In other articles, I frequently mention our ‘Bible board game group’. In this article I will talk about what we did to get it started, some of the things we tried that worked (or didn’t work), and some of the logistics to consider.
Quick Definitions:
Game Master: The person who sets up and explains the game to others.
Host: The person who holds the event at their house or location.
How to Start?
The first thing you need to do is find at least 2 people who are willing. It could be family, friends. fellow church-goers, Bible study members, or someone just willing to try it out.
Start Small
I think starting small is good, even 2-4 people is fine. You are going to learn things along the way about what works and what doesn’t. The more times you can be successful with a small group the better you will get for more.
A lot of groups may not want to grow bigger than 3-4. It is up to you.
Picking a Game
If you are starting the group, then you will need to pick a game that you like, can learn well, and be able to teach others. If you have played board games before and the others haven’t as much, then they will be looking to you for some guidance. Making everything a vote at this point can also introduce uncertainty.
Pick something you like, prepare enough to explain the rules, and go for it!
Don’t pick a Q & A game
I think I have mentioned this in other articles, but please don’t pick a trivia game (Question and Answer game) unless you are a teacher with students who are learning. Many adults run from these kinds of games. Be conscious of the fact that some questions may cause embarrassment if someone is not familiar with the subject.
Don’t assume everyone wants to learn in front of others or expose themselves in this manner. Your group could be over quick if you start with a Q&A game. Once you know your group, then maybe try one once in a while if EVERYONE approves and see how it works. It can work with certain groups, but not my first, second, or third choice.
Don’t pick a Game that gives you a distinct advantage
Most people like to play games where they have a hope of winning. You may enjoy winning too, but if you pick games that give yourself a distinct advantage, other people will get tired of that fast. If you know a game well, then try some other strategy that puts you at a disadvantage or pick a game where you don’t have any advantage at all.
Cooperative
A cooperative game is good for a beginning group
A cooperative game is good for a beginning group. It helps build up teamwork and reduces the chance that someone will gloat over another or get upset at losing. This will depend on the maturity level of your group. They work well for Bible game groups where people are coming to have fun together, not to be ultra-competitive.
Gauge You Group’s Experience
Ask each person in your group what board games they have played before. Are some new to board games? Are others gaming experts? The experience level of your group will have an impact on the type of games you can play. Better to start out with a gateway (starter) game if you are not sure than to go too complex and have some players feeling lost every turn.
If you get frustrated explaining the same rule several times, then take a breath and relax. Some people just take longer to absorb the rules and you may have chosen a game that is higher than their experience level.
It is true, some people don’t pay attention when they should, but a sour game-master can sour the experience for everyone.
Lesson learned: Don’t pick something that is too difficult unless you are prepared to explain the rules many times.
Time and Place
When we started our group we didn’t pick a set time and place. I would just ask if everyone was free the coming week and then we would arrange a get-together just like getting together with friends. This worked out well, in the beginning, to see how often each person wanted to play.
Over time you will get the feel as to whether you and others want to do it every week, once a month, or ad-hoc spontaneously.
Number of people in the Group
I usually start with the people I know want to come and are enthusiastic about it. This helps build enthusiasm and momentum as you call others. Some people will come no matter what and others are more likely to come once they know it is going to happen.
If you are starting with only 1 game in your library, then knowing how many players that game will support determines your maximum group size. As your board game library expands you will have more flexibility.
One Game or Two?
At some point, you might want to invite more people. First, determine the maximum amount of people you can have in the location. If you can only host 4 people at once, then keep the group at 4 (or do a 2nd one at a different day and time)
If you can host more than 4 people at the same but 1 game will not support everyone playing at the same time, you have a couple of options.
- Start a 2nd Game. This allows you to invite more people and increase the fun, but has its own setup considerations I’ll explain in a bit.
- Divide up into teams. This way it is possible to turn a 4 player game into 8. I find that some people like to play their own player more than sharing each decision so we only do this when we have to.
Start Time
I think it is somewhat important to start on time. You don’t want people straggling in an hour apart or else you can’t get started or end reasonably.
My group actually falls into this category because with families there are other commitments to work around. The way we handle it is to have a get-together time where we can sit around and chat for a while and then a game start time. If someone is still late, then they will be on a team with someone who is there or I will act as a proxy (substitute) to get them started.
