A major problem are the people like me who have great board games, but few people to play it with. So you are not collecting, but the games just sit on the shelf which makes one feel like it was an unnecessary and wasteful purchase.
Had the same problem. Than I started looking for game nights and clubs in my area, made a project out of it. I found out there wasn't any in my city but there was nearby. So I started by visiting the game club and started my own monthly game café night and now I can play a game every day if I would want to. Only thing I need now is time. But working on that also. But since I started meeting new people I have been playing at least once a week. I even organized my first boardgame fair (300 people attending, all people just like us)! What I'm trying to say is there are so many people out there who wants to play but don't have a "collection" to choose from, it only takes a little effort to meet them. Maybe it's an idea, I'm sharing this because it enriched my life and I wish everybody to have fun at playing the great games that are out there.
I'm in the same case 😔 I have bought some games in the hope I will be able to play them someday. If I don't buy them than maybe I don't have the chance later on
I am sorry. I hope you were joking, Drive Thru. He was trying to get his stream of consciousness out there for the viewers to know where he was coming from. He was very specifically trying to be as polite as possible. In fact, Rodney clarified many times that he wasn’t directly judging others opinions but moreover, he was questioning his own reactions to their choices. Slight distinction, but an important one. I truly appreciate your candor Rodney. You tried very hard not to step on anyone’s toes. Thank you for this video. It made me think, and as it stands from my reply, made me grow as a person. Thank you ! !
My husband and I were a huge fan of "the cult of the new" and were weary about that getting out of hand (mostly financially). We were buying games just because they were new and not necessarily something we would play. We got sucked into the hype of it all and didnt want to miss out. It also didnt help that the boardgameing community is awesome :) and thats what most gamers talk about -the new stuff. Our wallet suffered somewhat and we had to change our habit. We stopped following kickstarter and new releases blogs, and have been keeping track of how many times we play each game in our collection. We try to rotate playing our games to make each purchase worthwhile. We very much fulfill our "player" side... and when we do purchase a game, we spend a lot more time researching or perhaps playtesting. We still collect, but it's a lot more hand picked with attention to detail. We have found that our fear of missing out on new games fell away because we are focusing on good games that already exist on our shelf (and there are many!). If it is new, we make sure it's something worth adding to our shelf. Our collecting style changed to "anything and everything" to "personally curated for us." The board game wall is now it's own work of art and conversation piece - specifically as to why each game on our shelf is chosen to be there. Anyone else been there? :) Great topic Rodney!!
i dont mean to be off topic but does someone know a trick to log back into an Instagram account..? I was dumb lost my login password. I would love any help you can give me
@Luciano Evan I really appreciate your reply. I found the site through google and Im in the hacking process atm. I see it takes quite some time so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
I prefer to collect Kickstarter Exclusives and throw out the base games they're associated with. If any old plebeian can have the base game part, it's of no value to me. I just want the exclusives and nothing else.
I prefer to just buy the Kickstarter exclusives on eBay for games I don’t own for the same reason. Then I keep them mint, in box, with the hopes of selling them all in 35 years to retire. No 401k’s or pensions here, just exclusives! 🙃
Great video and topic! I think that a few publishers have noted that the bulk of boardgame purchases are made by people new to the hobby. After people have been in it for a few years, they start to either settle into a game group, figure out how much they actually CAN get played, who actually wants to play with them, what they like, and then they start to slow their purchases and potentially reduce their collection. This isn't true of all people obviously but I remember getting into the hobby and I always kept track of my collection on BGG and logged game stats. I remember when I hit 100 owned games and would see people with 500, 1000, or 2000+ games and think, "WOIW, I'll never get that many games." Then about 4 years ago, I saw that I was creeping up on 700 boardgames in my collection and started to get panicked. I had been playing for just about 4 years at that point and I was acquiring an average of 175 games a year!!! Granted, I bought many of them cheap through auctions or thrift stores thinking, "For a dollar, I'm sure I can have fun with this game." But then I realized that that dollar didn't buy me a a fun night, it bought me an obligation, a piece of property that I had to store and deal with. I had to contemplate getting rid of it at some point. I had to decide what value I placed on it. "Sure, I bought it for a dollar but it was worth more than that! I can't sell it for a dollar?!" Even if I did sell it, I had to deal with listing the games, communicating with buyers, and shipping or meeting up with people. All of that to more than likely break-even or make a few bucks after fee's. I did a variety of steps to get to the point I'm at now (just under 400 games but still culling). First, I made it a New Years Resolution to get my number of Unplayed games down to zero. That meant either playing those games, selling them, or just donating them to get them out of my collection. I got my unplayed's down from 170 to about 35 that year. The next year, I did the Net Zero challenge where I could only spend money on boardgames if I had sold boardgames to make the money to buy them. This did 2 things, it reduced my spending and also made me more cognizant of the amount of money I spent on games. At the end of it, I was net positive $1000+ but I still had spent around $600 on games and game apps. $600 doesn't seem like a lot when you factor in some new Kickstarters are $100+ but still, I was aware of every dollar I spent during that time frame and knowing I could've put an extra $50 a month towards something wasn't nothing. The next year, I committed to getting under 500 games by years end. And this year, I'm going to end with under 400 owned games and over 850 previously owned games on BGG. I still buy new games from time to time. It's still very, very hard to pass up a deal on a game I KNOW is great but what helps a bunch is keeping a picture of all the games in my collection on my phone and when I'm ready to make a purchase, I stare long and hard at that picture and look at all the games I haven't played for years and ask myself honestly, "Is this game just going to be another one in this stack? Can I play any of these other games instead of this one and have similar fun for the group I'm imagining playing it with?" And the answer 99% of the time "yes". I still buy games though but I'm at least more aware of it than I was before.
Your story is similar to the owner of BoardGameCo.com. He now runs a large business trading, buying, and selling board games after auctioning off his unplayed and getting a taste for turning a profit.
In my case, I guess, I picture myself playing the game with my friends, but we never get the chance to do it. I fall more in love of the potential fun rather the fact that the moment may never even happen. And to make it worse, I do feel regrets to a certain degree after I buy the game. What I have done to mitgate this is, play at Meetups! This helps calming my game craving, and I find myself buying less games now.
It didn't take long for my gaming group to start turning down good games for one reason or another (sometimes to play a party game on the couch, too many people, or just didn't like the look of it) so I stopped pretty quickly buying games for them. Now I only buy games I can play (and have fun playing) solo or that my wife would enjoy. I have a couple games (like Captain Sonar) sitting in my closet and I cringe every time I see it. The last time someome said "Hey, have you heard of Betrayal at House on the Hill?" I said, "I have! You should get it and we'll play!" I still haven't seen it.
@@seadoglonelyseal That sucks. But my wife doesn't play often, honestly. If it weren't for solo games I'd be hitting up my local gaming store a couple times a week to play.
@@staticklingon2182 yeah, iam full on solo mode now, i just need to complete my lotr lcg collecrion then i am golden. And iam still desperate for a wife lol. Local game store is a nono here for me, too many people make me uncomfortable. Lucky i still have cousin to play with sometimes but this wont happen when they turn aldults
Damn Rodney. I always respect your opinion, but have never felt compelled to comment. But your insight into the Collector in me vs. The gamer in me hit home...close to home. I have definitely been a collector first, and a gamer second. I even started a gaming group to play the games I was collecting, but would find myself just staring at my collection, instead of playing any of it. I did this with comics too. I may have to reassess some of my kickstarter projects, and why I feel a fomo. Thanks Rodney
This video couldn't have come at a better time. Just three days ago I finally bought my first dedicated game shelf. Until now I hadn't really grasped how amazing my collection has become. For the past few months I have been in more of a collecting phase than a gaming one (hence why I just got the shelf). Of the 54 games I own there are 10 games that I have yet to play.. nearly 20% of my collection. But, as I sit typing this comment while looking at my beautiful collection... I can confidently say I have absolutely no regrets with how I've approached the hobby thus far. The impact this hobby has on my life is so much deeper and meaningful than most people would think when I tell them I like playing board games. Board games foster social interaction, togetherness, competition, and conversation. I love that my wife, our friends, and our family can come together around the same table and enjoy each other's company while simultaneously exercising our minds. To me my collection serves as three major things: a living piece of art, a catalyst for social interaction and fellowship, and an inspiration for others to explore the hobby themselves. As my collection continues to grow I feel like these three aspects will only improve, even if I do have a bunch of games I haven't played yet. But... to spice things up, my shiny new Excel spreadsheet coupled with a random number generator is going to help me get some of my less played (or yet to play) games to the table!
collecting? hoarding.. .NO SIR.. im just getting ready. Prepping for civilization as we know it to end so i can finally enjoy my games without the distractions of electricity and internet. (and i can finally find someone to play my games with?.. ill be the entertainment king of the cave!) ive found that sitting thru a complete play thru video of a game helps disdain most of the impulse buys.
Ha ha. I've said the same thing many times. In the post-apocalyptic world to come me and my family will have everything we need to keep us happy in the bunker!
Hey Rodney! Thanks for bringing this subject in. It's sometimes hard to draw the line between a gamer purchase and a collector purchase at the time you buy.I often find myself backing kickstarters for the rush of excitement that a new experience brings but most of the time the game will show up on my door at an unexpected moment when I got no time to play it. I'll find the time to open the box and explore the rulebook but that doesn't mean it will get played soon. Worse, when I have friends at home for a game night they will asks for games that they already know and those new shiny boxes will stay on the shelf. The reasonable thing would be to only buy games to replace the ones I get rid of since I already struggle to play every one I own on a regular basis. The hard thing with that is that once your start to get interested and follow content creators, publishers and other hobby related medias the is always something igniting your desire to throw money at it.
The collector versus player discussion is very interesting, thanks! My LGS for MTG told me they were earning more from collectors than players, such an interesting observation.
I think the one of the reasons Kickstarter exclusives are ruining the gaming experience is because of the fear of missing out. A lot of our emotions are relative to the situation we are in. Just knowing there is some stuff that could potentially increase the fun out of the game, and we will never have it, puts a dark shadow on the base game experience. This is deeply tied to are human psyche. Humans are more sensitive to loss than they are to rewards. Even imagined loss (such as not getting something you now expect to have, such as KS exlusives most people think they should be in the base game as well) hurts the same. Imagine somebody is selling a game with 300 cards, almost new, but 10 cards are missing. They don't have a big effect on gameplay, but I think a lot of people will not be interested in buying the game even at a big discount. It's the same with KS exclusives. On top of that it's a cheesy sales trick, as well as early birds and other promos. Heck, even stretch goals are a sham when they promise stuff that should obviously be in the game.
Not just kick starter, but the exclusivity factor too. Game sells out on Amazon, panic and buy it elsewhere because it will never be available again...which can be true or not sometimes (Battlestar Galactica I'm looking at you). Publishers feed this frenzy just as bad through their print and reprint choices as they do with kick starter, I'm just sayin. You'll NEVER not be able to find a copy of Monopoly somewhere, but other games get scarce and valuable (real or imagined) quickly sometimes.
Kickstarter exclusives suck and like Rodney pointed out, it loses sales. Because if you have an element that could make your game fun, IT SHOULD BE IN THE FINAL COPY! I'm hesitant to buy a game knowing that they kept pieces out of the final version to reward the backers.
My grandmother owned a toy store when I was young, and she had a whole isle of board games. I didn't have money as a kid, so usually when we went to visit, she let me have one. Now, I have my own board games. I gravitate towards the solo ones, because I don't know many people that really want to play them. Honestly though, some still have the plastic on them. I think it has a feeling though like when people buy paintings, as art, they are beautiful, and they look good on those shelves. Kind of like having your own toy store.
Great topic Rodney! I definitely have the collector's bug, it doesn't show itself through buying games but I have a hard time getting rid of games that i don't play anymore or even want to play anymore just because i like having a big collection!!
Great topic, Rodney. When I started in the hobby in the mid 2000s, I wanted to have a great diversity of games so I bought a lot of them, but they didn't get played very much (if at all) until I met my future wife, who loves board games. Space was becoming an issue, though, so we just stopped buying games. Even when we bought our new house, we set a rule : we're not buying anything else (except expansions of games we play a lot) until we have played every game we haven't played yet. It almost worked : because of top 10s and game explanations on RUclips, we found out about games different enough in style to most of our collection... so in the last three months, we bought 10 new games. So there are still some unplayed games in our collection (mostly games unplayable with only two players), but of our new acquisitions, three of them we've played at least eight times : I feel if they become favorites, it was worth it !
Great topic! My two cents would be that "rebalancing" is something that is happening in greater numbers among those that have been with the hobby for a long time. Simply put, there are just TOO MANY games coming out every year that could warrant a purchase and this, I believe is starting to make even collectors more critical of potential purchases or their current collections. While I'm not say the oversaturation of games is causing a reduction in the quality, it could create pause among gamers due to the potential of a game being similar enough to a game already owned. This will naturally make the buyer consider either forgoing the purchase of the new game or eventually culling the older one that doesn't offer the same enjoyment. Thanks again for the topic!
I have started to go through the same predicament too (mainly because my wife has limited me to 2 shelves full, and the games are starting to touch the ceiling). The joy I get from my games is less of me playing them and more of me spreading the joy of games. I regularly lend out games to friends because I know I simply can't play them all. The FOMO in me buys a lot of Kickstarters, and the child in me who loves Christmas presents eagerly waits for the postman every day. I think I need to start culling my collection, but I just don't have the heart to do it!
I recently moved across the country, and the prospect of packing up my game collection made me realize how much of a collector I am. Before moving I went from about 230 games to 180, and hope soon to have it down to around 150. Before I moved I had my collection scattered around different locations of my home, like what you showed in the video, but now they are all organized in the same place, and that helps to give me a better overview on what I have, what gets played, and if there are any games in my collection that I don't need any more. I thought I would be sad to sell some of the games that had been in my collection for a long time, but it actually felt pretty freeing.
I'm definitely both a gamer and a collector. Playing a game with friends is incredible, but the feeling of opening a new game, discovering the content, and reading the rules is also exciting. In a way, I think I am a collector of experiences, because I always want to play new games and very rarely play games I've already played. To me, the sense of discovery is similar to that first time you watch a new movie. The first play is always full of surprises and the experience is often different than the idea you get from the rulebook. I'm all after collecting this sense of discovery and holding on to it. Logging my plays has definitely helped me holding on more on my gamer side or experience collection side and less on the material collection side.
Very interesting topic. In our case, my girlfriend and I only buy the games we know we REALLY want to play. We have been in the hobby for just one month, but the collector in me is growing by each new adquisition.
I find new games every day and I'm like "where was this 6 months ago when I was looking?!" The more you get into it the more you find games that will fill a hole or a niche perfectly.
