Sustaining a Board Game Group
10 to-dos to build & sustain a game group | BoardGameGeek | BoardGameGeek - https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1744771/10-dos-build-sustain-game-group
1. Have a regular schedule – Whether a group meets weekly or monthly, it is critical that there is a regular schedule. Only when sessions are (reasonably) regular will members make plans keeping game sessions in mind. Announce sessions at least 4-5 days (and send a reminder 1-2 days) in advance so that members’ have it at the top-of-mind. Bottom line: Everybody has a ton of things to do and many events competing for their time, so make it easy for members to know when the next session is and notify them about it well in time so that they can plan accordingly.
2. Have an assigned host(s) to welcome new members – Each session must have a host who greets new members, understands their prior gaming experience, and explains how the group works. Give new members a quick overview of the different kinds of games your group plays, and in addition, explain commonly used terms (e.g., filler game, gateway game etc.) to newbies. Bottom line: Getting out to explore a new hobby / meet with a bunch of strangers isn’t necessarily the easiest thing to do. Make those who actually take this first step feel welcome and excited to join you.
3. Decide the spotlight games beforehand – If the group / venue has a large collection of games, members can spend considerable time in deciding which game to play. If your group has members with varied levels of gaming experience, the discussions can become even more endless. My preferred option is for the spotlight games for a session to be pre-decided and announced. That way, anyone who wants to watch a tutorial video or read an online rulebook can do so. It also prevents the paradox of choice - the inability to decide / anxiousness stemming from an overwhelming number of choices. Bottom line: Get people playing quickly.
4. Have a designated game master present – For all pre-decided spotlight games, have at least one person present who is reasonably conversant with the theme, game flow, and rules to teach the game without continually referring to the rulebook. Even more optimal is if the game master himself plays the game so that any questions that crop up can be handled at the table itself with minimal game interruption. Bottom line: You want members spending their time gaming rather than reading rulebooks or interrupting other games in progress with rules-related questions. A good game master helps that cause tremendously.
5. Recommend newbies to play light or gateway games – While it’s not impossible for a newbie to play Game of Thrones, it is most likely going to be an overwhelming experience for him and an underwhelming one for the veterans. Recommend newbies to play games that are suitable for their gaming experience so that they have a good time and want to come again to play. Bottom line: If your session is likely to have newbies, you should have at least some games that are newbie friendly (and people willing to teach & play that game!)
6. Spice up the sessions – For example, you can have sessions with a theme (fantasy games, light games etc.), combine weekend travel with gaming (we called it Go & Game), marathon gaming sessions that last longer than usual sessions. Bottom line: Occasionally, add some flavor to how game sessions normally work.
7. Make the RSVPs matter – Would you like it if you turned up for an announced session only to find out it isn’t happening? No. Similarly, it is important for members to honour their RSVPs and as a group organizer / host, you want to nudge members to take RSVPs seriously so that you don’t have wild swings in your attendance, which can disrupt your planned spotlight games. If you are a commercial group, you can offer some sort of discount to those who honour their RSVP. In the case of non-commercial groups, you can offer those who RSVP a confirmed seat at the game of their choice based on first come first served basis. Bottom line: Make session notifications a commitment to host and RSVPs a commitment to attend.
8. Get to know members personally – One reason gaming is enjoyable is because it satisfies our innate need to socialize. While you don’t want to be intrusive, feel free to get to know a little more about your members – what they do for a living, other hobbies etc. We used to have a scheduled break during a game session when we’d serve light refreshments and engage / encourage chit-chat. Bottom line: Members are more likely to regularly attend game sessions which they view as a gathering of friends.
9. Engage regularly with non-regularly attending members – You can upload photos or write a session report to engage even those who missed a session. Doing this regularly will (hopefully!) get more first-timers to drop in and become regulars. You can create a Whatsapp / FB group for regulars to interact and chit-chat even on days when there are no sessions. Bottom line: Don’t let a member’s physical absence become a reason for not engaging her.
10. Curate the game collection over time – Unless you are a specialized game genre group (e.g., war gamers), you will want to have a wide variety of games suitable for different player counts, gaming experience, and play time duration. However, that pursuit can easily morph into an obsession with cult of the new and binge buying games that rarely get played. I suggest keeping a log of which games have been played, how many times, and general reception of the group to the game so that you can make more informed decisions when buying future games. Bottom line: Procure only new games that you think the group will enjoy and sell those that aren’t likely to get played again. (Tip: Unless the game is exceptionally bad, someone is likely to purchase even those games which weren’t a hit with your group if priced attractively)