We previously talked about the types of players we love to have in our gaming sessions, so naturally, it’s time to be negative and talk about the worst kinds of players—the ones we have all, unfortunately, experienced. These are the people who make it hard to continue holding game nights, the worst of the worst, the monsters wearing human costumes. These are four types of tabletop players we don’t love.
The Late Bird
When the late bird deigns to show up, it’s about an hour into your play session. They’ll continuously ask game-clarifying questions that were already discussed. And they’ll also have a flimsy excuse for why they were late in the first place. Ask them the reason, and you’ll experience nothing but passive-aggressive remarks for the rest of the night.
The Invisible Player
If you thought the late bird was bad, try the invisible player. This is a person who is EXTREMELY enthusiastic about joining, but they never actually seem to materialize. They’ll cancel last minute and get extremely offended if you’ve killed off their character while they were absent.
The Terrible Troll
This player is almost normal… almost. But their playstyle is a little questionable. Though they follow the game rules, they’ll often make choices that work against other players in cooperative gameplay. Whether it be sabotage or regular trolling, these players aren’t the worst, but they can be frustrating.
The Oopsie Daisy
The oopsie daisy is the most forgivable type of player we don’t love. Sometimes. This is the player who spills copious amounts of food or drink on the game, potentially ruining an otherwise enjoyable gaming session. Though their behavior is often a mistake, you might notice it happen more than once, and then you start wondering: are they accident-prone, or do they secretly hate you and they’re doing it on purpose? You’ll never know.
Have you ever been stuck with one of these archetypes? If so, tell us how you handled it (and where the bodies are buried—for research).
About the Author:
Michael Baker is the main content writer at Rollacrit with a flair for haiku. He previously wrote for ThinkGeek (and a bunch of other places). In his spare time, he enjoys playing tabletop games, writing about comics and pop culture, and cultivating his dog’s Instagram presence. |