Location
If you are the game master you may want to host where you can control the setting. Some games require setup before people arrive, so this is easier if it is at your place. However, you can also do it at someone else’s place.
We rotate locations and if I need to set up early I just ask the host if I can come a bit early to set up and it has worked fine. I try to give everyone a chance if they want to host.
If you are meeting in a public place, just arrange with the owner first out of courtesy. If approved, I like to get there early if I am the game master so I can feel comfortable in the setting.
Food & Drinks.
The first time I saw someone put plastic sleeves around each individual card in their game I thought they were a bit paranoid. However, after the very first game night, and a spill of a drink on the cards, I understood. We haven’t outlawed food and drinks yet, but it is under consideration. You decide for your group.
If you have a separate area where people can hang out before the game starts, that may be a better place for food and drinks.
Hosts and Food Sustainability:
Over the years I have seen some hosts put out a feast for home church groups. I think that is very nice once in a while but also consider sustainability. If your group meets every week, can you afford that much food each time?
If you are rotating houses, be mindful of other hosts. If you go all out with food, it can put pressure on them to keep up, so keep it simple.
If you have a regular evening group, it may be more sustainable if people eat dinner before they come.
Think of the game itself like a fun dessert together!
It’s ultimately up to you, but if it gets to be too much, you can refer your group here and reset back to simple.
A Regular Group
In the beginning, if you are the game master, you may have to choose the game according to what you can teach, how many people are coming, and the level of experience of your group. Over time you may start rotating and give each person a choice of the game for the next evening.
If someone else chooses the game, you may want to take the opportunity to call them in advance to help you with the setup or even lead so you can take a rest as a normal player.
Some regular groups have a set day and time. That’s cool too!
Adding New Group Members
Ooooh, this is a delicate one. I know many groups get established, have a good rapport, and may not want new people. First of all, take a look at your space. If there is no physical room to expand you can’t unless you change locations. Not everyone may want that.
If you want to add new members, please ask the others in the group before you assume. Just common courtesy. You should also consider if it will require multiple games at once and if everyone is ok/ready for that.
In short be Christian about it. You can all pray about it.
2 Game Setup
ok, you have the space for more people and you want to invite more because you think it will be more fun! I get it and I like to invite more people too, but here are some considerations…
- Don’t Be a Player in the game (the first time you try this)
The first time I invited 8-10 people over for Bible board game night it was not easy. Trying to teach 2 different games at the same was difficult. I thought I could spend 5-10 minutes to get one group started, then turn my attention to the other.
The difficulty was that most people playing a game for the first time cannot absorb all the rules at once and need continual help during the game so I was continually bouncing back and forth while I was trying to be a player in one of the games. My voice was gone by the end of the night and I was worn out for a couple of days.
If you sacrifice the fun of playing yourself the first time you do this, you can better manage two games at once.
- Have More than 1 Game Master
The first couple of times you try doing 2 games at once, unless you are a strong type A person, you might feel worn out and not want to do it again. However, there is hope. Keep in mind that each time someone plays a game they get better at it. You may even notice someone picking up the rules quickly and helping others. Remember who they are as they can help you.
2 Game Scenario
Scenario: Let’s say the first time you had 8 people and played 2 games at once. You played ‘Search for Salvation‘ and ‘Commissioned‘. You noticed someone did well at understanding the rules for ‘Search for Salvation‘ and was starting to help someone else. You remember who it is.
Before you have everyone over the 2nd time, ask this person if they would like to help explain ‘Search for Salvation’. You offer to bring them the game to them so they can read the manual and prepare ahead of time. If they say yes, congratulations, you just leveled-up by gaining a potential new Game Master.
Now you have someone that can help get game 1 started, while you get game 2 started. You are already doing better! You may still need to assist them with questions, and help them along the way, so don’t expect they will be a game master expert overnight.
Each time your group plays a game, this will improve. Soon you may be able to do 2, 3, or more games at once!
Be Welcoming and Have Fun!
If you are the host, definitely be welcoming and joyful. Many people play board games for a friendly community experience. Some don’t care about the exact game as long it was a fun atmosphere. Try to enjoy it yourself!
Share Your Experiences
I don’t claim to be an expert, so feel free to share your experiences too.