How New Board Games are Ruining the Board Game Hobby? 

My biggest issue is owning complex hardcore board games but my family and friends are casuals that dont have the attention span for them 😓

this video is like looking in a mirror. I'm totally that person who gets hyped about a game after binging reviews online, then somehow talks myself into buying it. But here's the kicker - I'm a single mom with a full-time job and other hobbies, so these games just sit there, unopened and unused. I swear I'm playing Tetris in my tiny apartment, trying to squeeze in one more game box. It's like I'm hoarding dreams of epic game nights that never happen. The potential for fun and making memories is there, I just can't seem to make it a reality. Anyone else feel like they need a strategy to break this cycle? This video is somewhat of a relief, knowing that the struggle is shared. It's comforting to see I'm not alone in this.

New Board Games are not ruining your Board Game Hobby. Mindless consumerism is ruining your decision making. I'm content with the 20-something board games we have, and happy to play them. We get 1 or 2 new ones a year on special occasions, if the stars and reviews align. What you describe is a consumerist addiction, that can be fixed by a little bit of self discipline.

We are living in the golden age of boardgaming. We are spoilt for choice but the problem is also we are getting BGs with sub-par design that is probably flashly, bloated with content etc. Not to forget that we have lots of influencers who are pushing games to the community without providing honest opinions.

This is me after buying close to 20 games in less than 3 months. I realized I need to stop myself urgently, my wallet and shelf can't handle my spending.

The worst part about this is, I paused this video three times to look up one of your games on BGG, then two of them I went to Amazon to check the price and availability. What's wrong with me!

I stepped completely out of the hobby of being a “board gamer”. The industry, the hype, the influencers and shills, the never ending trickle of “this new game I got” at games nights, where somebody will invariably mention another game they have “backed/ordered” before the first few rounds of this new one is even over. I stepped out of the machine. I feel so free. I now play the games I did back before being a “board gamer” was ever a thing.

I have 30 games. I limit myself to this. When i buy a new game i sell/give away one i own.

One of my favorite gaming experiences was playing "Dice Masters" every weekend for five to seven hours with a friend. Repeated plays of a game (particularly one you like) is the best way to best know and enjoy the game. Sadly, most people just want to keep trying something different. Different is okay from time to time, but that which is tried and true is more preferable IMO. It also cuts down on play time, as well as having to teach rules for every game played.

I build a cool fort with my board games They also keep me warm at night

That's why I never have more then 10 games in my collection. For a new game to enter, it must compete for my precious time with the ones I already have. For a new game to enter, it must kick one I already have out, and for that, it must offer something different that none of the others have, and actually make me want to play it over then sometimes.

I tend to find I'm less enthusiastic about the new games coming out because so many of them are functionally just re-themes of the same mechanics I've seen a hundred times before.

This isn't a board game issue. It's an idol issue; this thing will save me, but it doesn't... Some people are addicted to board games, some to clothes, some to food, some to working out, some to work. But nothing saves and delivers on the promises 'cept faith, but that's a whole journey unto itself. Boardgaming can be some people's crack, and it sort of is to me, but I also keep it in perspective and boundaries and take breaks - no consumer debt. As to promises of fun unfulfilled... Do people not go to local gaming events and build new friendships through the hobby? Do people not evangelize to friends by just giving non gamer friends old games that are a good fit but haven't been tried by thay friend yet?

When we moved house I sold a lot of the games I had. Never really missed them. Sometimes I see this awesome new game on BGG or a crowdfunding site. It gets me going but I tell myself, 'I'll check it out later!' Then, a week or two later the game passes by again and I think, 'Seems familiar, I saw this earlier.' But there's none of the buying anxiety. Counter your impulses!

I genuinely believe I like learning games more than mastering them. I am super interested in new designs and to see what’s in new in a newly released board game. The potential for innovation is great and sometimes new games surprise me with their cleverness. So yeah…for me board gaming IS about dipping into games and moving on. I just need to he honest about. Every 20-30 games I play I do strike gold and meet the game I want to play many many times more. So I know I am capable of loving a game deeply but it takes a lot. Maybe because I have seen so many games my bar for enjoyment has been raised? It’s just rare for me to feel like I want to dedicate my time to exploring a game instead of checking out a new one. The most recent game that had me stay and explore was Slay the Spire but the 10 games I played before it came and went.

I finally played Isle of cats with my kids after having it in my pile of shame for 2 years and we love it (we play the family version so far). Finding unplayed gems or unread gems (books) in your shelves feel great.

