my blog? Read that blog post before game night starts!
This is extremely important for pop-culture versions of common games. If you are planning on playing monopoly and it is the "Game of Thrones" or "Star Wars" version, it most likely will have a small variant on the rules that makes it different from the base game. Often these rule-change gimmicks aren't well thought out from the developers because they're just put in there to sell another version of the game, so they can have serious ramifications on the gameplay itself. Therefore a 5 minute internet search could result in you knowing how to exploit that specific game.
There can be many constraints on your preparation. For example, I recently participated in a Guitar Hero face-off. Now I haven't played Guitar Hero in years, and don't have the game myself to practice, but you bet that I listened to the songs from the game beforehand so I was familiar with the rhythm of the guitar parts during those songs. A little thing that definitely helped in the long run as I shook the rust off during that competition.
Give your socializing meaning and intention
Know your Competitors
You've arrived at game night, and people are grabbing food and socializing. This time is valuable time in figuring out your opponents and getting a glimpse of their strategic tendencies. Say you've done what I suggested above and have looked up the game beforehand that another friend brought. Ask them: "So I've heard that we're playing _______ tonight, is it a good game?" Through conversation, invite your competitors to share information. After all, it's game night, so the purpose is for people to be social! Because it's hard to discuss a game without going into specifics, the way someone talks about a game will typically reveal their level of knowledge about the game. Here's an example conversation that can give you an edge during the game:
You: "Clue! That's a fun game, I played when I was younger, does it still hold up?"
Friend: "Oh yeah! It's a classic and still good, I love the whole 'murder mystery' theme of it. It's fun being a sort of Sherlock Holmes and figuring out who's telling the truth, who's bluffing, and who's the killer."
While that is a bit concise for a conversation I'd have with someone, you very well might be able to figure out all of that information from someone over a few minutes. And since you've already done your research on Clue before you got there, you'll be able to take what they're saying in context of the game. The important nugget of information from that conversation was that they are not only aware but fond of the ability to bluff in Clue. Therefore, you can expect some of their behavior in the game to include some bluffing, whereas people playing for the first time are less inclined to do so.
Knowing your competitors does not mean underestimating them - even though you've done the prep beforehand, a person learning the game for the first time could pick it up quick and be in a good position to win. Especially if you have people playing for the first time, they may make mistakes or do things that aren't in their best interest strategically. I can think of many game nights where there are people present who aren't really interested or capable of winning, rather they attend because of the company and the food. Those "non-factors" can often be wild-cards and may not do what you expect, so know from whom to expect the unexpected.
Know your "Point B" and constantly move towards it
The main thing that boggles my mind when people play games is they often don't really consider their end goal. They'll aimlessly take their turns and just do stuff for the sake of doing it. Before the game even starts, you should be aware of what you are working towards on each of your turns. Identifying your end goal, or your "point B" is essential becuase you need to make sure everything you do is moving you to that point. Having the end in mind is necessary because there will be obstacles and constraints that affect your path to victory. Since it's your job to be flexible and navigate around those obstacles, do so in a way that is always moving you closer to winning instead of randomly making moves/actions without purpose.
One part of always moving towards your "point B" is something I've heard called "playing to your outs". Someone who is playing to their outs uses the context of the game to decide how they can maximize their chance to win. Consider a game with six people. If your only chance to place first means you need to make a risky play that could result in your finishing sixth, that's better than taking the sure thing that will land you in second place. There is one winner and five losers, so make sure you are taking the path that increases your chances of being the winner. An excellent example of "playing to your outs" and identifying the path to victory is the story of Steven Bradbury.
Steve Bradbury is a gold-medalist speed skater for Australia. Here's the bullet-point need to know information about his skating career:
1994 Winter Olympics - Another skater slides into him and slices his calf open with their skate. He almost dies.
2000 Training Accident - Breaks his neck, accepts that he won't be able to realistically compete for a gold medal ever again
2002 Winter Olympics Quarter-Finals - Finishes third place, but makes it to semi-finals because one skater in front of him was disqualified.
2002 Semi-Finals - Knows he will not win unless everyone else crashes, purposefully hangs behind so he can avoid a crash in the small chance it happens. IT HAPPENS. Onto the finals!
2002 Finals - Same thing, knows he is one of the oldest competitors there, will only win if they all crash. Instead of trying to keep with the main pack, he hangs behind to take advantage of a crash. It happens AGAIN, and he defeats favorite Apollo Ohno in the process for the gold medal.
From Bradbury's Wikipedia Page:
"I was the oldest bloke in the field and I knew that, skating four races back to back, I wasn't going to have any petrol left in the tank. So there was no point in getting there and mixing it up because I was going to be in last place anyway. So (I figured) I might as well stay out of the way and be in last place and hope that some people get tangled up."
He later said that he never expected all of his opponents to fall, but added that he felt that the other four racers were under extreme pressure and might have over-attacked and taken too many risks.
Bradbury knew his only realistic path to victory was a long shot. But instead of trying to force it through skating as fast as possible, he understood his constraints, and took the path that had the best and only chance for him to win.
Too bad he couldn't replicate his success on Survivor...
So that's it! Those are my key points to win your next game night! If you've read this entire blog post, I'd love to hear your thoughts and your strategies. Good luck with your next game night and let me know how it goes!
God bless!
Jeremy