Finding the perfect game for you and your friends can be challenging, especially if everyone in your group isn’t on the same playing level. (We’re not shaming anyone. We love our casual players!) So, how do you find a game that’s objectively approachable for everyone to play?
Sure, you can spend a few hours looking at reviews and trying to see if it works. But Board Game Geek actually has an easier way to see how a new game might fare—their weighted system.
How It Works
Board Game Geek uses a five-point weight scale to rate their games. The scale ranges from one (light) to five (heavy), generally determining the game’s complexity. Lighter numbers usually mean the game is easier to pick up and play than heavier numbers. However, it is important to note that these ratings are determined by the community and can fluctuate over time.
For example, a brand-new game could be seen as an “easier” game to understand by seasoned experts, and newer players might not have the same experience. So, make sure you also check how many ratings a game has before you commit to purchasing it.
Finding Other Games
Mostly, it’s pretty easy to see if a game might fit your specific group. And to determine your current weight, you’ll need to think about the last game you successfully played together and aim to play other games around that number. Say the previous game you played with your friends was Heroes of Barcadia, and everyone was able to jump in and play with no problems. You’d then look at the current game weight (2.00 as of the writing of this article) and look for other Medium Light games if you wanted to branch out.
Alternatively, you can keep playing Heroes of Barcadia forever like we are. No shame!