I've been having the same thoughts in 2024. I actually went 3 months with buying a new game this year on purpose (which hadn't happened in 3 years). I was amazed at how much more fun gaming was in months two and three. Playing games we all knew refreshed my family's desire to play games. Unfortunately, I fell back into old habits and went on a buying spree. Fortunately, in back on another the month hiatus from buying. Great video as always. Thanks for these.

I've gone through the same thinking process and I love the tips. Here's some things I've been doing recently: 1. Look closely to the people you play often with and learn which mechanics, complexity/weight, themes they enjoy the most. Once you understand it, stop buying games you know (and I know that you know) they won't play or enjoy. It's okay to have 1 or 2 to try to explore new things but you don't need 10 games you'll never be able to play. 2. Play each game in your collection at least 3-4 times to make a decision whether you like it or not and before looking for new ones. I remember that the first time I played Red Rising, I found it "ok" but after a couple games, I started understanding cards/colors synergies much better which changed how I felt about the game completely. 3. Stop buying expansions before you really exhaust the base game possibilities, unless it's public knowledge that the expansion makes the base game 10x better.

I'm so glad you guys are making a video like this. I got into the hobby just a few years ago and I've really taken this message to heart. Be careful about buying new games all the time, and try not to overwhelm the people you love with new games all the time because it might ruin it for them. Also, great production on this video! Fantastic job, very entertaining too!

I'm more of a quality-over-quantity enjoyer. I try to get the best game in the particular niche or theme and pass on all the games that are "just ok". How I know that the games are the best or just ok? - I usually check if anybody in our playgroup (~50 people) has the game or join online discord group for the game and play the game on Tabletop Simulator once or twice to get a feel for it, or watch somebody play the game online - only if it passed my test I add it to the list of games to play/get - and I only buy it if it was an excellent game or there is some cheap option that popped up and nobody in our group had the game. Then every time the game is played I add some bling to it - paint minis, 3d print some pieces, buy expansion or Etsy add-on. We play a game every ~4 days and on average we play 30 games per year, so every game gets played 3-4 times (not every game is played every year). Haven't been excited about any game for a couple of years though, they all feel and play samey or not my cup of tea. Only waiting for the Iron Forest as I don't yet have any dexterity board games yet.

Collecting board games and playing board games are two different hobbies.

It's so true! There's way too much coming out to keep up. FOMO used to get me but it became overwhelming to the point where I don't really car anymore. Haha

Before buying a new board game, we always ask each other; 1.do we really need it? 2.Do we have something similar in the library? We usually never need it and we do have similar games. We only buy games after some times, when the reviews are out and there is a game that exceeds expectations. That way, we buy 1-2 games per year and that's it. I have found that we tend to love these games a lot more because they were selected and appreciated by us. I also made a cheat sheet with the main rules for every board game we own. It was a tedious process but I did it. Now, starting a game is easier and we focus on having a great time as a couple rather that playing a specific game just for the experience or the excitement of a brand new game. We currently love Everdell and Galaxy Trucker, we are busy and these games are quick, easy to remember and to set up plus we enjoy some wine and have some music while playing. I am thinking of setting a new rule, to have 2-3 games out of the categories we enjoy. We will cherish the hobby, no matter what!

If you go to the movies with a friend it’s going to set you back $60 including food. You probably never see the movie again. I always think a minimum of three plays for a game is a decent return on your investment. Similar price to a date night at the movies but enjoyed three times. Don’t sweat it bro!

YES, I'm a victim of a person that won't stop buying new games. I'm burned out from never really learning games (because we don't replay them). So I don't boardgame nearly as much anymore - I just solo the ones that I like.

This is the truest video about board gaming in a LONG time! Brilliant stuff guys 😆

This is why I love solo LCG games. You pick one and then you can play it thousands of times over and over. And there is always new stuff to buy for it if you get that urge to waste money. Then after a while you have so many Marvel Champions cards that you can start playing the brand new game of, “How do I store all these cards?” and you can collect card sleeves and game mats and upgrades and watch strategy videos and podcasts and endlessly annoy your wife. And the whole time you never have to learn new rules. Except for the dozens of times that FFG updates the game with new rulings and card types…

I saw you put "Welcome to.." away in that box and my heart broke.

Love to see the bromance on display, it’s this kind of friendship and banter (and of course the sharp editing and cinematography!) that is refreshing to see in the RU-vid space on board game content.