This was... brilliant... Thanks Rodney for the confrontation! There was a time when I had tons of time to play games so I kept on buying more and more games. The time to play games has dwindled down over the years but I kept on buying more and more games. Doing Kickstarters and going all in, buying expansions for games which I will never play. Buying games after seeing 5 minutes reviews. A never-ending cycle and I'm now stuck at over 4400 games (and quite a lot of games which I haven't yet added or are "due" [Kickstarters]). But I've realized that enough is enough and that I will never be able to play all of them in my lifetime. Playing became less important than collecting. So yeah, even though the collecting part is "fun" on itself, it's an addiction, plain and simple - I haven't gone into debts or something (I'm doing well on the financial side) so I'm "lucky" on that part but it's the confrontation with reality and realizing that you won't live forever to do the things you love doing. Playing all of those 4400 games eg... So I've stopped buying games, stopped following up on new Kickstarters. I still watch reviews though and I still note down the "worthy" games but there's a firm lock on my wallet for anything boardgame-purchasing related :-) And frankly - the switch was drastic but I don't miss it. My boardgaming club has enough members who purchase the latest games and I'll just play with those copies... And in the meantime I will try to slim down on my collection... Message from Dimi, boardgame-collector addict :-)
Hi my name is Bobby and I am a collector. ("Hi Bobby") I am 10 day collector sober free :) This just nailed me, I started playing games with a great friend of mine about 2 years ago, playing Memoir 44, which has now developed into over 150 games, not including expansions.....dear lord, I'm addicted. So I made a vow to play every game that I have unopened before I buy another one. Annnndddd, I have not completely been faithful to edict. But as well I played some games that I have bought and stored without playing in my "game room" for over a year, suddenly played and wow. I love this game. (i.e. Viticulture; Orleans) I am a work in progress. Also, I LOVE ME SOME RODNEY, and always use his instructions for learning new games. Keep up the great work kind sir. Now where are those free donuts and coffee?
Fantastic thoughts. I have started to see “Collector” and “Player” as opposite ends of the same spectrum as opposed to being two different spectrums. That idea has caused me to scale back my own collecting and ramping up my playing.
Thank you Rodney, I certainly get what you have discussed here. I am an older woman that has loved board games all my life. I fear that I will get too old to enjoy them. And my collection keeps growing. It is hard to stop collecting. I only have a handful of friends and family I get to enjoy them with. I buy them to play, more so than anything. Keep on gaming.
I have been thinking about this a lot recently. I work at a Board Game Bar and Café with just over 900 games, so I have full access to those whenever I want. However probably at least half of them are games that I would never want to play, but would happily teach to guests. My own personal collection is just over 100 games. There are definetly games that I need to cull in there. Not including any other people I play games with (who obviously have their own collections) that is more than 1000 games. What I have found myself doing more recently is only buying games for my own personal library if they are something that would not do well at the café, the ridiculously heavy and/or dry games that I love. If it doesn't fit into that category I will instead recommend that we get it at the café. That way I still get to play and possibly enjoy it, but as do plenty of other gamers who also now don't have to buy it, because it is in the collection of a business they patronize.
What a fantastic dive into the topic! I Think these questions are all valuable and serve as good introspective tools to help you not just understand your reasons but help you avoid being potentially manipulated by them. Great video! Thanks!
Rodney's post struck so many chords with me. But I think the one that I thought nobody would ever relate to was the "chasing experiences" part. For the longest time, I thought I was the only one who was playing and relentlessly collecting boardgames, because I wanted to recreate that "magic moment" when I first fell in love with boardgames. I can still vividly remember the first time I played Dominion with a couple of friends at the office. We were huddled around a small coffee shop table, giggling while buying "Duchys" and "Coppers". I can still remember the time my girlfriend gifted me a copy of Small World from her trip in Singapore in 2010. It was my 2nd ever boardgame. Now my BGG profile says I have over 200+. And what I've found, is those "magic moments" are so hard to recreate. Even with 200+ boardgames. There will be more downs than ups while in this hobby. Don't get me wrong. In my 9 years in the hobby, I've been fortunate enough to recreate a couple more "magic moments". But those are like 1 percenters. 99% of the time, you're reading rulebooks, trying to find enough people to play with, scheduling gamenights, getting cancelled on, meeting obnoxious people in the hobby, organizing components, thinking of storage solutions, spending way too much money, etc. But what keeps me coming back is every once in a while, there will be a really "magic moment", where you think, man this hobby is the best! Where you think, man I love these guys I'm playing with, and we can be the bestest friends! And that's what keeps me collecting. It's almost like a drug. Craving that "magic moment", that is actually so deceptively hard to experience consistently in this hobby. I keep on buying thinking, "man I think this game will be really fun, everybody says it's fun, I should probably get it man, just in case".
I used to have a massive collection of Avalon Hill games, all of which I played alone or with a friend. Then along came PC and I left the space hogging board games for computer ones (sadly many of those board games are now collector’s items). About 200 games later and much older, I am rebuilding a board game collection. I am not new to games but find almost as much joy in merely collecting them as playing them. I love staying connected to the hobby via tubes like this and reading comments. I have bought many games I have yet to play despite buying them literally years ago. Im just glad im really not too different then many other gamers out there. Thanks
Wow, the introspection is real from this video. My game nights are infrequent but I still buy new games when I have a mountain of unplayed ones. I have games that I loved and really wanted to play more of but have still only played it once and yet I buy more. I think for me I love the memories created around a tabletop experience but I get just as much enjoyment out of just having a collection I can admire. I'm actually redoing my gaming room to better facilitate having company over to play games to not always rely on my friend's house as the goto place for board games. I have slowed down on the amount I purchased. Roughly 30-40 last year and now I'm at 7 so far this year with a hard cap of 10. I felt the need to play catch up on older great titles since I've only been both feet into the hobby for 2 years. I'm definitely more of a collector than a gamer at this point but at the same time, I'm ok with that. Just being able to look at a modest but decent collection of about 100 games and be able to have a wide variety to choose from when I do game brings me joy.
The part about missing out on potential fun and buying games because you heard good things about them resonated a lot with me. Even though I limited myself to a 4x4 kallax full of games (1 comes in, 1 comes out), I look beside me and still see a few games or expansions with shrink wrap on them. They've been sitting there for months if not years. You're right, what's the point! Great discussion, can't wait to read each answers because oh boy, this is a heavy subject :P
What an appealing topic! No gamer can remain neutral when listening to this. It also echoes deep in me as I have only recently (a year ago?) changed my purchasing habits. Time to look back for a second... In 2016, thanks to a friend having some free time at hand, I got back into gaming and decided it was a worthy hobby for me to get into. It was a decision also rooted deeper in me than I'll express publicly here, but suffice to say, I find more joy and fulfillment at playing at a table with friends, than I do doing other things on my own. My game collection was maybe 10 games back then, and I avidly devoured youtube videos on the topic - Dice Tower's and Rahdo's mostly - and the collection impulse in me was string. It was "kind of right" at the time because I had so little I could offer to play. But the side effect of it was that it got me into the habit of playing new games every week or so. Well, I had started this habit when I explored my friend's collection with his girfriend and him on a weekly basis. This led to months of having new games accumulating, and the first reality check happened (of course!) when shelf space was starting to challenge other objects laying around it. That's when I started entering my collection in BGG (well, a bit before that because I wanted to track my having explored a game and having found it "not for me") and among them, the "want ti play" games. They were about 30 of them, and in the following 2 years they remained at that number, peaking around 38 and not going lower than 28 (once!) I established a group of friends and kept looking for more to get a chance to game more than once a week, or to have 2 tables filled in on the nights the group would gather. Then something else happened. First, my tastes evolved, for the joy of discovering a number of themes and mechanisms was happening less often. Also because I had had 2 very strong disappointments in games that were praised high on the web (namely Black Plague and Shadowrun Crossfire), proving to me I had my own tastes and it was about time I found out what they are, and get better at estimating whether a game would please me or not before I buy it. At that point, the number of unplayed games became a pin in my pocket (or lower) and I started monitoring it. It so happens I got into trades a bit before that, and I got to witness good people being generous to others, gifting games or selling / trading them for less than their worth. It did some impression in me, and got me thinking. For a year, I have actively tried to reduce my "unplayed games" list, while still acquiring more. My purchases have become more selective, even if the thrill of seeing something on kickstarter hasn't disappeared. My focus has been a bit more on expanding contents for games I like, which might "hide" a bit in the "unplayed games" statistics I keep, but also lets me experience my games more. I still have most of my games played once only, but am now even culling a few games that I got 1-2 years back, because I'm doubtfull I'll enjoy them. In my sales, I systematically sell away for less than I bought - in part because I can afford it and it's my way of sharing the "karma" with others, in part because the joy of getting rid of a box is payment in itself too. Right now, I'm at a point where I want to play the games I won more, and see if that "playing new games every other week" habit of mine is a definition of the player I am, or not. I want to see if I tire of games I've liked playing, or if on the contrary they grow on me. I own 121 games, 11 of which will be traded away, 3 of which before I play them. 52 weeks a year won't let me play even those once a year regularly (except for the short ones). I have a feeling my revisiting my collection will let me cull it further in the times to come. I am curious what the times ahead have in store for me, and for all of us. The dice roll with you, Rodney!
Really good discussion. I personally used to play board games as a kid, stoped playing them for years, and rediscovered the hobby a few years ago. Anachrony got me back into board gaming, as well as one of your playthroughs of Mansions of Madness with your kids. I bought those two games right away, and since then I’ve amassed a small collection of mostly post-apocalyptic, space and adventure games. I don’t own enough games to consider myself a true collector, but I do see that dilemma you’re talking about: every time I buy a board game I ask myself, “when would I really play this?”. I have found that by playing some games solo, I can justify the purchase, but I feel bad if I don’t play a game I own. So I guess I’m more a gamer than a collector. But I do like to see my collection growing, so this might change!
This is an amazing video. Thank you! Makes me like Rodney even more. I love your nonjudgmental approach to starting the discussion. You bring up some really excellent points to think about. I'm self reflecting right now on my collector side vs my gaming side and that's what brought me to this video. Seeing too many games on my shelf stresses me out and I f get this feeling of obligation or pressure to play play play do I use what I purchased. I don't want to feel that way. I want to play for the pure enjoyment of it, not because of some weird pressure I put on myself. I want to explore the depths of some games, not just play to check another game played off the list and move to the next one. So I'm doing a little culling, removing myself from the buy/sell trade groups and going to focus on playing and enjoying the games I own. I'm sure I'll eventually buy some new ones, but I want to keep my collection to less that 150 games. We all have different thresholds that trigger the anxiety or the sense that the collector is taking over. For me it's around the 150 - 200 range I guess. On top of those issues, when I do play my games, I'm faced with the paradox of choice. Meaning the more options I have, the less satisfied I am with my choice. So my goal is to not let my collection exceed 150 games.
Oh man, this topic hits so close to home. I’m 7 years deep into the hobby and over the past year I’ve come to the conclusion that I no longer want all the games. Instead, I want a carefully curated, hand selected, well rounded and balanced ELITE collection. I want games that break new ground and will be classics for years to come. All that said, I’m still chasing that carrot on a stick. I still buy new games with what I perceive to be that potential and all the while I’ve still got 25 unplayed dust ornaments on the shelf from impulses long since past. It’s a compulsive behavior of mine. I can certainly recognize that. Thankfully I have an incredible game group that I can share this burden with and do play a lot of games. So at least there’s that? Love you Rodney and thanks for another great topic.
This describes my current situation with great detail. I found myself also just becoming a collector. My solution was to stop buying games and start focusing on expansions. But then as time flew, I realized I was just doing the same, becoming a collector of expansions. As you stated, there is 365 days in a year, (knowing that I currently own about 100-120 games with expansions) I know I am not going to get with my gaming groups all the time to play them quickly enough. That statement alone assisted me in making my decision to just slow down my purchases. Currently space is my major issue, so instead of getting rid of my games, (and as much as it pains to me get rid of the box it originally came in), I am more driven to research and collect items to help reduce and organize what board game's I currently have in stock to save space. But it is also is a great time for me to determine what games to donate or sell if I notice I never get to them, like them or find a game that is similar to another game that I own that I would prefer to play. I think once I feel I've done all I can to make space I may back to buying newer games. Or add them to a Christmas list (which makes shopping for me easier for everyone). In the meantime I find myself getting more content with my collection as I clean up the area. (PS I just realized I own 5 unopened different versions of RISK, as I stare at my back wall...time for some more decision making)
You've caught me at this transition in life Rodney. I wasn't just collecting games... I was also adding extras to every. single. one. I needed overlays, playmats, organizers, glass gems, metal coins, soundtracks and sleeves for every game, no matter how small, no matter the cost. I was doubling the cost of games to turn them into "investments". At some point I started feeling like John Hammond in that I spared no expense when it came to my collection because I wanted anyone who played to feel that much more immersed. But that morphed after my wedding. I realized I wasn't just filling my life with games and experiences, I was overshadowing two lives with this out of control FOMO collection. I didn't buy everything, I did my research and chose things to add based on mechanics, genre and theme. but I always went ALL IN. I would spend more time sleeving and decking them out than playing. Now I'm focused on playing what I've got and trying to get the gamer to take over from the collector. Thanks for this right time/right place video.
There's something also about being able to go back and re-enjoy a game you enjoyed before on a deeper level. I have both board games and PC games and. I have had to step back and realize how many hours/months/years it would take for me to get to them. At this point one of the mental reminders I use is that if I wait to buy a game not only do I grow in self control but later if I buy it I can buy it on sale.
In my gaming group, I'm known as the game librarian and when people come over I love showing off my compulsion and there's a sense of pride that comes with owning exclusives and promos.
Thanks for the great video on a topic I'm constantly thinking about. I got into the hobby 3 years ago, with my first big purchase being the Rising Sun Kickstarter. When the order was finally fulfilled and I received the game, I realized I lacked the type of people in my life who I could actually play the game with. It sat on my shelf unplayed for about a year before I was able to finally find people to play with. I definitely don't regret backing this game, but the experience definitely made me realize I need to be more critical of the kinds of games I decide to buy. Since then, I've been able to accumulate a collection of ~80 games that I love playing, and can get to the table pretty regularly. I view and treat my board game collection the same way I view and treat my book collection. I usually only buy new books I see as "classics" and have a lot of value, either actual value or personal value. Otherwise, I usually only am willing to buy more games/books to add to my collection when I find them at garage sales/thrift stores. Having self control in this aspect has saved me a lot of money, shelf space, and probably my marriage.
I have the collector's compulsion, but it's similar to collecting tools. I like collecting game's with unique mechanics, and I get satisfaction from keeping game night fresh with unique experiences. Because of that I don't like duplication (with some exceptions), and enjoy maintaining a concise, multi-faceted collection. Sort of a quality over quantity situation. The exception is minis. I love minis.
I've only been aware of the board game hobby for a couple of years. Last year I realized that I was becoming a collector when I bought a couple of games for Christmas gifts for people who we game with and I then had to buy them for my self. Even though i could borrow them anytime.
I could relate to so much of what you have shared Rodney. Thank you! I have learned to play many games thanks to your watch it played videos. For me it's not a shelf of shame, its a shelf full of juicy opportunities!
