My 8-year-old nephew made me rethink how I pick games at the store

Last weekend my nephew asked why I always look at the back of the box first (you know, before even reading the theme). He said 'Uncle, you smell the game more than you look at it' and I laughed but then realized he was kind of right. I spend way too much time on mechanics and complexity ratings while ignoring if the game even feels fun to me. Has anyone else had a kid say something dumb that actually changed your whole approach to buying games?

2 comments

2 Comments

harris.aaron18d ago

Did he actually say "smell the game" or was he just being a goof? That's a pretty funny line for an 8-year-old. Reminds me of when my niece told me I play board games like I'm checking a grocery list instead of having fun. She caught me looking at player counts and play times before even reading the theme. I started thinking about how I bought games based on what was popular online instead of what actually made me want to pull them off the shelf. Now I make myself read the back of the box story first and if it doesn't grab me I put it back no matter the mechanics.

sean_perry18d ago

Yes exactly! I totally do that too where I obsess over BGG ratings and play times before even considering if the theme sounds fun. @harris.aaron your niece is a wise kid, maybe I need to start reading the story first too.