You guys are so great! I’m right there with you. I make my kids learn new games all the time! I know what you’re saying is a great idea and something I need to do in my own way too. Letting them pick and just enjoying all the games we have It’s easy to lose sight of the point of playing games which is enjoying the people you’re with. And instead making it about learning and acquiring new games. As I say this I have over 10 games coming from Noble Knight games with credit I got from selling a bunch of games we weren’t playing:). Good luck on your commitment. I know you can do it!

Your narrative style is fantastic. Never fails to make me smile. I TOTALLY have the same issue. Many of my friends are happy just playing Dixit or something light when I desperately want them to try "deeper" games. I say "deeper" because even some medium of light games feel too "deep" for non-gamers. Patience. Must learn patience.

Laughed through the entire video, and felt uncomfortably seen. My wife kept yelling “this is YOU!” So, yes, I’m with you my friend.

This is why I love Leder Games. If their designs are for you, you don’t need anything else! They’re made to have massive replayability and allow you and your group to really sink your teeth into them. Root and their newest, Arcs, really stick out in this regard.

Collecting games is a valid experience too. Personally I want to play everything I own, but its simply not possible now.

Thats why I really have a rule where I pick up a game that is different enough from the games I already own so I dont double or triple stack the same 3 style of games that I'll only play once each.

Love all of the outtakes at the end! Always keep that sense of humor, and good luck with resisting the newest and shiniest! :)

I’ve seen the same pattern in another hobby of mine. I enjoy whisky, I usually have about three bottles on my bar. I joint a FB group located in my region hoping to meet others who enjoy whisky and talk about it. The reality, it was posting after posting of pictures of what they bought that week over and over. it’s mostly guys with hundreds of bottle and taking pictures of how many they have. It’s pretty much the same way in my war game group, pictures after pictures of what they purchases. Some play but it’s mostly all about how many games they have. So many have dozen of games they have never played. I’ve seen post of some saying “oh yeah I got that game, purchased it back in 1985 but I never played it” For me that is just mind boggling, I do not understand this mind set people have now of not enjoying their hobbies but mostly just try to out do each other for social media likes

I made a rule to only buy games after they've been out for 2 or 3+ years and are still being talked about / highly praised. So many games come out and then a couple years later another one will make It obsolete. I agree as well, my game group is made up of non-hobbyists and they don't love learning new games every week lol I learned that quickly

If you're like me, hungry to try more elaborate board games but don't have hundreds of dollars to throw away on them, I recommend buying posterboard or rolled up brown paper and art supplies. You can make a serviceable copy of a game in 3-4 hours by copying down the boards/cards/etc. images off the web or borrowing a friend's version. If you have kids, they'll probably get excited about helping to draw the pictures/write the numbers/etc and adding in their own custom parts to their new game.

I got up to 300 games. I'm in process of downsizing and will only keep my fav 20 games. Everyone wants to play their own games since they spend $ on them, time to learn them and organize/upgrade them. It's also frustrating bringing 20 games to meetups and MAYBE 1 gets actually played. I looked at all my games less than 15% get played in a year. Give me that $ and shelf space back! Also, the ridiculous bloat on KS now is insane. 30+ games a month released and each has 100 minis and 100 hrs of campaign? CHILL GUYS!

This video captures the essence of every hard gamer or collector's dilemma. I Feel exactly the same.

Just sell the games you never play, they hold value if you've looked after them. After selling for $20-50 less than you bought them for they will feel like they were just rentals. Soon you'll be able to open the door to your spare room again. I only really keep the games that are getting played and maybe 2 that I wish to play in the future. That is a total of 5 games, I used to have 30 or so.

I limit myself to just one game, Battletech. 40 years of BT fills my whole office, under the beds and closets.

It's your hobby, not ylur trade. Play whatever you and your gaming group likes. Don't be afraid to lose out: as long as you are all having good fun, you are doing it right.

I was close to owning 200 games. then I trimm that to less than a 100 and still going lower. the thing is, we are buying a feeling how we expect to feel in this imaginative situation of playing a game. it never happens as we just keep on buying that feeling rather than paying games. and games these days are poorly designed compared to those released 5,10 years ago.

The main problem is that there are too many new games coming out each month. The only thing that helps a bit is to become way more critical about the games and sort out more before buying.

I thought I was having this problem, but comparing my curated list of 25 games to everyone else makes me realize that you're the ones with problems.

Always love bloopers! Great video, excellent message. You’re not the only one and I wish you success with I continue to hoard!