Excellent video. In my case, I can remember the point when the purchasing spiraled out of control. I remember watching Chaz Marler explaining when, in his view, it was justified to buy a game: if I could think of a game that I would have fun playing with my friends and they would enjoy it, it was justified to buy it. Since I have a lot of empathy and I’m good at anticipating my friends’ tastes, I saw a lot of opportunities. On top of that, I organize a meetup group so I also have a blind preference for gateway games that a newcomer to the hobby will enjoy. Before I knew it, the whole living room + basement were full of Kickstarter all-in boxes. By the time you want to hit the brakes, the fact that Kickstarter delivers 1.5 years later makes it too late already. Nowadays I try to be more judgmental with purchases, but COVID lockdown hasn’t helped and compulsive purchases are still a thing for me,
Thank you Rodney for putting some words on what is kind of a pain to me. I feel like my need to buy games comes from a bit of everything you say. But I think that it mostly is a way for me to fill a gap, when I don't play as much as I would like to. I think that the fun I get from looking for new games, discovering them and then buying them is a way to replace a small part of the fun I would love to get by playing more. Fortunately the gamer in me also is taking over the collector, by being tired of watching all my games without being able to play. So I'm starting to get rid off some games too.
My husband and I now own 164 games and while I can say we definitely went through a collecting phase for a while, More recently we've beclme smarter about what we do buy- thanks to bgg and people like you we can learn a lot about a game prior to purchase. Currently the only games we havent played in our collection ate ones we just picked up at PAXand while I feel there are some early games from our collection we can cull we will hold onto most of them for jow. We are lucky to have multiple sets of gaming friends that all game at different levels and like different styles so it's necessary for us.
Methinks you struck a nerve with some folk. I am one of them. I believe that the collector is a part of the life cycle of many gamers. It begins innocently enough, picking up a few games that seem like they would be a good fit for our game group. Then we see a game that looks like it will fit the family, or a certain friend. Then we learn about the grail games, those sought out by those "in the know". We consume board game media and start picking up things that might fit our group. What follows is a buying frenzy that spirals until we realize that the actual game we are playing is one of collection. Faced with that reality and tens or even hundreds of unplayed games, some tough choices have to be made. Whether the limit is hard or soft, we reach that point where we, as gamers, recognize that like the limited resources in the games we love, both our space and our time are limited and that we must choose. We start to really consider whether a game fits. Whether it will actually get table time. Whether it provides a different enough experience from the games already in the collection to warrant a place. I am at the part of the cycle where I am purging now and a lot of my friends in the hobby are similarly refining their collections to more accurately reflect play rather than acquisition. It is an interesting and rewarding point in my hobby life; a game I am very excited to play!
Awesome topic once again, Rodney! This one, in particular, REALLY hits so close to home. A recurring discussion like this is a great idea, and IMO a warranted one. It's an opportunity for all of us to "self reflect" in this hobby. Owning for the sake of HAVING (and maybe... someday... eventually playing) versus owning mainly for the sake of playing regardless if it stays in one's collection. Managing one's game collection is very much a "game" within itself! So many awesome games, yet so little time. And dwindling available space.
They eye-opening experience for me was when I was given the chance to grab a free game at a convention I went to. It was a game I KNEW I would never play, and yet the collector inside me grabbed it anyways. Sure enough, that game has done nothing but collect dust and it put it into perspective for me. I know who I play games with, and I know what games they like. I only buy games now that I know I will like and my group will like because every other game will just take up space right next to that convention game that will never get played. Great video as always Rodney!
Excellent, excellent vide and topic, Rodney. Very well explained to, causing some much needed reflection. I think it’s difficult, sometimes, for some collectors to admit that’s what they’re really doing. I know for me, I didn’t like the idea of collecting simply for collecting”s sake, although that’s really what it came down to. I completely resonated with your feeling of dislike for that empty card slot. I needed it all filled, and when it was, I could sit back and say, “look what I’ve got!” ... then do nothing with it. It has only been recently that I’ve realized this in myself and begun to make a change. For me, it came down to the potential to some day play a game that looks amazing. I want to be ABLE to play it, if and when I ever actually find the time (and people to play it with). It’s very difficult to accept that I may not ever play that awesome game, and maybe I don’t need to, and maybe that’s actually okay. I’m not sure I’m not sure I’m quite there yet, truth be told. Collecting can be rewarding. I think there needs to be an honest assessment of the opportunity cost of collecting certain things. What other things am I missing out on by collecting this? What am I giving up by my choice to collect this? Space? Time spent on other activities? Safety (when does collecting become hoarding)? At the end of the day, I think it is extremely valuable to run through an honest assessment and self reflection of why we do what we do, what we want for our lives, and whether we are missing out on something better by continuing our collections. Again, I applaud you opening this topic and providing the opportunity and impetus for reflection.
The size of my game "collection" was becoming so large it was impacting me emotionally. My pile of unplayed games continued to grow as I kept buying games I knew I would enjoy sometime. I am sure I had that fear of missing "potential fun" and the joy of just seeing the games on my shelves. After a while, the "collection" was too much for me and not fun anymore. I am in process now of culling my collection down to a "library" of games I enjoy and having so much more fun. Much less pressure and stress felt that I must have the new game or have to play that pile of games waiting.
What a fantastic video of this facet of the hobby! It wasn't until I started looking to buy a third, huge shelf for my games that I realized that I the collector in me had taken over the gamer in me. Last year, my New Year's resolution was: no new games this year, only expansions to what I already have. And like 99% of New Year's resolutions, it only lasted a limited amount of time before a new, shiny game forced my hand. I commend you, Rodney, for being able to purge your collection of so many games, as this is something I've yet been able to do. One improvement that I HAVE been able to succeed at is not going "all in" on KS anymore. Though I've been the "have to have all the KS content" guy in the past, I've come to the hard realization that I will NEVER use all the content that is provided. Now, to get back to shelf shopping...
I only own 5 board games: Monopoly, Catan, 7 Wonders, Ticket to Ride and Coup. Board game nights happen maybe once every 2 months and among my friends, we have enough to keep going for a long time. I don't see myself buying a new game unless I really think I will enjoy it after reading and watching many reviews on it. In the same way that my bookshelf only has my most prized books, I will only buy games that I am certain to enjoy for years.
I am glad to have stumbled across this video. Thankfully, I am still in the phase where I get a game and I just have to play it instantly. I get a game only after mulling about it for days and sometimes months. But having said that, I understand how easy it is to become a collector of games, given that there are so many! And so many of them are so appealing that you cannot resist buying.
Man, this really speaks to me. Having fallen heavily into this hobby within the last three months, and acquiring over 100 games and backing various kick starters in that time frame, I'm beginning to realize the obsession factor of collecting versus actually buying games to play games. This video is on point...well done.
Love this video and I can fully relate! For me there is definitely a compulsive aspect to the collecting - it creates stress knowing how many games I own that I have not yet gotten to the table, and yet I love the thrill of walking out of the boardgame shop with yet another shiny box :-). I guess for me it is also about both hope and denial; I know logically I will never play half of my games again - but I like to pretend time is limitless and live in the hope that "oneday" I will get around to all of it..... Maybe that´s not such a bad way to live either :-) . Finally, I am impressed that you raised such a potentially sensitive topic with such candour when it would be easier (and potentially more profitable) to simply fuel the "collector" in us all! It has really made me reflect! But either way (for both the gamer and collector) - this remains a wonderful hobby to be afflicted with and I hope I am never fully cured!
It's definitely an interesting progression, like that of a protagonist over a six-season tv series. When I got my real start into the hobby, I had only a couple games with about 300 on a wishlist on BGG. I remember thinking, "Wow, look at that game shelf, I can't wait till mine looks like one inside a game store!". Then slowly, I began my metamorphosis, building up to the point where I was buying random games that I had never heard of just so I could have it in the collection. I didn't get too far down the hole, as I was still less than 100 games/expansions,. But something clicked, and I realized I wasn't going to be able to logically keep all these games, let alone play them. I started filtering based on mechanisms, themes, designer, illustrator, whether a game was expandable, and replay-ability. I culled about half my collection in order to make room for games I'd actually keep and play over time, and my BGG wishlist probably has less than 50 on it now. I realized there's a lot of games I see that I say, "Gee, that'd be neat to play", where I'd only want to play it once and not keep it. It really helped me enjoy the actual gaming hobby more instead of the buying games hobby. It sounds like you experienced the same thing, where tldr: My progression in the hobby: Young Gamer Lad -> Eager Board Game Collector -> Timeworn Box Hoarder -> Wise Gaming Minimalist
You set that topic up so well. I think acquiring games is a game of its own that creates a similar feeling as playing a game. You have to research it, find the best price, and find a place to display it. And, of course, you get to tell other people that you have it. I experienced this same “collecting” phenomenon with comic books, books, records, CDs, VHS videos, DVDs, and Blue Rays. In fact, I upgraded some movies from VHS to DVD and never watched either of them. In some ways, I think stacks of games (like books and movies) serve as decorations and even identification. Games are also trophies (or, to use another phrase, a sign of conspicuous consumption). When I know you have the premium game with the Kickstarter rewards, I want it too or my trophy seems diminished. Of course, that’s the pinnacle of acquisition-that I can go on eBay and buy those special cards for 5 times the price they were originally purchased. Some people buy big houses with pools or fast sports cars. Other people buy games. I buy games because I think I'll like playing them, but maybe there's something in the back of my mind that makes me addicted to finding and acquiring them as well as a little pride in the conquest.
Way to go Rodney! Excellent discussion topic. I've found myself leaning towards collector over gamer recently. It's so exciting to see my collection grow but it's a bummer when there's no time to play the new games I get. Really makes you think about it all. Thanks for another fantastic video!
Thank you for this video. These type of thought provoking videos cause introspection which is always a good thing. After your thoughts, I can say that I believe I am a gamer who is trying to avoid being a collector. My significant other is more in the collector realm, but we keep each other in check. We had trouble finding others to play with because we live on an island and have a very small community. However, 2 years ago we found a group on meetup and have been actively playing with them while also travelling to things like Dice Tower Meetups in stores, or other table top gaming events. I can say this: We keep track of our collection of games in a spreadsheet, and we have 268 games currently. On March 24th, I made a new column to keep track of the last time each game was played. It's now been 4 months, almost exactly, and in that time we have managed to play 53 different games. That is between the 2 of us, our regular gaming groups, events and cons. We rarely have a new game go without being played for any length of time. However, we did pick up a few at Dicetower Con that haven't made it to the table, so looking we have 3 games owned that haven't been played yet. But they won't stay that way long I understand we are the rare exception. We do try to make sure to keep on top of things to not be too wasteful, because given that we do game so much it would personally feel wasteful if we got a game and never played it. And our favorites get played a lot. There are games we own that if we are being honest with ourselves will never see the table again. Either we played it out, or lost enjoyment of the game. We really need to get into things like virtual flea markets and trades in order to get those games to homes that will love them, and in turn maybe get some things we may like. On to the exclusives, I have never not bought a game because there were exclusives I missed out on. There have been games we got that we really liked and at that point lamented that there was exclusive stuff we couldn't get without paying more than we are willing to. However, it has never prevented a purchase. I can understand why it might for some people. Thanks again for a great video and good thoughts.
I fall somewhere in-between -- which is I want to have a wide enough variety of games to satisfy my mood on any given day and to give friends a choice so that we can always have something to play. And I always feel as if there's something missing and I see something that I think might scratch that itch. Plus I have enablers. You know who you are!
This is a great video and topic Rodney! I have definitely spent some time on and off myself with this topic. I got so excited by the hobby years ago and can remember my collection starting to grow, and at first so excited by it as i deeply enjoyed exploring different types of games. And still do! But at some point I had a similar realization to what you describe, that i was just acquiring new games for the sake of "oh that looks neat, i'm sure i'll play it eventually!" or "oh man, i better jump on this now as who knows if it'll go out of print". As that started to happen, i definitely reached a point where i had more unplayed games than played games, and kinda went "what the heck am i doing?" At this point, i have reduced my overall collection and made an agreement with myself (well, and also my wife who is not a fan of piles of games on the floor) to limit my collection to a certain number of shelves. i have a bit of a "1 in, 1 out" policy that more or less stays in place. I think part of it for me too is that i have now been in the hobby long enough to have refined my tastes and am more aware of what i do and don't like. This makes it a bit easier to watch a video (have i said thanks recently for your contributions on this point?) or download and read the rules to help determine if its something that makes sense to have in my personal collection. Anyway, thanks again for starting such a great discussion! I'm curious to read others comments and see where they fall on this topic
Such a good, insightful video! I put myself on a game buying ban this year for the exact reason that I was just collecting too much stuff I wasn’t playing.
Some great thoughts Rodney! I've also found recently that the urge to own or have a new (or second hand) game slide onto the game shelf and feeling the satisfaction of owning it and having hopes of playing it "soon". But that "soon" turns into weeks, then months... it can get a bit out of hand. Like you said it's almost like "a fear of missing out of potential fun in the perfect situation." I totally get that!
A while back I realised that I too was becoming more of a collector than a player as I got more and more games I rarely had the chance to play. When I realised this I imposed some rules on myself. All games I now buy must either be 100% co-op (my favourite genre) or have a built in solo variant, that way I buy less and also get to play them more. On the question of exclusives I think Greater Than Games did this perfectly. They had exclusives from kickstarters and exclusives from conventions/promos etc but then also had the options of either offering them as printables that could be used with your games but were clearly not 'bragging rights exclusives' or at a later date had them buy-able but with different artwork on them so yet again it was clear if someone had them from backing/going to a convention or just from buying them to complete their own collection.
I’m new to board games and oh man I’m a player and I’m a collector, seeing your shelf full of games blows my mind, I know I couldn’t very easily be there but I have to be slow and methodical, my wife will notice if I have so many games
Great video, Rodney! I always appreciate how you thoughtfully create your content, and this video is no exception. I wanted to comment because I definitely suffer from Collector Syndrome - to some extent with board games, but more with video games and books. I realized roughly three years ago that some 75% or more of my game and book collections were unplayed or unread. Part of the reason was when I went to choose a new book to read or game to play, I would be overwhelmed by the choices and just reread or replay something I knew I enjoyed rather than diving into a new book or game that could potentially be a waste of time (aka, the Netflix Syndrome, where you spend 30 minutes looking at all of the options and then picking something you've already watched). Once I had this realization I made a list of all of my unread books and unplayed games and sorted them into a priority order (by year of release for games, by alternating year of release for books: oldest, then newest, then second oldest, then second newest, etc.) so that I knew immediately which book or game would be "next." Then I could at least experience it once, and determine whether it was worth keeping around after that. I also gave myself a limitation on how many more new books or games I could add so that I wasn't fruitlessly trying to catch up. This has helped me a lot! Three years later, I have read 75% of my book collection and played 30% of my game collection. By removing the choice, it made it easier for me to just grab whatever was next on my list. However, it is not a strict system. If I felt like playing something differently, of course I would do that. My personal problem was being able to quickly and decisively make a choice with too many options.
