Competition is at the heart of any game. Indeed, it’s a characteristic that often defines the very word “game,” and separates the board gaming hobby from other leisurely forms of entertainment. In some games, this is manifested in a cooperative element where players work together to beat the system. Others instill a style of competition in which you solitarily strive to better your opponents at the same task, independent of any influence from each other.
But the great
games include some form of direct interaction.
I’m going to attack you, steal from you, lie to you, block you, gang up
on you, or generally wreak havoc on your pretty, well-laid plans of building a
quiet cottage in the mountain meadows where the larks sing you to sleep in a
gently swaying hammock on a warm spring day after sipping your sweet tea with
mint.
Some people really like their sweet tea.
But, if you’re a gamer who appreciates direct interaction –
even some old-fashioned, sucker-punching spite – just how do you entice wary
casual gamers, younger children, or maybe even that hard-nosed Euro player in
your group? Well, you’ll have to ease
them into it, of course. So before you
hit them with Bang!, Cosmic Encounter, or Diplomacy, here’s a list of ten progressively
recommended titles to turn your peace-loving friend or relative into the Gordon
Ramsay of gaming!