Am I Getting The Most From My Board Games?

“I buy too many board games” is a phrase that many gamers have thought when staring at their collection of boxes or possibly even admitted to other people in their group or hobby. No other hobby that I’ve been a part of has ever had questioning additional purchases as much as board gaming, with fellow players creating “challenges” at the start of the year in order to slow the tide of inevitable purchases for the remainder of the year. The 10×10, 10 individual play sessions of 10 different games, is a resolution created by BoardGameGeek users publicly to “make the most” of their current gaming collections before getting caught up in the “Cult of the New” and the inevitable game purchases that follow. If you Google “cult of the new”, you’ll find the first 6 results are all connected in some way the board game industry despite the term possibly applying to numerous different hobbies and purchasing habits. Do we have a unique “problem” here that needs to be solved?

With many beautiful games in our collections, we’ll often channel our inner Gollum with praises of “precious”

I’m no different to other board gamers, with a modest collection and the constant personal reflection and justification needed each and every time I think about ordering a new title. Does it “fill a hole” in my gaming collection, providing a gaming experience and challenge that I currently am “lacking”? Would my gaming group enjoy it or do I have players in mind that this game would suit? Currently I’m eyeing Orleans and appraising its characteristics, noting that I don’t have a bag builder, nor many Euros and as it’s rated highly and covers 2-4 players it surely earns a place on my shelf? How different is it from The Voyages of Marco Polo, and is it justified to have both in my collection? I assess my collection using language such as “balanced” or “variety” but after amassing more and more games, I wonder about whether I’m doing my collection and my wallet an “injustice” by continuing to be enticed by the sirens call of every FFG release.

I currently have a personal library of around 36 board games and growing. Individuals inside of the hobby will understand that this is a small/medium sized collection in the context of board game ownership and those outside of the hobby will utter disbelief when hearing the total, as if it’s the amount of serial murders I’ve committed during my time on earth. When I look through my list of titles, I feel that there are gaps in it still; possibly not enough Euro’s or not enough games that play exceptionally with only two players; not a single party game for when I take games to the family or not a single title by the esteemed Stefan Feld. The numbers read in very different ways depending on your perspective.

With a full time job, a fiancée and other “adult” commitments in my life I probably get to play board games averaging twice a week, once with the regular gaming group and the other either at an organised board game event, with a couple of friends on the weekend or with the lady or family. With 36 games in my collection that’s 3 unique games to play per month before I’ve cycled through my entire library for the year.  So with 52 weeks in a year, that would be 104 gaming sessions allowing me more than enough time to play everything, right? That would be IF I happen to ONLY play the games in my collection, WITHOUT trying new games at events, playing whatever other members of my group brought around and definitely not buying any new games throughout the year. If I competed in the 10×10 challenge, I’d maybe purchase one game per year in December with my available game time. So am I getting value out of my game library?

The Elephant is the best starting Tile, or is it the Snake, or the Extra Prayer points?

Some of the games I own require a single play to understand their nuances. Once I’ve gotten 5 tokens of affection to the “Love Letter” princess, I’ve pretty much understood many of the game’s tactics, and repeated plays are purely entertainment based or introducing other people to how simple mechanics in such a small package can be so enjoyable. I have a few games in my collection that are similar; Star Realms, No Thanks!, Dead Man’s Draw and Welcome to the Dungeon to name some, but I also have many others that have complexity and depth that cannot be “mastered” in a single sitting. What power combination offers the best returns in a game of Kemet? What’s the right combination of focused actions in Roll for the Galaxy in relation to my starting tiles? What’s the right balance of Greyjoy and Tyrell Cards in my Game of Thrones deck that will be able to cope with the onslaught of Targaryen military might?

If you’ve read this far, you’ve probably realised that I’m not offering any answers, justifications or solutions to my own inner turmoil. Perhaps putting this out there might assist in my own internal debate as to whether to expand or contract my collection. There are definitely moments when I look at my collection and wish I had more time to get through that Arcadia Quest campaign,  to experience the victories and defeats that await me inside that box. More plays of Eldritch Horror to experience the triumph of defeating Yig, learning which combination of heroes will give me the edge against the forces of Evil. How many plays of each game will be equivalent to the purchase price? What is the value of each of these beautiful boxes of chits, dice and cards?

In these discussions, the language we use often defines what we see as value in board games. Speaking from my own lexicon (as one can literally only do), using the terms collection and library already denotes an intrinsic value I see in simply owning the game. I view board games as a functional collection of items in my house that I simply enjoy by owning and even sharing with my friends. I gain immense enjoyment in researching what opportunities lie in the square cardboard confines and who I would take to the tabletop “battlefield” to compete with for the crown of victory. Thinking of how loved ones and friends might share in the enrichment that board gaming offers me, how we can share moments and discussions around the table is often strangely as rewarding as the actual purchase and interactions are. When I get each and every one to the table, I enjoy the play through despite not truly understanding all the nuances of each game and how they best work, and rotating between each new game renews my love for how diverse our hobby truly is.

Istanbul is the current family favourite, probably getting more plays in with them than with other newer games.

As a board game site, we also constantly attempt to play as many new games as possible to provide content to our readers that is fresh, engaging and interesting to read. Would I love to play the games I already own more to get the most out of them and possibly understand them better; certainly. Is it going to stem the research into the latest titles from great minds like Eric Lang or the frothing at the mouth (The Secret Cabal ®) and pre-orders for great games I hear about when something becomes the “hotness” on Board Game Geek? Most certainly not. As long as I’m enjoying every second of my time as a part of this hobby and feeling no regrets about buying more titles, I see no immediate reason to change.

What do you think about your gaming collection? Do you own too many games, too few games? Do you regret any of your purchases and do you also deliberate every board game purchase internally? Let me know I’m not alone.