This is a very insightful video. When I was a kid, I enjoyed displaying my games on my games shelves, because they were "my things" like Star Wars toys and as a kid you don't exactly own real estate. So it was a way of "showing off my stuff" even though pretty much every game got played since I didn't have enough money to buy more than one game every couple of months. At that time, the idea of "having a lot of games" would have seemed really cool. I mean, what 12-year-old kid wouldn't want to have more stuff? Later on, when I had more money, I could still buy "most" of the games on offer because the hobby just didn't have that many games. Everyone had a copy of Catan, and Modern Art, and El Grande, and Puerto Rico. When the hobby exploded, I enjoyed the proliferation of games for the sheer pleasure of it, since I had spent some portion of my gaming life worried the hobby would die out, replaced by video games. Now that I "theoretically" can buy any game I could ever want to own, on the secondary market or otherwise, I have become much more of a collector, but not because I want to own the games per se. Instead, I'm interested in the hobby's history, and look for original or first editions of old games, much like a book collector might collect first editions of books. This is especially the case in my favorite niche, historical wargaming, where I'm interested in buy copies of forty- of fifty-year-old games where the game itself might not be very good. Some of them are downright bad. But I'm keenly aware of how few copies of these games exist, and would hate for them to disappear in the same way that many old videogames from that era are hard to find. Sure, they MAY exist somewhere in digital format, preserved on an abandonware site (maybe) but those aren't the products the creators created: they are just the fossil. The box, manual, disks are all gone. Yet I loved those dorky things. I have games from 40 years ago that I remember playing as a kid. Some are the original copies, but some are replacements, bought on the secondary market decades later to replace lost or discarded copies. The preservation of that memory of playing goes along way to preserving-- in some small way--the fun I had with game itself. I find that my game buying/selling has bifurcated: I buy very few Euros, and limit myself to ones that seem really well designed, solely so I can have them available when friends come to visit, even if at this age old friends might only visit every year or six months. I might buy some other to play, but I have no problem selling them because they don't "mean" anything to me. They're disposable consumer products. I went through the Euro closet and put a bunch of games like Ticket to Ride, Goa, Hacienda, and things I'll never play again on the BGG Marketplace, because I could use the space ... for more games? Absolutely. Because the other reason that I enjoy historical wargames is that they give me a perspective on history that I can't get from a book or film, and I don't even need an opponent to get it. I can set the game up, read the rules, and analyze how the designer chose to integrate history into the game. My own video series (which I won't link as that would be in poor taste) consists of this kind of interrogation of these games as history. Some games I have never played on the table against another person, yet have played over and over in my mind. If a game is a bad game, it still gives me something to think about, whether it be the historical event itself, or how the game could have captured that event better. And then I keep it. I want to make sure these wargames--some of which have been around for fifty years-- survive a little longer. I still remember designer Kevin Zucker's words to me (in an email) some ten years ago when I wrote to him with rules questions for his game The Coming Storm. I told him we had played it that weekend and a few rules were unclear. He answered them, but ended the email with the word, "thank you for PLAYING my game!" The all-caps was in the original. While designers might make just as much money whether you play their game or just put it on your shelf, I suspect they get much more satisfaction from knowing that you're actually using it for what it was intended.
Fantastic video subject! I think there's one important distinction I think is important, but first a statement of fact: If we're honest with ourselves, rarely does a game out of our collection get even a dozen plays. Board games typically take an entire evening of several people's busy days to play, so the opportunity to play is often small, and when it arrives only the best of the best of the best will get played. Why play a 8/10 game ever when you could play a 9/10 game instead? Whether you play once a week or once a month or even less, no one wants to play the game that's "not quite as good". So inherently in this hobby we have a low frequency of play coupled with an incredibly high standard for which ones actually hit the table more than once. Okay, with that out of the way, there are two types of "expansions" and one is truly more worthwhile than the other. Let's take Massive Darkness for example. the core box comes with a few roaming monster (bosses) and a few types of mobs (regular enemies). That means that if you do end up playing more than once (which I hope you do if you are actually buying a game) then you'll be stuck fighting the same goblin archers over and over and over again, even within the same game session. There's just not that much variety. However if you buy the expansions, while they don't add a ton of "gameplay" content as in, more missions to play (but again, let's be real, will you play all of the scenarios in the core box?) but you do get more variety. You get more bosses and more mobs. If you backed the kickstater, you get double or more of the bosses and double or more enemy types for the same cost as retail. If you like the game (which I hope you think you will if you are buying a game) then you might think it'll be an 8/10. An 8/10 is not going to be played 12+ times but if you could add more variety and spice it up a bit perhaps that makes it that 9/10 you wanted, and will take the purchase from a waste of shelf space after 1 play to something that, just maybe, might get it to the table a few more times, making that purchase actually worthwhile. Sorry for the long rant perhaps but I think when Rodney here is talking about expansions he means gameplay expansions that add more scenarios/missions/maps/campaigns/whatever. If the expansion is not "mixed in" with the core box then yes I agree rarely will it get played and is far less worthwhile if we are honest with ourselves. Buying an expansion after playing all of the core box in that scenario is better. This is from a person (me) that has a fair amount of games that haven't been played in over a year, and also games like Conan where I've played ever scenario in every expansion and cannot play new content because I didn't back the Kickstarter.
I loved when we talked a bit last year in Germany.. You are truly an awsome person.... =) Dont think you remember me but Im the one telling you that you enlights my life at the boardgame geek stand. Thank you for this video.. its really awsome.. Thanks for all your ideas.
Rodney, very glad to see you bring up this topic of gamer vs collector plus how you noted that a wall of shame’s flip side is a wall of opportunity. That’s the take away for me and I came to this very realization a few months ago as I’m sure so many other self reflecting folks likely have. I was contemplating and trying to reconcile the wall of shame line of rhetoric that is frequently encountered on the various board game media or forums. Not knocking them for doing so, it takes discussion and thought and time to come to more positive conclusions sometimes. And in looking for the positive side of it I realized that I’m more a collector who wants to be a gamer than I originally thought. I also realized that I’m far more into the story of how a game was made, it’s art and graphic design, the quality of the written rule book and theme, the way it’s packaged and it how it looks not when I open it but when I put it back into the box. I’d rather talk about how Crusoe, in the game Friday, evolves as a character over time based on the experiences we choose for him more than I want to play the game sometimes to help non gamers appreciate game mechanisms. I love seeing people’s reactions to how neatly organized Grimm Forest is or how radiant Photosynthesis looks on a table. This is a huge topic, I’ll end it here, and thank you for your thoughtful probes into yours and our minds!
Amazing video. It has really made me think about my addiction to collecting and finding a balance between playing and collecting. Keep up the great work.
Great topic. I feel like I've probably followed a similar path along the gamer-collector journey. I think one thing that helps fuel it in general is the way the industry has exploded with the number of games coming out, but also the fact that there are less evergreens or games that get reprinted. If you don't buy it right away will you have missed your chance? That FOMO definitely plays into some purchases. Another thing that I feel has almost certainly had an impact is the amount of great online coverage games get nowadays. There's no shortage of fantastic websites, blogs, vlogs, RUclips channels and podcasts that will bring new and exciting games to your attention in a way that just didn't happen even 10 years ago. On a personal level, working in the gaming industry has meant that in order to have a competitive edge I need to be on top of as many new games as possible. Sure, that doesn't necessarily mean I have to own them all, but it does help. That's what I keep telling myself anyway :-) Another minor thing is that gamers like achievements. I had finally made the decision that I should start cutting down my collection, but then I noticed I wasn't too far off owning 1000 games. The obvious choice was to keep buying until I reached that milestone before I finally started purging. Right? One thing that did help make the decision to cut down was moving to a new house and having less space for games. I could have figured out some alternate storage option, but now I have a nice game room and I want to keep all my games in there. That means I have to put a cap on the number. Now that I've started selling some I've actually found it quite liberating and it's made me feel better. On the separate topic of Kickstarter exclusives, I do understand the frustration some people have with them, but I would never make a decision not to buy a game because I couldn't get the exclusive items. I think it would be a bad publisher or designer that made something crucial to their game an exclusive item, and so I think they should be at best considered a mini-expansion (and one that may be under-tested or under-developed at that). My thoughts on expansions has changed somewhat over the years too. If a game is great without an expansion, then why do you need an expansion? If there is something wrong with the game and the expansion 'fixes' it, then there's a greater problem with the design in the first place and I begrudge having to get an expansion to make a game whole. For me Kickstarter exclusives fall into the same category. Either the game is great without them or something has gone wrong during design, development and playtesting. I acknowledge that this is a generalisation and over-simplification and there may be exceptions (games like TIME Stories or Gloomhaven where the expansions are more content without really changing the game).
I went through this recently. I had about 60 games, and with each new purchase I felt the compulsion to play my new games rather than playing games I already had (and really liked!). So I’ve been culling my meager collection (compared to many others in the hobby), keeping only the games I would always say yes to playing. I now enjoy the hobby even more, exploring games I love more frequently.
Great topic, Rodney! And it was a pleasure to meet you at Origins in Columbus! My thoughts are that collecting games has replaced people's interest in collecting books. You had mentioned stamp collecting in the video, but a gaming library I feel is more akin to one that would have a library of books. Many would buy and collect books without necessarily reading them all. And I think the mindset of a game collector is similar. It's comforting to know you have the potential for adventure & discovery at any moment. Games, and previously books, are both able to provide that personal satisfaction. So even if one doesn't play a game (or read a book) that they feel that they would enjoy right away, there's a feeling of comfort in knowing it's "there". Just my $.02.
When I first got into the hobby, I just bought a few games that looked really cool. Then I got into a phase where I was excited and bought anything that looked slightly intriguing, often without even playing it (more than a few regrets there). Then I started buying to fill holes ("Oh I need something that will work with 3 players", "Oh I don't have a strategic 2-player game"). Space is a bit of an issue now so I have cooled off, and I am happy where I am now with about 75 games. Probably about 90% of my collections has seen play multiple times and I can pull most games off the shelf and play them without having to learn all the rules again. I still keep my eyes open for new games of course, but they almost have to hit on every cylinder for me to get them at this point, so I don't think I'll be continuing my 15-games/year pace of the past 5 years. One thing I haven't had the courage to do is cull games, which is probably the next step in my journey. For example, my copy of Game Of Thrones has been collecting dust for something like 4 years at this point, so it might be time to move on from that one. Not that I wouldn't play it, but it's just such a beast to get 3 or 4 people invested in it unfortunately. Another one to ship off might be A Few Acres of Snow, which I think is going on 3 years without a play. So yeah, culling is definitely going to become a reality in the near future I think, but I'll work up the courage for that....eventually.
This was very well said. I fully started out as the gamer and certainly (d)evolved to collector. Only recently, maybe a month or so back, I embraced playing a game more than once in a row, heck, even making plans to play it again soon even though my collection has sprawled more than I care to admit. This has led me to the decision to slow down, even stop buying games as often. Every time I want to buy one, I think of an extraordinary game on my shelf that I have yet to play. Certainly, they are thought of as opportunities for greatness and enjoyment, not shame.
Thanks for the insightful video! I got into board gaming a couple years ago and have always been a very frugal / minimalist person with regards to possessions. I capped my collection once I hit 50, and about half of those are small-box games. I've found it really helpful to trade frequently - if I don't think a given game will get played within a 1 year span I trade it, no regrets. This way I still get to experience a wide variety of games without increasing my investment or shelf space much.
I've only been in the hobby for about 4 years. And it's funny b/c I used to think "why do ppl not keep their whole collection?" after seeing ppl sell games. Well, after having 4 piles of board games on my floor that almost go up to my waist, b/c I ran out of shelf space, I understand now. My collection peaked at about 90 games, about half of them I never even played! Sadly, out of desperation for space, I've given away about 20 games the past couple months for FREE to friends and friends of friends. I'll miss those games, but...it's necessary for my small apartment. And your self-psychoanalysis on WHY we get games and don't even play them or continue to play them is spot on - fear of missing out, keep ones we played once and enjoyed and will likely never play again, etc. It was hard to cut my collection by a 1/4 almost, but I did I thought the same thing - what will I actually play? How often? Which do I enjoy most? Which do I want to spread the love of most and hand out for free? What them or genres do I want to stick with? Even what publishers I want to support. etc
When streaming was a blossoming technology, I had friends who asked me, "Why are you collecting all these DVDs and Blu-Rays?" Part of my answer was "I like looking at them on the shelf." And its true -- I take enjoyment of seeing a well-stocked game shelf as I do one of my bookshelves or my rack of movies. So, yes, there's something about collecting that appeals to anyone. And the idea that I'll buy something just to have it resonates with many of my colleagues. I'm an English prof, and indeed I've got friends who'll buy books they won't read, books of which they've already got other editions, etc. That said, a much higher percentage of my movie and book libraries go unconsumed than my game library. I think that's for two related reasons. First, games are much more social, so I buy with an eye toward my group. It feels like there's more "at stake." I consider what my group likes, what they own, and what would work as a 2p game with my wife. I'd likely not buy anything that my group's already got or something that is too similar to something we already play. I'm also more aware of my tastes now, after collecting for 3 years. I know what will and won't hit the table at my house or at game night. And it's a lot less of an investment than a $10 copy of the next Expanse or Harry Dresden book because I know I'll get to that eventually.
My collection is still fairly small (50-60 games) but each one is something I researched before buying and bought with the group I want to play with in mind. I find that I purchase a lot based on who will actually play a game with me, so my collection changes as my gaming group does. That said, getting rid of games that no one will play with me anymore is hard -- especially if I love them. As my collection grows, however, I'll probably have to start coming to terms with letting some of them go so that I can make room for games that actually hit the table. I do enjoy the "acquisition" aspect of board games though, and have re-bought games more than once that I gave away in the past. Thanks for posing such an interesting topic, Rodney! It really got me thinking about my purchasing habits and why I buy what I buy :D.
Rodney, I use games in my college classes. I had a collector mentality for years, not to play in my spare time but to research and emulate game rules and experiences in the classroom. Exclusives sometimes bring about different rules for a game. Thankfully, I was able to cull my collection because BGG allows uploaded game rulebooks for free. It decreased my collection considerably and allowed me to make my own components Thanks to BGG and you for bringing up such a personal topic for most gamers!
In this hobby (and the principle applies to many others), there's a cycle. Interest, acquisition, then the purge. You start off wanting a whole hell of a lot. You get as much as you can. Then you realize you aren't actually getting the enjoyment out of the game that was promised, either by the marketing, or hype, both external and internal. So you start thinning out that "shelf of shame." The problem is, the cycle moves really slowly. You might keep buying games for *years* until you move to the next stage. The 1 Player Guild on BGG is notorious for having "board game acquisition disorder," because we aren't limited by our ability to convince other people to play the games we buy. We're frequently able to get almost every game in our library to the table whenever we want, at our leisure. There is a concept of a "grail game" that I think extends even beyond the 1PG. That one game that hits everything that you enjoy about playing board games, if only you could obtain it. The thing is, a "grail game" cannot be owned, because whatever you might think it is, the next game on the horizon will have been designed with that game in mind, so it'll be an even better experience. You buy Dominion, only to find out about Puzzle Strike. You buy Thunderstone Advance, then it goes out of print as Thunderstone Quest, the new and improved version, is announced. You finally learn how to play your copy of Mage Knight, and now there's this Gloomhaven thing on Kickstarter again, and it was such a massive success the first time around (how'd you miss that?!) that you can't pass up this opportunity. Your copy of Gloomhaven hasn't even shipped yet by the time you back Kingdom Death: Monster, because you'd be an idiot to pass it up now, with all that plastic and high production values at such a low, low price. At a certain point, all of this comes to a head, and you realize, roughly at the same time, that you're not only buying games far faster than you're able to learn and play them, but the games that you thought you'd love turned out to be not much better than what you already had, or maybe even worse. The sad truth is, for the vast majority of us who have enough disposable income to throw at board games, we spend a lot of time and money on new games before we become used to the feeling of hype enough to simply resist it and say no. We have to be disappointed, likely several times, before we learn our lesson. For me, Mage Knight (an outlier among several Sirlin games, plus Coup) was one of the first board games I ever bought. It was about $50, and very highly regarded in both Amazon reviews and on BGG. The fact that it also supported 1 player intrigued me. I started buying games that were highly ranked on either the BGG rankings or the latest 1PG Top 100 list. It took several disappointments (shoutouts to CMON...) before I truly learned my lesson. The overwhelming majority of board games out there are not nearly as good as Mage Knight. But months and years would pass between sessions of that game, because I'm too busy with the newest latest. Eventually, you get fed up with these games that aren't as good as what you already have, and start to purge. You mentioned going down from 500 to 250; I bet you don't regret a single sale. I've sold 7 games in the last few months, and the few I still have left to remove are getting donated to a local library. I look forward to adding to that "for donation" pile, too, as selling games often comes with the temptation of buying more.
