elizabethhart•12d agoMost Upvoted

Got a new board game group together 2 weeks ago and already regretting one player

I started hosting a weekly board game night at my place in Austin, and one guy keeps trying to negotiate rules mid-game like we're in a business deal. Last week he argued for 10 minutes about a setup rule in Settlers of Catan until I finally gave in just to move things along. Has anyone else dealt with a rule-bender and found a way to shut it down without killing the vibe?

2 comments

2 Comments

maxpalmer11d ago

@stella_foster has a good point, ten minutes is way too long for that kind of argument. I've been running a group for about two years now, and I learned the hard way that you have to set a firm rule early on. The key is to call it before the game even starts. Just say something like "hey, we're using the standard rules as written for this session, no adjustments unless everyone votes on it before we begin." That way when he tries to haggle mid-game, you can just point back to that agreement. If he keeps pushing, you might need to pull him aside one day and let him know the debate style kills the fun for everyone.

stella_foster12d ago

Ten minutes arguing about a Catan setup rule? I would have lost my mind by minute three.