Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors’ opinions or evaluations.
Board games are go-to entertainment filled with strategy and friendly competition. However, the fun doesn’t start until the rules are laid out, which can be time-consuming and sometimes boring. If you’re the one responsible for teaching the game, it’s best to focus on everyone’s experience rather than on them fully understanding the game. With tips from game designers, reviewers and avid gamers themselves, here are steps to teach someone a board game efficiently and effectively.
Step 1: Learn the Game Yourself First
First, pick the right game for your group. Think about the difficulty level of your group. If you’re playing with newbies, introductory games like Ticket to Ride or Splendor are easier to understand and draw on real-life concepts, such as resource gathering.
“For most people, I would start them with a nice gateway game that’s easily accessible,” says Joseph Limbaugh, award-winning game designer. He recommends Lords of Waterdeep or the classic Settlers of Catan.
Once you have the right game, fully understand the rules yourself. Internalize the mechanics of the game and how the gameplay flows. This will make teaching it to others easier, and you won’t have to rely on the rulebook. Players are more receptive to rules if they are being paraphrased rather than word-for-word from the rulebook. It might be helpful to practice teaching the game alone before getting in front of people.
Step 2: Introduce the Game With a Simple Overview
Once you’ve mastered the game yourself, it’s time to share what you’ve learned. It’s better to reference the rulebook rather than use it as a script. Give your own spin to the rules to make it more enticing for the players learning the game, such as setting the stage with a story. Andrea Roberston, co-owner of Rain City Games, a specialty game store in Vancouver, Canada, recommends teaching the ending first.
“I try to teach games in reverse,” says Roberston. “Start with the victory conditions, then work backwards so your players understand how to get there. If a player sees why they need to know a rule, they’re more likely to remember it.”
Another way to introduce the game is to start with broad concepts first, such as the main objectives. Leave the nuanced steps and behaviors to teach as you play the game. Whether you start with broad concepts or outlining how to win, players should have a grasp on the goals of the game at this step. “The main advantage of this overview is that it makes future rule explanations easier to follow, as players have sufficient context to understand how individual rules fit into the wider game,” says Jonathon Greenall, a game designer and reviewer.
Step 3: Explain the Game Components
When you start to explain the components, make sure players understand how that affects the gameplay. Answer these three questions when explaining game components: What is the mechanic? How does it work? Why would you use that mechanic?
Some players are visual learners, so it might be helpful to show the components rather than explain them. For example, if it’s a game that requires drawing cards, such as 7 Wonders, show the players how to draw the card and what to do with it. This will help players make better associations between the rules and executing them.
Step 4: Explain the Setup Process
Teaching the setup process will be easier if you have it set up beforehand. That way, you can teach how each component moves without the players getting distracted by the moving parts. Seeing a fully set-up board game might pique players’ interests, too, making them excited to play the game. You can set up in front of the players, but don’t teach as you set up because it may lead to questions that can’t be answered until setup is complete.
Step 5: Walk Through a Sample Turn
For those visual learners, walking through a sample turn might help them better understand the mechanics of a game. Demonstrate a sample turn so players can see the progression of the game. As you take your sample turn, explain what you are doing in each step. Focus on just explaining mechanics rather than strategy, too.
Step 6: Play a Practice Round (Optional)
Once players understand a turn, it’s important to show them how it all strings together. Playing a practice round can help show how turns affect one another, such as what happens to the discarded cards. This helps set expectations.
“Rather than dumping all the rules at once, I’ll set up the board and walk through the first turn together, often times with cards face up so I can help them and they can see why decisions are made,” explains Alex Mackey, co-founder of Lethal Chicken Games, a family-friendly tabletop games publisher. “Players learn faster when they’re making real choices.”
Read More: Best Board Games
Once you’ve explained all the rules, leave space for questions before starting the game. Clarify the game’s objective, structure and process. Though the common rules, such as how to move your game piece or what card to pick up on your turn, are easy to grasp, many games come with exceptions.
These exceptions are what make the games hard to master, which is the goal of board game design, according to Limbaugh. “Everybody who’s designing board games is trying to [make them] easy to learn, but hard to master.”
There might be specific cards that trigger power-ups, such as birds with special abilities in Wingspan. Or there may be spots on a board that lead to penalties, such as the classic “Go to Jail” spot in Monopoly. It’s best to go over these exceptions last.
Mackey suggests addressing edge cases as they come up. “This way, they’re playing while they’re learning. You don’t need to explain every rule up front. Let the table discover mechanics in context.”
Step 8: Start the Game and Guide as Needed
It’s time for the fun part: playing the game. The first few rounds will still be learning rounds for some players. You can offer guidance, but just make sure everyone is fine with you doing this so you’re not stepping on any toes.
As the group plays, remind players of frequently forgotten rules, tricks or how to play their turn, if needed. You can step back as players become accustomed to the gameplay.
Robertson agrees that giving grace during that first round will not intimidate the game-hesitant people and will keep things fun and lively.
“Explain that the first round is a learning round and just dive in, walking everyone through the steps as you go,” says Robertson. “Be sure to cover any rules that don’t come up in the walkthrough and embrace the chaos!”
Step 9: Debrief and Answer Questions Midgame
Absorbing all the rules can be a lot for new players. To effectively digest the information, a break midgame can be useful. This break can allow for any uncertainties or questions to be aired out before continuing the game. Addressing these hesitations will allow the gameplay to run smoothly.
Step 10: Encourage and Don’t Overcorrect
Teaching during gameplay can be misconstrued as telling players how they should play the game. To avoid this, you can explain the strategy behind your moves, which will encourage players to think strategically and adapt the rules to their playing style.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What’s the best way to teach a complicated board game?
Start broad and then layer in rules as they come up. Before starting the game, make sure players know the key objectives, how to win and what each turn consists of. As they play, you can introduce more specific rules and exceptions.
Should I explain all the rules before starting the game?
No, this will only overwhelm the players. Start with the most important, which is subjective. You can either start with the objective of the game or you can explain the theme/story.
How do I teach kids a board game?
Start slow and simple. Break the rules into manageable chunks. Only explain new rules once kids have fully understood the previous ones and if the new rules are relevant. It might help to use flashcards for each rule. Strategic games might be more approachable if you tie them to something they already know, like a fairytale.
Are there good videos or apps to help explain board games?
Board games often have websites with tutorials or apps that can better explain board games. YouTube channels, like Watch It Played and the Dice Tower, give in-depth tutorials and play-throughs for popular board games.
How do I keep players engaged during a long rules explanation?
Presenting all the rules at once can bore the group. Gradually introduce rules as they play the game. This way, they are entertained by the gameplay but still absorbing information.
Can I skip the rulebook and learn by playing?
Though most games have rulebooks, rules can be bent in board games. The rulebook is mainly there as a reference. Use it to have a good understanding of the objective of the game, but you can resort to playing as your learning method.
How do I teach multiple people a board game at once?
When teaching larger groups of people, don’t bother teaching the rules beforehand—walk through the steps as you play. Players will learn as they see others’ turns.
However, if that doesn’t seem to be working, accept the help of someone in the group who also knows the rules. Split the group into smaller groups, then you and the other person divide and conquer.