Nine tips for teaching board games
Effectively teaching board games may be the most important skill you can have in the hobby.
One of the trickiest parts in getting new games to the table is an ever-present for so many of us. Teaching games is time-consuming, and doing it right can take even more time before you can get a game to the table. This week, I’m looking at teaching rules, and we’ll start by taking a look at those great rules explanations videos out there — and why they only do half the job.
It’s extremely cool that there are people dedicated to putting out rules videos for a wide variety of games. I have learned many games with those videos, and they can be a really great resource. But a good rules video isn’t a replacement for a good rulebook; in the best case, it’s a supplement that will support you in teaching a game. Even if there’s a rules explanation video that covers everything perfectly, you’ll find still need to understand the rulebook. At worst, rules videos allow you to lean into a desire to just get the game to the table without putting in effort to learn the rules, so you watch it for the first time alongside everyone else. I’ve done that plenty of times, and I still find myself having to understand the rulebook, but it’s happening in real-time as we’re trying to play a game.
It might take a bit of repetition to understand a rule. There might be intricacies that seemed trivial when first explained but are actually quite important when it comes to scoring. There will be questions, and when a question comes up, being able to answer it quickly and easily with the rulebook will make everyone’s experience a better one.
As a person introducing a game, you’re guiding their experience. It’s on you to ensure it’s a smooth, pleasant one. That doesn’t mean that you must have mastered a game or even played it before you teach it, but there are tactics you can and should consider.
This is not an exhaustive list; remember that everyone learns differently, and everyone teaches differently, too. These are tips that have worked for me, but that doesn’t mean it’s the one true way to teach rules or to learn games.
Keep learning
Learning and teaching are two sides of the same coin, and recognizing that will guide your rules explanations to new heights. Talk with your friends and family about how they learn. Ask for feedback about your rules explanations and take it in — learn what works and what doesn’t.
Perhaps the most important thing you can do as someone teaching rules is learning rules yourself. Play games you don’t know that other people do — what works for their teaching style? What doesn’t? What would you do differently, and why would you do it differently?
Consider your audience
Before you get started with a rules explanation, you need to have picked out a game to teach. If you know you’ll have, say, five people over, and you’ve been itching to play some trick-taking games, there are some things to consider. What experience with games — and specifically trick-taking games, in this example — do they have? Are they experienced gamers? Do they understand the concepts in depth? Not only should this shape your rules explanations, but it should shape your game selection just as much. I’m a big fan of trick-taking games these days, and I’ll find myself wanting to play some weird, complex games — but I’m always trying to remind myself that there’s an order to these things.
Rather than pulling out Uchronicle, a trick-taking game where you’re constantly making new rules and adjusting previous tricks, why not pull out something more approachable, like The Crew? Want to play a worker placement game with your friends who are just getting into the hobby? Maybe don’t start with On Mars — instead, how about Agricola or Architects of the West Kingdom? Remember, it’s not about gatekeeping what your friends and family play but making sure you provide smooth on-ramps. If you want to play something with some real heft to the rules, you have to start at a reasonable place first.
Watch a video
Watch a rules explanation video! I know I just talked about how you shouldn’t rely solely on them, but you absolutely can use them as a resource to assist you in your understanding of a game. I’ll usually get the game out of the box and look at the components while I watch a video.
It helps me to connect with a game’s components while I’m learning the rules. Even just pulling out a specific component of the box when mentioned in the rules as I learn the game initially can help me connect that component to the rules when I’m explaining the game to a group.
Play the game yourself
If you’re playing a game with a solo mode that’s at the very least close to the way the game plays with others, give it a whirl. It’ll force me to wrestle with the rules and really come to grips with how everything interacts. That’s how I learned Spirit Island, and I can’t imagine having tried to do so without it. If the game doesn’t have a solo mode you can try out, try playing the game as if you’re three or four players. Even with a card game, that can help you think through the difficulties of the game.
Sometimes, you might have the opportunity to play the game with somebody who already knows the rules. That’s a great start to being to explain the game to others, but that doesn’t mean you’ll know everything. You’ve still got to understand explaining the rules.
Just play the game
I don’t mean that you should start the game without having explained the rules. While there might be requests to “just start playing,” it can introduce even more difficulties in rules explanation. Imagine, for instance, trying to learn Root by plopping the pieces on the table and following other players’ leads. It’s a fairly disastrous thought.
If you do need to get people engaged, try a dummy round or two. It’s a good practice that you can also pull out when things aren’t landing. We played Scout with an aunt and uncle recently, and my wife explained the rules. When things didn’t quite click, she quickly went to a dummy round to make sure the game was clear, and it made a substantial difference once we started playing in earnest.
Give examples
Don’t be afraid to give an example using people around the table. This is a key trait that I learned from that Shut Up and Sit Down video above, and it’s absolutely changed the way I think about rules explanations. The key here is that you’re pulling people in to your explanations, and while this is cast as a benefit to the players learning the game — and it is! — it’s also an opportunity for you to think about the players around the table instead of reading a script.
Don’t expect perfection
When I teach a rule incorrectly — and you will, too — I try to admit fault and move on quickly with the game. If it’s a discovery of a recent improper action, I might ask everyone how they’d like to proceed, giving the player in question a chance to replay their turn. If it’s not recent, I pose a simple question: Should we finish this game, and should we finish it with the right rules or the wrong rules? Sometimes a mistake doesn’t crumble a game’s foundation, and you might be in a position to just finish the game as you’d been playing.
Whatever you do, try not to punish a player who misunderstands a rule. Remember, it’s often not their fault they got something wrong — it’s yours, and it’s genuinely OK. Give a player the benefit of the doubt and help them focus on getting the rule right in the future.
When someone plays improperly or misunderstands a rule, remember, learning happens differently for different people. Correct the error, offer the rulebook, and give players an opportunity to read the rule in case you misunderstood something yourself. There have been times I’ve questioned somebody on the rules only to realize that I’m the one who made a mistake. Admitting fault or highlighting the potential of fault on your part can ease the tension of the rulebook check.
Refer back to the rules
The first (or second, or third!) time I play a game, I’m constantly referring back to the rules. I’m doing this quickly and without drawing attention to it (I think?), but if there’s a mistake in the way the game’s being played, I want to catch it quickly. Don’t do this to double-check that somebody’s playing by the rules; instead, do this to ensure you have a full understanding of the rules yourself and that you’ve properly communicated those rules.
Learn from your peers
There are so many people in the hobby, and it grows every day. There are many educators and passionate hobbyists who have thought a lot about rules explanations. I’ll include a few resources here, and I hope you check out at least the first, which is a great video from some of the best in the hobby.
From Shut Up and Sit Down, this completely reshaped how I thought about rules explanations: How To Teach Board Games Like a Pro
Reddit: What tips do you have for teaching a new board game?
How to Teach Someone a Board Game (and Even Have Fun Doing It)