I quit chasing the cult of the new about 2 years ago and I'm way happier in the hobby now. I've since made a rule that the shelf space I have in my house is all that I can have, and so in order to bring in a new game I have to get rid of a game or games enough to make room on the shelf for the new box. This has worked out wonderfully for me as I'm MUCH more careful about the choices I make, and it leads me and my family to playing the games we know we love rather than taking a chance on a big flashy game that looks pretty but ultimately lacks substance.

The issue is compounded by having a reasonably large (8-10) group that plays together. Even if each person only buys, say 3 games in a year, that's 25-30 NEW games all competing for table time with everyone's favorites. Just last week, I finally got a game to the table I bought LAST year at GenCon.

Yes, the market has exploded and now I ONLY buy used games at very low prices.

i owned waaaaaaaaay to many boardgames. i sold/gave away every game i didn't play regularly. i know only have 5 big, 10 medium and 20 small games (roughly). they all get played and i love the hobby again. 🎉

Some people I know are hoarders also. I always pick a game with a mechanic that I dont already have. This way I always look forward to the new game because it would really feel new and I will have a specific game for a specific company or event. On the other hand, the amount of research I do for every single game is maybe a tiny bit overdone.

Dude you guys have excelled as presenters. And your channel has literally DOUBLED since I started following how AMAZING!!!!! Well deserved my Latvian lads.

I play a game 3 times when I get it - which makes me enjoy the excitement I had when getting the game and explore it sufficiently before putting it back on the shelf. If I don't play a game in a year, I get rid of it. I've also found tracking my plays helps me focus on playing my games vs. buying them (especially with the Cost per play metric)! Finally, I don't start a new campaign game until I finish the last.

I realized years ago that it's a problem, half of my games were never played or over a year ago, so I only bought games if I could get them 2nd hand from one FB-group. When it finally became available it was like Xmas! Less is more.

your family picture is sooo good. can't stop laughing :-)

I am really picky with my hobbies. I am a huge Sci-Fi fan,but you won't know that by how little movies,TV shows,and books I have. Same with Video Games. The hobby that I have the most stuff is Anime/Manga. With tabletop gaming, I have a list of what a game needs for me to even think of wanting to get it. 1)Theme. I mainly love Sci-Fi, Superhero, and History. 2.Type. I love grand strategy(Sci-Fi, History, Mythology (Greek), sports(F1, Olympics) Campaigns(Mainly Sci-Fi-Space Opera, Mythology (mainly Greek).

I am a minimalist. I hardly own much stuff. I own a couple of board games. And for the rest, I buy one at a time until I’ve played it to bits. I sell it and then buy it again a year or two later when I’m interested in playing it again. Board games have great resell value

The game burnout is real. My wife and i each pick three games we want to play and play through those. I tend to throw in games we havent played in a long time or new games. This strategy makes it easier to choose a game when we have time to play. Best of luck with the challenge!

We moved about 7 months ago and that was the big wake up call for me. When you have to carry hundreds of games up 2 flights of stairs (Basement to a Loft). You realize things may have gotten out of control. LOL

I managed to solve this problem for both boardgames and videogames (it's as much as a problem on steam with very good discounts), luckily. The Epiphany for me came when i received my first two kickstarters, joan of arc and zombicide invaders. Those games were so big, so unwieldy that even organizing them was a feat in itself. At that moment i decided it was too much and decided to cut 70% of my collection. from that time (around 5 years ago) only bought a couple of games.

I agree. I kept getting new games, and now I have about 25 games we never play, and 5 games we have never played, with people preferring certain games. I need to just sell the ones we don't play, and stop buying new ones.

I limit myself to at most 1 new game every 2-3 months. That way we can give it a good few plays and then decide whether to add it to the regular rotation or sell it on.

My unplayed games I got on sales in my Steam library are looking at me menacingly

Your video quality has gotten impeccable. Also, i didnt think about what you said about teaching new games to non gamers

My wife and I played many, many games of Maneuver on a flight from the US to Europe a few years back lol

Just play Vijayanagara, 2 hours, full experience, doesn't require 10 plays :D

Oh my gosh, I have been thinking about this for months now. I am retired now, and when I was growing up (in the 70s -90s), we were lucky to have ONE new game a year. And we would play that game for YEARS. In my new gaming group, with ages from late 20s to 40s, some of the younger gamers bring 1-3 new games EVERY WEEK. It's just too much. It's overkill. It's rules overload in my brain. And EVEN if we find a game we like, and want to play it again, we rarely can, because they are using a dump-truck to shovel games in our laps so fast.

I agree 110%. What kills me is when people add more plastic in the form of card sleeves. I predict game board sleeves next. I'm 61 and have fond memories of family games with worn cards...adds character!