I found myself falling into that collector category way back when we played Killer Bunnies. Even though we had quit playing it by the time expansion 10 came out, I still NEEDED them all. Although I do occasionally find myself falling back into that, I do try to really make careful decisions when I purchase games. My collection is at about 200 and I am slowly culling it. Made a goal this year to play at least 2 games each month that haven’t been played in years to decide if we keep or replace!! Of course I will never stop buying. But at least now I make sure we really will play it in our group. (I say, as I wait on 11 Kickstarters to arrive)
This video has one of the best thumbnails ever 😄 Back on topic, I've reached the absolute limit of my potential game storage space (just under 200 games) and my non-gaming partner made it very clear that it's now "one in, one out". I think this has really helped me focus on the important games in my collection, I've made fewer purchases and so has led to fewer unplayed games.
I can totally relate to this video! I got into MTG for the novel game play, but after a while it became like a collector hunt, the thrill of the chase: looking for the cards that would make my decks even more powerful. After a while, when prices started going up; I couldn't justify the amount of money I was spending on what were essentially pieces of cardboard with art on them (even if it's awesome art!). I got into Board Games because they seemed to offer more stuff for the price, and started buying the ones that I liked. Fortunately; my friends seemed to enjoy playing them too. Because of the current state of things, they have been unplayed for months now, and are essentially a "collection". Hopefully, when things get better; they will get that much-needed game play. For now, I'm making sure that they and their components are kept dust-free and safe. I love buying games, and don't plan on culling any of them from my "collection" (even the cards). Don't know if that makes me a collector...but I guess I am one! : )
I think there's a connection element here. With well known and respected people in the hobby reviewing games, discussing them on podcasts etc it can be comforting for us fans to own those same games to feel part of the scene so to speak. I don't feel this is in any way bad as such, the games almost contain small personalities which are nice to be around and for some improve sense of well being. I think that also there is an element in some cases of a feeling that if you don't buy a particular game right away you might not get a chance as it'll sell out, be out of print etc as the hobby has got so big.
First of all, thank you for this video, it is very important IMO and made me think a lot. I want to tell a little bit of my own story before addressing the video. I've known of the board gaming world for a while now, but some how didn't really get into it. I had an old copy of citadels, I'd heard of Settlers of Catan, and I knew there was more out there, but I didn't really have time to delve into it. Two and a half years ago, I moved into a new apartment and thanks to two of my neighbors (one more than the other), who are gamers I truly dove into the deep end of the gaming world. what do I mean by that? I have around 70 games I've bought over these last two and a half years. In the beginning I bought like crazy, today I still purchase games but much more moderately. I think at first it was part of the thrill, I really got excited about every game I laid eyes on. Today I am much more focused, I tend to know what I like a lot better and don't get worked up over every new thing. So yes, I have games in my collection that I rarely play if at all (ROOT for example), but I'll probably not buy any more games like it, I'll keep it cause it's special. I'll only buy new games that are ones that I'll like. I think most people go through a similar experience. Buy a ton of games in the beginning until they understand and refine their taste, but will still buy something special once in a while, for example I'm planning on buying the century series even though I think there are better games because they'l look nice on the shelf. I think that those of us who are here and watch your channel, are mostly collectors, and this is another point I wanted to address, the abundance of games lately and the overflow of information drive the need for more games. When every two days you see a video about a new game, it's really hard not to want that game. And then what happens? Another game you don't have time to play finds it's way into your collection. It's sort of a catch 22, you're interested in this hobby, you want to learn about it, but then you fear you'll miss out and you buy more and more. It is a sort of addiction on some level, A true gamer IMO plays more games than he watches videos. I'll say one final thing about kickstarter, I've never supported a game there, I probably never will, not that I don't want to, I do very much, but because of the crazy shipping costs to Israel that are usually charged that can double or even third the price. I'll probably not be bummed about a game if I don;'t get to play it. On the other hand, if I do play it and really like it, I'll be upset for missing the campaign (lately its happned to me with Gugong).
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A major problem are the people like me who have great board games, but few people to play it with. So you are not collecting, but the games just sit on the shelf which makes one feel like it was an unnecessary and wasteful purchase.
So true. It's why I really appreciate it if games support solo play.
same here... the gamer in me become the collector all of sudden...
Had the same problem. Than I started looking for game nights and clubs in my area, made a project out of it. I found out there wasn't any in my city but there was nearby. So I started by visiting the game club and started my own monthly game café night and now I can play a game every day if I would want to. Only thing I need now is time. But working on that also. But since I started meeting new people I have been playing at least once a week. I even organized my first boardgame fair (300 people attending, all people just like us)! What I'm trying to say is there are so many people out there who wants to play but don't have a "collection" to choose from, it only takes a little effort to meet them. Maybe it's an idea, I'm sharing this because it enriched my life and I wish everybody to have fun at playing the great games that are out there.
I feel the same.
I'm in the same case 😔
I have bought some games in the hope I will be able to play them someday. If I don't buy them than maybe I don't have the chance later on
Why are you attacking me so blatantly, personally, and directly like this on RUclips? Uncalled for!
Note to self: wasn't subtle enough...
I am sorry. I hope you were joking, Drive Thru. He was trying to get his stream of consciousness out there for the viewers to know where he was coming from. He was very specifically trying to be as polite as possible. In fact, Rodney clarified many times that he wasn’t directly judging others opinions but moreover, he was questioning his own reactions to their choices. Slight distinction, but an important one.
I truly appreciate your candor Rodney. You tried very hard not to step on anyone’s toes. Thank you for this video. It made me think, and as it stands from my reply, made me grow as a person. Thank you ! !
Rikhavok I know. Rodney and I are good friends. I was just giving him a hard time :)
@@DriveThruReview Yes, this was all in jest :)
@@rikhavok Drive Thru Games was totally joking. I've seen these two play games together before. They're good friends.
My husband and I were a huge fan of "the cult of the new" and were weary about that getting out of hand (mostly financially). We were buying games just because they were new and not necessarily something we would play. We got sucked into the hype of it all and didnt want to miss out. It also didnt help that the boardgameing community is awesome :) and thats what most gamers talk about -the new stuff. Our wallet suffered somewhat and we had to change our habit. We stopped following kickstarter and new releases blogs, and have been keeping track of how many times we play each game in our collection. We try to rotate playing our games to make each purchase worthwhile. We very much fulfill our "player" side... and when we do purchase a game, we spend a lot more time researching or perhaps playtesting. We still collect, but it's a lot more hand picked with attention to detail. We have found that our fear of missing out on new games fell away because we are focusing on good games that already exist on our shelf (and there are many!). If it is new, we make sure it's something worth adding to our shelf. Our collecting style changed to "anything and everything" to "personally curated for us."
The board game wall is now it's own work of art and conversation piece - specifically as to why each game on our shelf is chosen to be there. Anyone else been there? :) Great topic Rodney!!
Yeah I like that comment. I think you speak a lot of sense.
i dont mean to be off topic but does someone know a trick to log back into an Instagram account..?
I was dumb lost my login password. I would love any help you can give me
@Kevin Reid Instablaster ;)
@Luciano Evan I really appreciate your reply. I found the site through google and Im in the hacking process atm.
I see it takes quite some time so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
@Luciano Evan it did the trick and I finally got access to my account again. I am so happy:D
Thank you so much you really help me out!
I am almost done buying games...A few more kickstarters and I will be done.
Agreed. I can quit anytime.
@@pixxelwizzard You and me both. I don't have a problem .... (comments while funding yet another Kickstarter)
GROAN don't talk like that. hits too close to home haha
And then comes Essen ...
My goodness; this is wonderful. There are other people out there just like me! I can't wait to tell my councilor. ;)
I prefer to collect Kickstarter Exclusives and throw out the base games they're associated with. If any old plebeian can have the base game part, it's of no value to me. I just want the exclusives and nothing else.
All in all, this game was a blast to throw away.
10/10 would throw this game away again.
So you would pay 100 s on a game to keep 3-15% exclusive content? What a waste of money.
@@papabear3x I'm not sure you completely understand satire... in fact I'm fairly sure you don't.
I prefer to just buy the Kickstarter exclusives on eBay for games I don’t own for the same reason. Then I keep them mint, in box, with the hopes of selling them all in 35 years to retire. No 401k’s or pensions here, just exclusives!
🙃
Great video and topic! I think that a few publishers have noted that the bulk of boardgame purchases are made by people new to the hobby. After people have been in it for a few years, they start to either settle into a game group, figure out how much they actually CAN get played, who actually wants to play with them, what they like, and then they start to slow their purchases and potentially reduce their collection.
This isn't true of all people obviously but I remember getting into the hobby and I always kept track of my collection on BGG and logged game stats. I remember when I hit 100 owned games and would see people with 500, 1000, or 2000+ games and think, "WOIW, I'll never get that many games." Then about 4 years ago, I saw that I was creeping up on 700 boardgames in my collection and started to get panicked. I had been playing for just about 4 years at that point and I was acquiring an average of 175 games a year!!! Granted, I bought many of them cheap through auctions or thrift stores thinking, "For a dollar, I'm sure I can have fun with this game." But then I realized that that dollar didn't buy me a a fun night, it bought me an obligation, a piece of property that I had to store and deal with. I had to contemplate getting rid of it at some point. I had to decide what value I placed on it. "Sure, I bought it for a dollar but it was worth more than that! I can't sell it for a dollar?!" Even if I did sell it, I had to deal with listing the games, communicating with buyers, and shipping or meeting up with people. All of that to more than likely break-even or make a few bucks after fee's.
I did a variety of steps to get to the point I'm at now (just under 400 games but still culling). First, I made it a New Years Resolution to get my number of Unplayed games down to zero. That meant either playing those games, selling them, or just donating them to get them out of my collection. I got my unplayed's down from 170 to about 35 that year. The next year, I did the Net Zero challenge where I could only spend money on boardgames if I had sold boardgames to make the money to buy them. This did 2 things, it reduced my spending and also made me more cognizant of the amount of money I spent on games. At the end of it, I was net positive $1000+ but I still had spent around $600 on games and game apps. $600 doesn't seem like a lot when you factor in some new Kickstarters are $100+ but still, I was aware of every dollar I spent during that time frame and knowing I could've put an extra $50 a month towards something wasn't nothing. The next year, I committed to getting under 500 games by years end. And this year, I'm going to end with under 400 owned games and over 850 previously owned games on BGG.
I still buy new games from time to time. It's still very, very hard to pass up a deal on a game I KNOW is great but what helps a bunch is keeping a picture of all the games in my collection on my phone and when I'm ready to make a purchase, I stare long and hard at that picture and look at all the games I haven't played for years and ask myself honestly, "Is this game just going to be another one in this stack? Can I play any of these other games instead of this one and have similar fun for the group I'm imagining playing it with?" And the answer 99% of the time "yes". I still buy games though but I'm at least more aware of it than I was before.
Your story is similar to the owner of BoardGameCo.com. He now runs a large business trading, buying, and selling board games after auctioning off his unplayed and getting a taste for turning a profit.
Thanks for the awesome comment! I got a lot of useful tips out of it for myself.
In my case, I guess, I picture myself playing the game with my friends, but we never get the chance to do it. I fall more in love of the potential fun rather the fact that the moment may never even happen. And to make it worse, I do feel regrets to a certain degree after I buy the game. What I have done to mitgate this is, play at Meetups! This helps calming my game craving, and I find myself buying less games now.
same here
It didn't take long for my gaming group to start turning down good games for one reason or another (sometimes to play a party game on the couch, too many people, or just didn't like the look of it) so I stopped pretty quickly buying games for them. Now I only buy games I can play (and have fun playing) solo or that my wife would enjoy. I have a couple games (like Captain Sonar) sitting in my closet and I cringe every time I see it. The last time someome said "Hey, have you heard of Betrayal at House on the Hill?" I said, "I have! You should get it and we'll play!" I still haven't seen it.
@@staticklingon2182i am pretty much like u but i dun have a wife to play with, i wish i had one
@@seadoglonelyseal That sucks. But my wife doesn't play often, honestly. If it weren't for solo games I'd be hitting up my local gaming store a couple times a week to play.
@@staticklingon2182 yeah, iam full on solo mode now, i just need to complete my lotr lcg collecrion then i am golden. And iam still desperate for a wife lol. Local game store is a nono here for me, too many people make me uncomfortable. Lucky i still have cousin to play with sometimes but this wont happen when they turn aldults
Damn Rodney. I always respect your opinion, but have never felt compelled to comment. But your insight into the Collector in me vs. The gamer in me hit home...close to home. I have definitely been a collector first, and a gamer second. I even started a gaming group to play the games I was collecting, but would find myself just staring at my collection, instead of playing any of it. I did this with comics too.
I may have to reassess some of my kickstarter projects, and why I feel a fomo. Thanks Rodney
This is why I wanted to but never got into comics. I could read one in an hour then it would go into the pile and just sit there staring at me.
Omg I just look at my games an smile
This video couldn't have come at a better time. Just three days ago I finally bought my first dedicated game shelf. Until now I hadn't really grasped how amazing my collection has become.
For the past few months I have been in more of a collecting phase than a gaming one (hence why I just got the shelf). Of the 54 games I own there are 10 games that I have yet to play.. nearly 20% of my collection. But, as I sit typing this comment while looking at my beautiful collection... I can confidently say I have absolutely no regrets with how I've approached the hobby thus far.
The impact this hobby has on my life is so much deeper and meaningful than most people would think when I tell them I like playing board games. Board games foster social interaction, togetherness, competition, and conversation. I love that my wife, our friends, and our family can come together around the same table and enjoy each other's company while simultaneously exercising our minds.
To me my collection serves as three major things: a living piece of art, a catalyst for social interaction and fellowship, and an inspiration for others to explore the hobby themselves. As my collection continues to grow I feel like these three aspects will only improve, even if I do have a bunch of games I haven't played yet.
But... to spice things up, my shiny new Excel spreadsheet coupled with a random number generator is going to help me get some of my less played (or yet to play) games to the table!
Great thoughts, I totally agree :)
collecting? hoarding.. .NO SIR.. im just getting ready.
Prepping for civilization as we know it to end so i can finally enjoy my games without the distractions of electricity and internet. (and i can finally find someone to play my games with?.. ill be the entertainment king of the cave!)
ive found that sitting thru a complete play thru video of a game helps disdain most of the impulse buys.
