My wife called our game night group 'a support group for people who can't stop buying cardboard'

We were packing up after a long session of Ark Nova last week, and she just said it while looking at my shelf of unplayed games. She wasn't even mad, just tired. It hit different because she's right. I counted 14 games still in shrink wrap, and I bought 3 of them just last month. I always said it was a hobby, but hearing it out loud made it sound like a problem. How do you guys balance the fun of collecting with actually playing what you buy?

3 comments

3 Comments

grant8262mo ago

You said it sounds like a problem, but I see it as a hobby with a backlog. The real trick is to stop buying and start a "shelf of shame" challenge with your game night group. What's the oldest unplayed game you could tackle next?

sandrashah2mo ago

Listen, grant826, that shelf of shame idea is solid. My oldest unplayed game is probably the copy of Scythe I got on sale three years ago. The box is just sitting there looking pretty. I keep picking shorter games for game night because the setup seems like a lot. Maybe a challenge is the push we need to finally open it.

emery3561mo ago

Jump on that Scythe game and get it to the table. I've been in your shoes more times than I can count, and the trick is to just rip the bandaid off. Set a specific game night where the whole point is to learn Scythe, no shortcuts. Maybe watch a quick how to play video ahead of time and have the rules printed out so you're not fumbling. Once you get past the setup, the game actually runs smoother than you'd think. You'll feel way better knowing you finally played it rather than having it stare at you from the shelf for another year. What's stopping you from picking a date for it tonight?