I feel this impacts the way we critique games too! I’ve seen so many criticise Dune: War for Arrakis for being unbalanced or trying to house rule it after

About 1/3rd of my games have never been played. I'm right there with you. My goal is to stop buying and start playing.

Maybe we are all united in that we our slaves to our imagination sometimes, the pretty pictures on the box cover, website, and components along with the "cool" story or theme of the game, the "interesting" mechanics, and clever marketing, fire up our dreams, as we start imagining this new world, this new experience and how awesome it will be. And for a lot of us that is part of the fun, we get a kick out of looking at the latest board games, finding ones we can fall in love with, and start dreaming about. It's kinda funny because even if we never actually play any of them, it's still an experience. And sometimes when we do play them, they don't quite reach our expectations, and so the cycle continues.

The problem is not the games on offer, but how you respond to them. You have no impulse control.

Totally understand. I used to buy RPGs, boardgames and miniature games. It was out of control. The way I do it now is to give a rate of $25 an hour of entertainment value. If I buy a $100 game and play it 4 hours, I reimbursed myself in enterainment time. Reading the rules, glueing and painting models, creating characters for a RPG are also entertainment for me. I don't allow myself to buy new games until I have played the current ones enough to reimbuse myself. Also, less social media helps a lot.

I started playing war games and never had any intention to go that direction. It has given me endless entertainment and replay value and it has stopped me from buying new games.

Craving the newest game seems to be woven into the fabric of board gaming these days. Temptation is always present with a constant flow of new games being released at retail and crowdfunding every week. If I'm craving a new game, I compare it to a game already in my collection. For example, excited about a boss battler on KS? Play Astro Knights or Sentinels of the Multiverse today. Campaign game on Gamefound? Play Sleeping Gods or Legacy of Yu now.

This is definitely a topic that needs to be discussed because I think a lot of gamers feel this way and think "what's wrong with me?" I went thru the playing a modern board game and loving it then finding out there is so many other games we just live and get addicted to that new game rush. Then getting overwhelmed of having to learn the game so you out it off then you end of with a shelf of shame which makes you feel bad about but not enough to stop chasing the rush of that new game experience so you keep on buying. But then you have so many games that even ones you've played before but you have to relearn it all over again each time you play. Now I only buy larger games for Xmas and set up a challenge for the rest of the year too play them all so many times. The smaller games I only get a few at a time no longer chasing the free shipping which here in Canada it's usually $200 worth lol. So I am not overwhelmed and feel better about my cost per play to at least the price of a movie ticket. 😂

This is my partner and I and we’re new to the hobby within the last year or so. Already got like 10+ games 😆 On another note, how do you find Flock Together?? We backed it on Kickstarter (our first and probably not last lol, the irony) and waiting to receive our own copy 😊

I work in marketing and began to recognize the glutting of the board game market a few years back. I've played every game I own (well, almost) at least once, but the sad truth is most of these games end up decorating my shelf. There are games I absolutely love that haven't seen the table in years. New games is a big reason...either my new games...or my friends'. I have successfully trained myself to not buy games my friends already have and that has helped a lot. And also, I won't purchase a game unless I'm certain my friends will want to play it. When it gets down to it, a game on the shelf is not fulfilling its intended purpose to be played. I want to help games be played.

I can relate to this struggle; although, I do not back games on Kickstarter. Once the game is published for retail sale, I’m on it. I enjoy researching the new games, watching reviews and figuring out how to play new games. I’m a fan of expansion sets too. You’re correct though, some people around me get a bit fatigued and stressed by me introducing new games, despite my efforts to try to choose ones suitable for the type of players (casual gamers, non-gamers and gamers). I like your 3 month rule! Right now, I only have a few unopened/unplayed games. I do slow down with the purchase of games during the summer.

I use to play ALOT of boardgames. The worst part was not learning new games. The worst part was when I realised that I would never get to play the game again, because next week there will be a new game.

This year, I'm actually avoiding new games in favor of expansions for games I already like. But honestly, I'm at a point where I'm more excited about playing the games I already love than trying to find a new hidden gem.

I go to a great board game meetup every Monday evening, and I get to play new games as much as I like.

I've never thought of myself as a board gamer - but as a Twilight Imperium player, which happens to be a board game. Over time, this has expanded to Gale Force 9 Dune, Fury of Dracula and Mind Mgmt. But in all cases, we simply played these games in-depth, repeatedly, for weeks. I think the solution is to stop identifying as a board gamer, the way you probably don't identify as a movie watcher - it's just too broad. Identify the games you really enjoy, then just play those.