100% same. lol. One day when the power goes out, I'll be king!!!
Lol I tell my wife this all the time, “When the economy collapses these will board games....”
Ha ha. I've said the same thing many times. In the post-apocalyptic world to come me and my family will have everything we need to keep us happy in the bunker!
EMP Plan. Yep.
Just make sure you print any FAQS, instruction edits, etc!! Don't want to be without the answers to messed up instructions! LOL
Very good introspective. This hits home for me. I now see that I need to have a long talk with myself tonight. I am not joking.thanks
Hey Rodney! Thanks for bringing this subject in.
It's sometimes hard to draw the line between a gamer purchase and a collector purchase at the time you buy.I often find myself backing kickstarters for the rush of excitement that a new experience brings but most of the time the game will show up on my door at an unexpected moment when I got no time to play it. I'll find the time to open the box and explore the rulebook but that doesn't mean it will get played soon.
Worse, when I have friends at home for a game night they will asks for games that they already know and those new shiny boxes will stay on the shelf.
The reasonable thing would be to only buy games to replace the ones I get rid of since I already struggle to play every one I own on a regular basis. The hard thing with that is that once your start to get interested and follow content creators, publishers and other hobby related medias the is always something igniting your desire to throw money at it.
The collector versus player discussion is very interesting, thanks! My LGS for MTG told me they were earning more from collectors than players, such an interesting observation.
I think the one of the reasons Kickstarter exclusives are ruining the gaming experience is because of the fear of missing out. A lot of our emotions are relative to the situation we are in.
Just knowing there is some stuff that could potentially increase the fun out of the game, and we will never have it, puts a dark shadow on the base game experience. This is deeply tied to are human psyche. Humans are more sensitive to loss than they are to rewards. Even imagined loss (such as not getting something you now expect to have, such as KS exlusives most people think they should be in the base game as well) hurts the same.
Imagine somebody is selling a game with 300 cards, almost new, but 10 cards are missing. They don't have a big effect on gameplay, but I think a lot of people will not be interested in buying the game even at a big discount. It's the same with KS exclusives. On top of that it's a cheesy sales trick, as well as early birds and other promos. Heck, even stretch goals are a sham when they promise stuff that should obviously be in the game.
Not just kick starter, but the exclusivity factor too. Game sells out on Amazon, panic and buy it elsewhere because it will never be available again...which can be true or not sometimes (Battlestar Galactica I'm looking at you). Publishers feed this frenzy just as bad through their print and reprint choices as they do with kick starter, I'm just sayin. You'll NEVER not be able to find a copy of Monopoly somewhere, but other games get scarce and valuable (real or imagined) quickly sometimes.
Kickstarter exclusives suck and like Rodney pointed out, it loses sales. Because if you have an element that could make your game fun, IT SHOULD BE IN THE FINAL COPY! I'm hesitant to buy a game knowing that they kept pieces out of the final version to reward the backers.
Exactly. If I don't get everything, I don't buy the game.
My grandmother owned a toy store when I was young, and she had a whole isle of board games. I didn't have money as a kid, so usually when we went to visit, she let me have one. Now, I have my own board games. I gravitate towards the solo ones, because I don't know many people that really want to play them. Honestly though, some still have the plastic on them. I think it has a feeling though like when people buy paintings, as art, they are beautiful, and they look good on those shelves. Kind of like having your own toy store.
Great topic Rodney! I definitely have the collector's bug, it doesn't show itself through buying games but I have a hard time getting rid of games that i don't play anymore or even want to play anymore just because i like having a big collection!!
Myself, I'm a bit of messy. I have a hard time getting rid of _anything_. You never know when you might need it again!
Great topic, Rodney. When I started in the hobby in the mid 2000s, I wanted to have a great diversity of games so I bought a lot of them, but they didn't get played very much (if at all) until I met my future wife, who loves board games. Space was becoming an issue, though, so we just stopped buying games. Even when we bought our new house, we set a rule : we're not buying anything else (except expansions of games we play a lot) until we have played every game we haven't played yet. It almost worked : because of top 10s and game explanations on RUclips, we found out about games different enough in style to most of our collection... so in the last three months, we bought 10 new games. So there are still some unplayed games in our collection (mostly games unplayable with only two players), but of our new acquisitions, three of them we've played at least eight times : I feel if they become favorites, it was worth it !
Fantastic subject. Time for some self reflection....Done. Conclusion: “don’t let my wife watch this” 😁
Great topic!
My two cents would be that "rebalancing" is something that is happening in greater numbers among those that have been with the hobby for a long time. Simply put, there are just TOO MANY games coming out every year that could warrant a purchase and this, I believe is starting to make even collectors more critical of potential purchases or their current collections. While I'm not say the oversaturation of games is causing a reduction in the quality, it could create pause among gamers due to the potential of a game being similar enough to a game already owned. This will naturally make the buyer consider either forgoing the purchase of the new game or eventually culling the older one that doesn't offer the same enjoyment.
Thanks again for the topic!
I have started to go through the same predicament too (mainly because my wife has limited me to 2 shelves full, and the games are starting to touch the ceiling). The joy I get from my games is less of me playing them and more of me spreading the joy of games. I regularly lend out games to friends because I know I simply can't play them all. The FOMO in me buys a lot of Kickstarters, and the child in me who loves Christmas presents eagerly waits for the postman every day. I think I need to start culling my collection, but I just don't have the heart to do it!
I recently moved across the country, and the prospect of packing up my game collection made me realize how much of a collector I am. Before moving I went from about 230 games to 180, and hope soon to have it down to around 150. Before I moved I had my collection scattered around different locations of my home, like what you showed in the video, but now they are all organized in the same place, and that helps to give me a better overview on what I have, what gets played, and if there are any games in my collection that I don't need any more. I thought I would be sad to sell some of the games that had been in my collection for a long time, but it actually felt pretty freeing.
I'm definitely both a gamer and a collector. Playing a game with friends is incredible, but the feeling of opening a new game, discovering the content, and reading the rules is also exciting. In a way, I think I am a collector of experiences, because I always want to play new games and very rarely play games I've already played. To me, the sense of discovery is similar to that first time you watch a new movie. The first play is always full of surprises and the experience is often different than the idea you get from the rulebook. I'm all after collecting this sense of discovery and holding on to it. Logging my plays has definitely helped me holding on more on my gamer side or experience collection side and less on the material collection side.
Very interesting topic. In our case, my girlfriend and I only buy the games we know we REALLY want to play. We have been in the hobby for just one month, but the collector in me is growing by each new adquisition.
I find new games every day and I'm like "where was this 6 months ago when I was looking?!" The more you get into it the more you find games that will fill a hole or a niche perfectly.
This was... brilliant... Thanks Rodney for the confrontation! There was a time when I had tons of time to play games so I kept on buying more and more games. The time to play games has dwindled down over the years but I kept on buying more and more games. Doing Kickstarters and going all in, buying expansions for games which I will never play. Buying games after seeing 5 minutes reviews. A never-ending cycle and I'm now stuck at over 4400 games (and quite a lot of games which I haven't yet added or are "due" [Kickstarters]). But I've realized that enough is enough and that I will never be able to play all of them in my lifetime. Playing became less important than collecting. So yeah, even though the collecting part is "fun" on itself, it's an addiction, plain and simple - I haven't gone into debts or something (I'm doing well on the financial side) so I'm "lucky" on that part but it's the confrontation with reality and realizing that you won't live forever to do the things you love doing. Playing all of those 4400 games eg... So I've stopped buying games, stopped following up on new Kickstarters. I still watch reviews though and I still note down the "worthy" games but there's a firm lock on my wallet for anything boardgame-purchasing related :-) And frankly - the switch was drastic but I don't miss it. My boardgaming club has enough members who purchase the latest games and I'll just play with those copies... And in the meantime I will try to slim down on my collection... Message from Dimi, boardgame-collector addict :-)
Hi my name is Bobby and I am a collector. ("Hi Bobby") I am 10 day collector sober free :) This just nailed me, I started playing games with a great friend of mine about 2 years ago, playing Memoir 44, which has now developed into over 150 games, not including expansions.....dear lord, I'm addicted. So I made a vow to play every game that I have unopened before I buy another one. Annnndddd, I have not completely been faithful to edict. But as well I played some games that I have bought and stored without playing in my "game room" for over a year, suddenly played and wow. I love this game. (i.e. Viticulture; Orleans) I am a work in progress.
Also, I LOVE ME SOME RODNEY, and always use his instructions for learning new games. Keep up the great work kind sir.
Now where are those free donuts and coffee?
Fantastic thoughts. I have started to see “Collector” and “Player” as opposite ends of the same spectrum as opposed to being two different spectrums. That idea has caused me to scale back my own collecting and ramping up my playing.
Thank you Rodney, I certainly get what you have discussed here. I am an older woman that has loved board games all my life. I fear that I will get too old to enjoy them. And my collection keeps growing. It is hard to stop collecting. I only have a handful of friends and family I get to enjoy them with. I buy them to play, more so than anything. Keep on gaming.
I have been thinking about this a lot recently. I work at a Board Game Bar and Café with just over 900 games, so I have full access to those whenever I want. However probably at least half of them are games that I would never want to play, but would happily teach to guests. My own personal collection is just over 100 games. There are definetly games that I need to cull in there. Not including any other people I play games with (who obviously have their own collections) that is more than 1000 games. What I have found myself doing more recently is only buying games for my own personal library if they are something that would not do well at the café, the ridiculously heavy and/or dry games that I love. If it doesn't fit into that category I will instead recommend that we get it at the café. That way I still get to play and possibly enjoy it, but as do plenty of other gamers who also now don't have to buy it, because it is in the collection of a business they patronize.
What a fantastic dive into the topic! I Think these questions are all valuable and serve as good introspective tools to help you not just understand your reasons but help you avoid being potentially manipulated by them.
Great video! Thanks!
Rodney's post struck so many chords with me. But I think the one that I thought nobody would ever relate to was the "chasing experiences" part. For the longest time, I thought I was the only one who was playing and relentlessly collecting boardgames, because I wanted to recreate that "magic moment" when I first fell in love with boardgames.
I can still vividly remember the first time I played Dominion with a couple of friends at the office. We were huddled around a small coffee shop table, giggling while buying "Duchys" and "Coppers". I can still remember the time my girlfriend gifted me a copy of Small World from her trip in Singapore in 2010. It was my 2nd ever boardgame. Now my BGG profile says I have over 200+.
And what I've found, is those "magic moments" are so hard to recreate. Even with 200+ boardgames. There will be more downs than ups while in this hobby. Don't get me wrong. In my 9 years in the hobby, I've been fortunate enough to recreate a couple more "magic moments". But those are like 1 percenters. 99% of the time, you're reading rulebooks, trying to find enough people to play with, scheduling gamenights, getting cancelled on, meeting obnoxious people in the hobby, organizing components, thinking of storage solutions, spending way too much money, etc. But what keeps me coming back is every once in a while, there will be a really "magic moment", where you think, man this hobby is the best! Where you think, man I love these guys I'm playing with, and we can be the bestest friends!
And that's what keeps me collecting. It's almost like a drug. Craving that "magic moment", that is actually so deceptively hard to experience consistently in this hobby. I keep on buying thinking, "man I think this game will be really fun, everybody says it's fun, I should probably get it man, just in case".
I used to have a massive collection of Avalon Hill games, all of which I played alone or with a friend. Then along came PC and I left the space hogging board games for computer ones (sadly many of those board games are now collector’s items). About 200 games later and much older, I am rebuilding a board game collection. I am not new to games but find almost as much joy in merely collecting them as playing them. I love staying connected to the hobby via tubes like this and reading comments. I have bought many games I have yet to play despite buying them literally years ago. Im just glad im really not too different then many other gamers out there. Thanks
Wow, the introspection is real from this video. My game nights are infrequent but I still buy new games when I have a mountain of unplayed ones. I have games that I loved and really wanted to play more of but have still only played it once and yet I buy more. I think for me I love the memories created around a tabletop experience but I get just as much enjoyment out of just having a collection I can admire. I'm actually redoing my gaming room to better facilitate having company over to play games to not always rely on my friend's house as the goto place for board games. I have slowed down on the amount I purchased. Roughly 30-40 last year and now I'm at 7 so far this year with a hard cap of 10. I felt the need to play catch up on older great titles since I've only been both feet into the hobby for 2 years. I'm definitely more of a collector than a gamer at this point but at the same time, I'm ok with that. Just being able to look at a modest but decent collection of about 100 games and be able to have a wide variety to choose from when I do game brings me joy.
The part about missing out on potential fun and buying games because you heard good things about them resonated a lot with me. Even though I limited myself to a 4x4 kallax full of games (1 comes in, 1 comes out), I look beside me and still see a few games or expansions with shrink wrap on them. They've been sitting there for months if not years. You're right, what's the point! Great discussion, can't wait to read each answers because oh boy, this is a heavy subject :P
What an appealing topic! No gamer can remain neutral when listening to this. It also echoes deep in me as I have only recently (a year ago?) changed my purchasing habits. Time to look back for a second...
In 2016, thanks to a friend having some free time at hand, I got back into gaming and decided it was a worthy hobby for me to get into. It was a decision also rooted deeper in me than I'll express publicly here, but suffice to say, I find more joy and fulfillment at playing at a table with friends, than I do doing other things on my own.
My game collection was maybe 10 games back then, and I avidly devoured youtube videos on the topic - Dice Tower's and Rahdo's mostly - and the collection impulse in me was string. It was "kind of right" at the time because I had so little I could offer to play. But the side effect of it was that it got me into the habit of playing new games every week or so. Well, I had started this habit when I explored my friend's collection with his girfriend and him on a weekly basis.
This led to months of having new games accumulating, and the first reality check happened (of course!) when shelf space was starting to challenge other objects laying around it. That's when I started entering my collection in BGG (well, a bit before that because I wanted to track my having explored a game and having found it "not for me") and among them, the "want ti play" games. They were about 30 of them, and in the following 2 years they remained at that number, peaking around 38 and not going lower than 28 (once!) I established a group of friends and kept looking for more to get a chance to game more than once a week, or to have 2 tables filled in on the nights the group would gather.
Then something else happened. First, my tastes evolved, for the joy of discovering a number of themes and mechanisms was happening less often. Also because I had had 2 very strong disappointments in games that were praised high on the web (namely Black Plague and Shadowrun Crossfire), proving to me I had my own tastes and it was about time I found out what they are, and get better at estimating whether a game would please me or not before I buy it. At that point, the number of unplayed games became a pin in my pocket (or lower) and I started monitoring it. It so happens I got into trades a bit before that, and I got to witness good people being generous to others, gifting games or selling / trading them for less than their worth. It did some impression in me, and got me thinking.
For a year, I have actively tried to reduce my "unplayed games" list, while still acquiring more. My purchases have become more selective, even if the thrill of seeing something on kickstarter hasn't disappeared. My focus has been a bit more on expanding contents for games I like, which might "hide" a bit in the "unplayed games" statistics I keep, but also lets me experience my games more. I still have most of my games played once only, but am now even culling a few games that I got 1-2 years back, because I'm doubtfull I'll enjoy them. In my sales, I systematically sell away for less than I bought - in part because I can afford it and it's my way of sharing the "karma" with others, in part because the joy of getting rid of a box is payment in itself too.
