My buddy Dan made me rethink how I play cooperative board games

We were playing Pandemic last weekend and I kept trying to quarterback everyone's moves. Dan just calmly said 'hey, maybe let them figure it out, that's the fun part.' At first I got defensive but then I noticed the group started talking more and actually coming up with cool plans I never would have thought of. It hit me that I was treating the game like a solo puzzle instead of a team experience. Has anyone else had to dial back their control issues in co-op games?

2 comments

2 Comments

avery_stone9525d ago

Yeah, that really hits home for me. I actually just read a blog post about how coop games can bring out the worst in people who like to control stuff, and it mentioned that sometimes the person quarterbacking doesn't even realize they're ruining the fun. Your buddy Dan sounds like a good friend for calling it out so calmly. I've definitely been guilty of this too, especially in games like Spirit Island where I think I know the best move. Once I started holding back, the game felt way more rewarding because other players surprised me with ideas. It's like you have to unlearn being a boss and relearn being a teammate.

andrew_wood7225d ago

Dan actually called him out calmly? I would've lost my mind, lol.