I think we're all looking for that perfect game. I'm in the sports sim community, and I have so many games and so many seasons to play, yet I keep buying new games and seasons. I guess that's part of the hobby, collecting and trying new things.

I like youre new earrings but trust me get another on on the other ear as well, symmetry and looks much cleaner and more stylish

So true, so true. I said the same thing then went to Origins this year. Yesterday I got a box in the mail that made the new game pile even higher. You should make a video on a 12 step program to detox!

The problem is, finding games (especially rare ones), buying games, opening them, looking at all the prices and sorting them, is just as dopamine-filled as playing them. Also FOMO is huge problem. Better get it now because it’s kickstarter exclusive, a reprint won’t happen for a few years, etc.

I usually don't comment but this video inspired me (plus I love you guys). I've been getting into BG something around October/November last year, and it has been such an adrenaline/dopamine rush for 2 or 3 months as I was discovering all the famous games I didn't know, selecting the ones I wanted to get and worst of all, CROWFUNDINGS. It feels like I came at a moment when there was so many big campaigns and titles that talked to me (mostly video games inspired), and I threw away so much money into so many campaigns (Nemesis, the Witcher, Elders Scrolls, Dead Cells, Kelp, DCeased, The Last Spell, just to name a few) while fighting really hard not to participate even more. In the meantime I realised at some point that this sort of hype never really ends, there are always interesting games that come out and that look really interesting, and I do think that there is way too much content that gets out there for us to really enjoy. I feel there's also this issue with video-games but on a much lesser extent as video-games are quickly consummed, whereas board games take a much longer time. I also gauged much better how often I was able to play games with my friends & family, and realized that I went way overboard with the games I funded/bought and that I will never play half of them, and I know that whereas I haven't received a third of them yet. All this kind of put me off board games altogether, and since I'm still subscribed to a lot of newletters I see passing all those interesting campaigns but don't even look at them anymore, which is a shame as it is a beautiful hobby that I would have loved getting more into under other circumstances, but I got burned too much too fast :(

Been there, but now I have control. The two unplayed games I have in my collection are games I got in the last week (and it's summer, so most people are away, hence very little gaming opportunities), I also aim to play my games every year, and I'm actually right on track there :)

Hmmm if you are a Wargamer, this would be very difficult. Many of my absolute favourites were purchased on a whim and incredible finds. My rule is only used games, and only 1 new game per year.

This is like an add for boardgamers anonymous.... And I ought to be a member.🙈 I even have a shelf of shame, where games I don't want to play goes. And then I regret it and move them back after a while 😂

I try to not replace a theme anymore or I get rid of the previous one. I have Camp Grizzly and won’t get any other horror/slasher game unless I’m ready to get rid of that one. I had Nemesis and Lockdown and backed Retaliation but have since sold Lockdown and got a refund on Retaliation.

Totally get all this. Great video! We also try to keep campaign games to 2 active ones on going.

When I reached 200 on BGG I noticed I may have a problem…

It's all about your self-control skills. For gamers, buying board games trigger the same buttons like with most womens' urge for new clothing. They sell dreams. Dreams of fantasy, adventure, of you being a hero of renown, of looking gorgeous. It's a consumer trap. You've fallen victim for your own low self-esteem. So buying and collecting games is one part. The second part is actually playing. There are different player archetypes. I think collectors often fall into the achiever archetype, those chasing the hypes, always want to learn new stuff and thus need a new game every game night. Then there are the explorers. Those who, if they have made the investment to learn a new game, they want to play it over and over again like most of us did during childhood until every game mechanic has been explored and unlocked. Naturally those players don't need many games as they can stick with the few they have for ages. Social players mostly look the interaction with other people. They prefer chatting while gaming over learning complicated games. They rarely want to put any effort in games. And there are the killers aka non-gamers that will only play with you if forced, just to do you a favor they can call in later. Those usually are even overwhelmed with simple game concepts and making teaching and with them feel more like a chore. They don't want games, don't need games and are usually the one bickering on you, why there is yet another game in the mail for you. That's my general, less nuanced point of view.

YOU ARE TEARING ME APART, BOARD GAMES!

heres the solution: you sell all of em, buy gloomhaven, frosthaven and maybe all extensions if u feel like adding another 10-20 years on top. now youll never have to purchase any other game for the rest of an entire lifetime (:

I like games too, but I haven't got anyone to play with. 😢