Right now, I'm at a point where I want to play the games I won more, and see if that "playing new games every other week" habit of mine is a definition of the player I am, or not. I want to see if I tire of games I've liked playing, or if on the contrary they grow on me. I own 121 games, 11 of which will be traded away, 3 of which before I play them. 52 weeks a year won't let me play even those once a year regularly (except for the short ones). I have a feeling my revisiting my collection will let me cull it further in the times to come. I am curious what the times ahead have in store for me, and for all of us.
The dice roll with you, Rodney!
Really good discussion. I personally used to play board games as a kid, stoped playing them for years, and rediscovered the hobby a few years ago. Anachrony got me back into board gaming, as well as one of your playthroughs of Mansions of Madness with your kids. I bought those two games right away, and since then I’ve amassed a small collection of mostly post-apocalyptic, space and adventure games. I don’t own enough games to consider myself a true collector, but I do see that dilemma you’re talking about: every time I buy a board game I ask myself, “when would I really play this?”. I have found that by playing some games solo, I can justify the purchase, but I feel bad if I don’t play a game I own. So I guess I’m more a gamer than a collector. But I do like to see my collection growing, so this might change!
This is an amazing video. Thank you! Makes me like Rodney even more. I love your nonjudgmental approach to starting the discussion. You bring up some really excellent points to think about. I'm self reflecting right now on my collector side vs my gaming side and that's what brought me to this video. Seeing too many games on my shelf stresses me out and I f get this feeling of obligation or pressure to play play play do I use what I purchased. I don't want to feel that way. I want to play for the pure enjoyment of it, not because of some weird pressure I put on myself. I want to explore the depths of some games, not just play to check another game played off the list and move to the next one. So I'm doing a little culling, removing myself from the buy/sell trade groups and going to focus on playing and enjoying the games I own. I'm sure I'll eventually buy some new ones, but I want to keep my collection to less that 150 games. We all have different thresholds that trigger the anxiety or the sense that the collector is taking over. For me it's around the 150 - 200 range I guess.
On top of those issues, when I do play my games, I'm faced with the paradox of choice. Meaning the more options I have, the less satisfied I am with my choice.
So my goal is to not let my collection exceed 150 games.
Oh man, this topic hits so close to home. I’m 7 years deep into the hobby and over the past year I’ve come to the conclusion that I no longer want all the games. Instead, I want a carefully curated, hand selected, well rounded and balanced ELITE collection. I want games that break new ground and will be classics for years to come. All that said, I’m still chasing that carrot on a stick. I still buy new games with what I perceive to be that potential and all the while I’ve still got 25 unplayed dust ornaments on the shelf from impulses long since past. It’s a compulsive behavior of mine. I can certainly recognize that. Thankfully I have an incredible game group that I can share this burden with and do play a lot of games. So at least there’s that? Love you Rodney and thanks for another great topic.
This describes my current situation with great detail. I found myself also just becoming a collector. My solution was to stop buying games and start focusing on expansions. But then as time flew, I realized I was just doing the same, becoming a collector of expansions. As you stated, there is 365 days in a year, (knowing that I currently own about 100-120 games with expansions) I know I am not going to get with my gaming groups all the time to play them quickly enough. That statement alone assisted me in making my decision to just slow down my purchases. Currently space is my major issue, so instead of getting rid of my games, (and as much as it pains to me get rid of the box it originally came in), I am more driven to research and collect items to help reduce and organize what board game's I currently have in stock to save space. But it is also is a great time for me to determine what games to donate or sell if I notice I never get to them, like them or find a game that is similar to another game that I own that I would prefer to play. I think once I feel I've done all I can to make space I may back to buying newer games. Or add them to a Christmas list (which makes shopping for me easier for everyone). In the meantime I find myself getting more content with my collection as I clean up the area. (PS I just realized I own 5 unopened different versions of RISK, as I stare at my back wall...time for some more decision making)
You've caught me at this transition in life Rodney. I wasn't just collecting games... I was also adding extras to every. single. one. I needed overlays, playmats, organizers, glass gems, metal coins, soundtracks and sleeves for every game, no matter how small, no matter the cost. I was doubling the cost of games to turn them into "investments". At some point I started feeling like John Hammond in that I spared no expense when it came to my collection because I wanted anyone who played to feel that much more immersed.
But that morphed after my wedding. I realized I wasn't just filling my life with games and experiences, I was overshadowing two lives with this out of control FOMO collection. I didn't buy everything, I did my research and chose things to add based on mechanics, genre and theme. but I always went ALL IN.
I would spend more time sleeving and decking them out than playing. Now I'm focused on playing what I've got and trying to get the gamer to take over from the collector. Thanks for this right time/right place video.
There's something also about being able to go back and re-enjoy a game you enjoyed before on a deeper level. I have both board games and PC games and. I have had to step back and realize how many hours/months/years it would take for me to get to them. At this point one of the mental reminders I use is that if I wait to buy a game not only do I grow in self control but later if I buy it I can buy it on sale.
In my gaming group, I'm known as the game librarian and when people come over I love showing off my compulsion and there's a sense of pride that comes with owning exclusives and promos.
Thanks for the great video on a topic I'm constantly thinking about.
I got into the hobby 3 years ago, with my first big purchase being the Rising Sun Kickstarter.
When the order was finally fulfilled and I received the game, I realized I lacked the type of people in my life who I could actually play the game with. It sat on my shelf unplayed for about a year before I was able to finally find people to play with. I definitely don't regret backing this game, but the experience definitely made me realize I need to be more critical of the kinds of games I decide to buy. Since then, I've been able to accumulate a collection of ~80 games that I love playing, and can get to the table pretty regularly.
I view and treat my board game collection the same way I view and treat my book collection. I usually only buy new books I see as "classics" and have a lot of value, either actual value or personal value. Otherwise, I usually only am willing to buy more games/books to add to my collection when I find them at garage sales/thrift stores. Having self control in this aspect has saved me a lot of money, shelf space, and probably my marriage.
I have the collector's compulsion, but it's similar to collecting tools. I like collecting game's with unique mechanics, and I get satisfaction from keeping game night fresh with unique experiences. Because of that I don't like duplication (with some exceptions), and enjoy maintaining a concise, multi-faceted collection. Sort of a quality over quantity situation.
The exception is minis. I love minis.
I've only been aware of the board game hobby for a couple of years. Last year I realized that I was becoming a collector when I bought a couple of games for Christmas gifts for people who we game with and I then had to buy them for my self. Even though i could borrow them anytime.
I could relate to so much of what you have shared Rodney. Thank you! I have learned to play many games thanks to your watch it played videos. For me it's not a shelf of shame, its a shelf full of juicy opportunities!
These are not questions I wish to address within myself....too scary
Excellent video. In my case, I can remember the point when the purchasing spiraled out of control. I remember watching Chaz Marler explaining when, in his view, it was justified to buy a game: if I could think of a game that I would have fun playing with my friends and they would enjoy it, it was justified to buy it. Since I have a lot of empathy and I’m good at anticipating my friends’ tastes, I saw a lot of opportunities. On top of that, I organize a meetup group so I also have a blind preference for gateway games that a newcomer to the hobby will enjoy. Before I knew it, the whole living room + basement were full of Kickstarter all-in boxes. By the time you want to hit the brakes, the fact that Kickstarter delivers 1.5 years later makes it too late already. Nowadays I try to be more judgmental with purchases, but COVID lockdown hasn’t helped and compulsive purchases are still a thing for me,
Thank you Rodney for putting some words on what is kind of a pain to me.
I feel like my need to buy games comes from a bit of everything you say.
But I think that it mostly is a way for me to fill a gap, when I don't play as much as I would like to.
I think that the fun I get from looking for new games, discovering them and then buying them is a way to replace a small part of the fun I would love to get by playing more.
Fortunately the gamer in me also is taking over the collector, by being tired of watching all my games without being able to play. So I'm starting to get rid off some games too.
My husband and I now own 164 games and while I can say we definitely went through a collecting phase for a while, More recently we've beclme smarter about what we do buy- thanks to bgg and people like you we can learn a lot about a game prior to purchase. Currently the only games we havent played in our collection ate ones we just picked up at PAXand while I feel there are some early games from our collection we can cull we will hold onto most of them for jow. We are lucky to have multiple sets of gaming friends that all game at different levels and like different styles so it's necessary for us.
Methinks you struck a nerve with some folk. I am one of them.
I believe that the collector is a part of the life cycle of many gamers. It begins innocently enough, picking up a few games that seem like they would be a good fit for our game group. Then we see a game that looks like it will fit the family, or a certain friend. Then we learn about the grail games, those sought out by those "in the know". We consume board game media and start picking up things that might fit our group. What follows is a buying frenzy that spirals until we realize that the actual game we are playing is one of collection. Faced with that reality and tens or even hundreds of unplayed games, some tough choices have to be made.
Whether the limit is hard or soft, we reach that point where we, as gamers, recognize that like the limited resources in the games we love, both our space and our time are limited and that we must choose. We start to really consider whether a game fits. Whether it will actually get table time. Whether it provides a different enough experience from the games already in the collection to warrant a place.
I am at the part of the cycle where I am purging now and a lot of my friends in the hobby are similarly refining their collections to more accurately reflect play rather than acquisition. It is an interesting and rewarding point in my hobby life; a game I am very excited to play!
Awesome topic once again, Rodney! This one, in particular, REALLY hits so close to home. A recurring discussion like this is a great idea, and IMO a warranted one. It's an opportunity for all of us to "self reflect" in this hobby. Owning for the sake of HAVING (and maybe... someday... eventually playing) versus owning mainly for the sake of playing regardless if it stays in one's collection. Managing one's game collection is very much a "game" within itself! So many awesome games, yet so little time. And dwindling available space.
They eye-opening experience for me was when I was given the chance to grab a free game at a convention I went to. It was a game I KNEW I would never play, and yet the collector inside me grabbed it anyways. Sure enough, that game has done nothing but collect dust and it put it into perspective for me. I know who I play games with, and I know what games they like. I only buy games now that I know I will like and my group will like because every other game will just take up space right next to that convention game that will never get played. Great video as always Rodney!
Excellent, excellent vide and topic, Rodney. Very well explained to, causing some much needed reflection. I think it’s difficult, sometimes, for some collectors to admit that’s what they’re really doing. I know for me, I didn’t like the idea of collecting simply for collecting”s sake, although that’s really what it came down to. I completely resonated with your feeling of dislike for that empty card slot. I needed it all filled, and when it was, I could sit back and say, “look what I’ve got!” ... then do nothing with it. It has only been recently that I’ve realized this in myself and begun to make a change.
For me, it came down to the potential to some day play a game that looks amazing. I want to be ABLE to play it, if and when I ever actually find the time (and people to play it with). It’s very difficult to accept that I may not ever play that awesome game, and maybe I don’t need to, and maybe that’s actually okay. I’m not sure I’m not sure I’m quite there yet, truth be told.
Collecting can be rewarding. I think there needs to be an honest assessment of the opportunity cost of collecting certain things. What other things am I missing out on by collecting this? What am I giving up by my choice to collect this? Space? Time spent on other activities? Safety (when does collecting become hoarding)?
At the end of the day, I think it is extremely valuable to run through an honest assessment and self reflection of why we do what we do, what we want for our lives, and whether we are missing out on something better by continuing our collections.
Again, I applaud you opening this topic and providing the opportunity and impetus for reflection.
The size of my game "collection" was becoming so large it was impacting me emotionally. My pile of unplayed games continued to grow as I kept buying games I knew I would enjoy sometime. I am sure I had that fear of missing "potential fun" and the joy of just seeing the games on my shelves. After a while, the "collection" was too much for me and not fun anymore. I am in process now of culling my collection down to a "library" of games I enjoy and having so much more fun. Much less pressure and stress felt that I must have the new game or have to play that pile of games waiting.
What a fantastic video of this facet of the hobby! It wasn't until I started looking to buy a third, huge shelf for my games that I realized that I the collector in me had taken over the gamer in me. Last year, my New Year's resolution was: no new games this year, only expansions to what I already have. And like 99% of New Year's resolutions, it only lasted a limited amount of time before a new, shiny game forced my hand.
I commend you, Rodney, for being able to purge your collection of so many games, as this is something I've yet been able to do. One improvement that I HAVE been able to succeed at is not going "all in" on KS anymore. Though I've been the "have to have all the KS content" guy in the past, I've come to the hard realization that I will NEVER use all the content that is provided.
Now, to get back to shelf shopping...
I only own 5 board games: Monopoly, Catan, 7 Wonders, Ticket to Ride and Coup. Board game nights happen maybe once every 2 months and among my friends, we have enough to keep going for a long time. I don't see myself buying a new game unless I really think I will enjoy it after reading and watching many reviews on it. In the same way that my bookshelf only has my most prized books, I will only buy games that I am certain to enjoy for years.
I enjoyed going through the table talk playlist again. Great topics!
I am glad to have stumbled across this video. Thankfully, I am still in the phase where I get a game and I just have to play it instantly. I get a game only after mulling about it for days and sometimes months. But having said that, I understand how easy it is to become a collector of games, given that there are so many! And so many of them are so appealing that you cannot resist buying.
Man, this really speaks to me. Having fallen heavily into this hobby within the last three months, and acquiring over 100 games and backing various kick starters in that time frame, I'm beginning to realize the obsession factor of collecting versus actually buying games to play games. This video is on point...well done.
Love this video and I can fully relate! For me there is definitely a compulsive aspect to the collecting - it creates stress knowing how many games I own that I have not yet gotten to the table, and yet I love the thrill of walking out of the boardgame shop with yet another shiny box :-). I guess for me it is also about both hope and denial; I know logically I will never play half of my games again - but I like to pretend time is limitless and live in the hope that "oneday" I will get around to all of it..... Maybe that´s not such a bad way to live either :-) . Finally, I am impressed that you raised such a potentially sensitive topic with such candour when it would be easier (and potentially more profitable) to simply fuel the "collector" in us all! It has really made me reflect! But either way (for both the gamer and collector) - this remains a wonderful hobby to be afflicted with and I hope I am never fully cured!
It's definitely an interesting progression, like that of a protagonist over a six-season tv series. When I got my real start into the hobby, I had only a couple games with about 300 on a wishlist on BGG. I remember thinking, "Wow, look at that game shelf, I can't wait till mine looks like one inside a game store!". Then slowly, I began my metamorphosis, building up to the point where I was buying random games that I had never heard of just so I could have it in the collection. I didn't get too far down the hole, as I was still less than 100 games/expansions,. But something clicked, and I realized I wasn't going to be able to logically keep all these games, let alone play them. I started filtering based on mechanisms, themes, designer, illustrator, whether a game was expandable, and replay-ability. I culled about half my collection in order to make room for games I'd actually keep and play over time, and my BGG wishlist probably has less than 50 on it now. I realized there's a lot of games I see that I say, "Gee, that'd be neat to play", where I'd only want to play it once and not keep it. It really helped me enjoy the actual gaming hobby more instead of the buying games hobby. It sounds like you experienced the same thing, where
tldr: My progression in the hobby: Young Gamer Lad -> Eager Board Game Collector -> Timeworn Box Hoarder -> Wise Gaming Minimalist
Great talk! I started in the hobby early this year and spend more than I need is a constant dilemma.
You set that topic up so well. I think acquiring games is a game of its own that creates a similar feeling as playing a game. You have to research it, find the best price, and find a place to display it. And, of course, you get to tell other people that you have it. I experienced this same “collecting” phenomenon with comic books, books, records, CDs, VHS videos, DVDs, and Blue Rays. In fact, I upgraded some movies from VHS to DVD and never watched either of them. In some ways, I think stacks of games (like books and movies) serve as decorations and even identification.
Games are also trophies (or, to use another phrase, a sign of conspicuous consumption). When I know you have the premium game with the Kickstarter rewards, I want it too or my trophy seems diminished. Of course, that’s the pinnacle of acquisition-that I can go on eBay and buy those special cards for 5 times the price they were originally purchased. Some people buy big houses with pools or fast sports cars. Other people buy games. I buy games because I think I'll like playing them, but maybe there's something in the back of my mind that makes me addicted to finding and acquiring them as well as a little pride in the conquest.
Way to go Rodney! Excellent discussion topic. I've found myself leaning towards collector over gamer recently. It's so exciting to see my collection grow but it's a bummer when there's no time to play the new games I get. Really makes you think about it all. Thanks for another fantastic video!
Thank you for this video. These type of thought provoking videos cause introspection which is always a good thing. After your thoughts, I can say that I believe I am a gamer who is trying to avoid being a collector. My significant other is more in the collector realm, but we keep each other in check. We had trouble finding others to play with because we live on an island and have a very small community. However, 2 years ago we found a group on meetup and have been actively playing with them while also travelling to things like Dice Tower Meetups in stores, or other table top gaming events.
I can say this: We keep track of our collection of games in a spreadsheet, and we have 268 games currently. On March 24th, I made a new column to keep track of the last time each game was played. It's now been 4 months, almost exactly, and in that time we have managed to play 53 different games. That is between the 2 of us, our regular gaming groups, events and cons. We rarely have a new game go without being played for any length of time. However, we did pick up a few at Dicetower Con that haven't made it to the table, so looking we have 3 games owned that haven't been played yet. But they won't stay that way long
I understand we are the rare exception. We do try to make sure to keep on top of things to not be too wasteful, because given that we do game so much it would personally feel wasteful if we got a game and never played it. And our favorites get played a lot.
There are games we own that if we are being honest with ourselves will never see the table again. Either we played it out, or lost enjoyment of the game. We really need to get into things like virtual flea markets and trades in order to get those games to homes that will love them, and in turn maybe get some things we may like.
On to the exclusives, I have never not bought a game because there were exclusives I missed out on. There have been games we got that we really liked and at that point lamented that there was exclusive stuff we couldn't get without paying more than we are willing to. However, it has never prevented a purchase. I can understand why it might for some people.
Thanks again for a great video and good thoughts.
This is too painful, Rodney. STOP PEERING INTO MY SOUL!!!
I fall somewhere in-between -- which is I want to have a wide enough variety of games to satisfy my mood on any given day and to give friends a choice so that we can always have something to play. And I always feel as if there's something missing and I see something that I think might scratch that itch. Plus I have enablers. You know who you are!
This is a great video and topic Rodney! I have definitely spent some time on and off myself with this topic. I got so excited by the hobby years ago and can remember my collection starting to grow, and at first so excited by it as i deeply enjoyed exploring different types of games. And still do! But at some point I had a similar realization to what you describe, that i was just acquiring new games for the sake of "oh that looks neat, i'm sure i'll play it eventually!" or "oh man, i better jump on this now as who knows if it'll go out of print". As that started to happen, i definitely reached a point where i had more unplayed games than played games, and kinda went "what the heck am i doing?" At this point, i have reduced my overall collection and made an agreement with myself (well, and also my wife who is not a fan of piles of games on the floor) to limit my collection to a certain number of shelves. i have a bit of a "1 in, 1 out" policy that more or less stays in place. I think part of it for me too is that i have now been in the hobby long enough to have refined my tastes and am more aware of what i do and don't like. This makes it a bit easier to watch a video (have i said thanks recently for your contributions on this point?) or download and read the rules to help determine if its something that makes sense to have in my personal collection. Anyway, thanks again for starting such a great discussion! I'm curious to read others comments and see where they fall on this topic
Such a good, insightful video! I put myself on a game buying ban this year for the exact reason that I was just collecting too much stuff I wasn’t playing.
Some great thoughts Rodney! I've also found recently that the urge to own or have a new (or second hand) game slide onto the game shelf and feeling the satisfaction of owning it and having hopes of playing it "soon". But that "soon" turns into weeks, then months... it can get a bit out of hand. Like you said it's almost like "a fear of missing out of potential fun in the perfect situation." I totally get that!
A while back I realised that I too was becoming more of a collector than a player as I got more and more games I rarely had the chance to play. When I realised this I imposed some rules on myself. All games I now buy must either be 100% co-op (my favourite genre) or have a built in solo variant, that way I buy less and also get to play them more. On the question of exclusives I think Greater Than Games did this perfectly. They had exclusives from kickstarters and exclusives from conventions/promos etc but then also had the options of either offering them as printables that could be used with your games but were clearly not 'bragging rights exclusives' or at a later date had them buy-able but with different artwork on them so yet again it was clear if someone had them from backing/going to a convention or just from buying them to complete their own collection.
I’m new to board games and oh man I’m a player and I’m a collector, seeing your shelf full of games blows my mind, I know I couldn’t very easily be there but I have to be slow and methodical, my wife will notice if I have so many games
Great video, Rodney! I always appreciate how you thoughtfully create your content, and this video is no exception. I wanted to comment because I definitely suffer from Collector Syndrome - to some extent with board games, but more with video games and books. I realized roughly three years ago that some 75% or more of my game and book collections were unplayed or unread. Part of the reason was when I went to choose a new book to read or game to play, I would be overwhelmed by the choices and just reread or replay something I knew I enjoyed rather than diving into a new book or game that could potentially be a waste of time (aka, the Netflix Syndrome, where you spend 30 minutes looking at all of the options and then picking something you've already watched).
Once I had this realization I made a list of all of my unread books and unplayed games and sorted them into a priority order (by year of release for games, by alternating year of release for books: oldest, then newest, then second oldest, then second newest, etc.) so that I knew immediately which book or game would be "next." Then I could at least experience it once, and determine whether it was worth keeping around after that. I also gave myself a limitation on how many more new books or games I could add so that I wasn't fruitlessly trying to catch up.
This has helped me a lot! Three years later, I have read 75% of my book collection and played 30% of my game collection. By removing the choice, it made it easier for me to just grab whatever was next on my list. However, it is not a strict system. If I felt like playing something differently, of course I would do that. My personal problem was being able to quickly and decisively make a choice with too many options.
This is a very insightful video. When I was a kid, I enjoyed displaying my games on my games shelves, because they were "my things" like Star Wars toys and as a kid you don't exactly own real estate. So it was a way of "showing off my stuff" even though pretty much every game got played since I didn't have enough money to buy more than one game every couple of months. At that time, the idea of "having a lot of games" would have seemed really cool. I mean, what 12-year-old kid wouldn't want to have more stuff?
Later on, when I had more money, I could still buy "most" of the games on offer because the hobby just didn't have that many games. Everyone had a copy of Catan, and Modern Art, and El Grande, and Puerto Rico. When the hobby exploded, I enjoyed the proliferation of games for the sheer pleasure of it, since I had spent some portion of my gaming life worried the hobby would die out, replaced by video games.
Now that I "theoretically" can buy any game I could ever want to own, on the secondary market or otherwise, I have become much more of a collector, but not because I want to own the games per se. Instead, I'm interested in the hobby's history, and look for original or first editions of old games, much like a book collector might collect first editions of books. This is especially the case in my favorite niche, historical wargaming, where I'm interested in buy copies of forty- of fifty-year-old games where the game itself might not be very good. Some of them are downright bad. But I'm keenly aware of how few copies of these games exist, and would hate for them to disappear in the same way that many old videogames from that era are hard to find. Sure, they MAY exist somewhere in digital format, preserved on an abandonware site (maybe) but those aren't the products the creators created: they are just the fossil. The box, manual, disks are all gone. Yet I loved those dorky things. I have games from 40 years ago that I remember playing as a kid. Some are the original copies, but some are replacements, bought on the secondary market decades later to replace lost or discarded copies. The preservation of that memory of playing goes along way to preserving-- in some small way--the fun I had with game itself.
I find that my game buying/selling has bifurcated: I buy very few Euros, and limit myself to ones that seem really well designed, solely so I can have them available when friends come to visit, even if at this age old friends might only visit every year or six months. I might buy some other to play, but I have no problem selling them because they don't "mean" anything to me. They're disposable consumer products. I went through the Euro closet and put a bunch of games like Ticket to Ride, Goa, Hacienda, and things I'll never play again on the BGG Marketplace, because I could use the space ... for more games?
Absolutely. Because the other reason that I enjoy historical wargames is that they give me a perspective on history that I can't get from a book or film, and I don't even need an opponent to get it. I can set the game up, read the rules, and analyze how the designer chose to integrate history into the game. My own video series (which I won't link as that would be in poor taste) consists of this kind of interrogation of these games as history. Some games I have never played on the table against another person, yet have played over and over in my mind. If a game is a bad game, it still gives me something to think about, whether it be the historical event itself, or how the game could have captured that event better. And then I keep it. I want to make sure these wargames--some of which have been around for fifty years-- survive a little longer.
I still remember designer Kevin Zucker's words to me (in an email) some ten years ago when I wrote to him with rules questions for his game The Coming Storm. I told him we had played it that weekend and a few rules were unclear. He answered them, but ended the email with the word, "thank you for PLAYING my game!" The all-caps was in the original. While designers might make just as much money whether you play their game or just put it on your shelf, I suspect they get much more satisfaction from knowing that you're actually using it for what it was intended.
Fantastic video subject! I think there's one important distinction I think is important, but first a statement of fact: If we're honest with ourselves, rarely does a game out of our collection get even a dozen plays. Board games typically take an entire evening of several people's busy days to play, so the opportunity to play is often small, and when it arrives only the best of the best of the best will get played. Why play a 8/10 game ever when you could play a 9/10 game instead? Whether you play once a week or once a month or even less, no one wants to play the game that's "not quite as good". So inherently in this hobby we have a low frequency of play coupled with an incredibly high standard for which ones actually hit the table more than once.
Okay, with that out of the way, there are two types of "expansions" and one is truly more worthwhile than the other. Let's take Massive Darkness for example. the core box comes with a few roaming monster (bosses) and a few types of mobs (regular enemies). That means that if you do end up playing more than once (which I hope you do if you are actually buying a game) then you'll be stuck fighting the same goblin archers over and over and over again, even within the same game session. There's just not that much variety.
However if you buy the expansions, while they don't add a ton of "gameplay" content as in, more missions to play (but again, let's be real, will you play all of the scenarios in the core box?) but you do get more variety. You get more bosses and more mobs. If you backed the kickstater, you get double or more of the bosses and double or more enemy types for the same cost as retail. If you like the game (which I hope you think you will if you are buying a game) then you might think it'll be an 8/10. An 8/10 is not going to be played 12+ times but if you could add more variety and spice it up a bit perhaps that makes it that 9/10 you wanted, and will take the purchase from a waste of shelf space after 1 play to something that, just maybe, might get it to the table a few more times, making that purchase actually worthwhile.
Sorry for the long rant perhaps but I think when Rodney here is talking about expansions he means gameplay expansions that add more scenarios/missions/maps/campaigns/whatever. If the expansion is not "mixed in" with the core box then yes I agree rarely will it get played and is far less worthwhile if we are honest with ourselves. Buying an expansion after playing all of the core box in that scenario is better.
This is from a person (me) that has a fair amount of games that haven't been played in over a year, and also games like Conan where I've played ever scenario in every expansion and cannot play new content because I didn't back the Kickstarter.
I loved when we talked a bit last year in Germany.. You are truly an awsome person.... =) Dont think you remember me but Im the one telling you that you enlights my life at the boardgame geek stand. Thank you for this video.. its really awsome.. Thanks for all your ideas.
Rodney, very glad to see you bring up this topic of gamer vs collector plus how you noted that a wall of shame’s flip side is a wall of opportunity. That’s the take away for me and I came to this very realization a few months ago as I’m sure so many other self reflecting folks likely have. I was contemplating and trying to reconcile the wall of shame line of rhetoric that is frequently encountered on the various board game media or forums. Not knocking them for doing so, it takes discussion and thought and time to come to more positive conclusions sometimes. And in looking for the positive side of it I realized that I’m more a collector who wants to be a gamer than I originally thought. I also realized that I’m far more into the story of how a game was made, it’s art and graphic design, the quality of the written rule book and theme, the way it’s packaged and it how it looks not when I open it but when I put it back into the box. I’d rather talk about how Crusoe, in the game Friday, evolves as a character over time based on the experiences we choose for him more than I want to play the game sometimes to help non gamers appreciate game mechanisms. I love seeing people’s reactions to how neatly organized Grimm Forest is or how radiant Photosynthesis looks on a table. This is a huge topic, I’ll end it here, and thank you for your thoughtful probes into yours and our minds!
Amazing video. It has really made me think about my addiction to collecting and finding a balance between playing and collecting. Keep up the great work.
Great topic. I feel like I've probably followed a similar path along the gamer-collector journey. I think one thing that helps fuel it in general is the way the industry has exploded with the number of games coming out, but also the fact that there are less evergreens or games that get reprinted. If you don't buy it right away will you have missed your chance? That FOMO definitely plays into some purchases.
Another thing that I feel has almost certainly had an impact is the amount of great online coverage games get nowadays. There's no shortage of fantastic websites, blogs, vlogs, RUclips channels and podcasts that will bring new and exciting games to your attention in a way that just didn't happen even 10 years ago.
On a personal level, working in the gaming industry has meant that in order to have a competitive edge I need to be on top of as many new games as possible. Sure, that doesn't necessarily mean I have to own them all, but it does help. That's what I keep telling myself anyway :-)
Another minor thing is that gamers like achievements. I had finally made the decision that I should start cutting down my collection, but then I noticed I wasn't too far off owning 1000 games. The obvious choice was to keep buying until I reached that milestone before I finally started purging. Right?
One thing that did help make the decision to cut down was moving to a new house and having less space for games. I could have figured out some alternate storage option, but now I have a nice game room and I want to keep all my games in there. That means I have to put a cap on the number. Now that I've started selling some I've actually found it quite liberating and it's made me feel better.
On the separate topic of Kickstarter exclusives, I do understand the frustration some people have with them, but I would never make a decision not to buy a game because I couldn't get the exclusive items. I think it would be a bad publisher or designer that made something crucial to their game an exclusive item, and so I think they should be at best considered a mini-expansion (and one that may be under-tested or under-developed at that). My thoughts on expansions has changed somewhat over the years too. If a game is great without an expansion, then why do you need an expansion? If there is something wrong with the game and the expansion 'fixes' it, then there's a greater problem with the design in the first place and I begrudge having to get an expansion to make a game whole. For me Kickstarter exclusives fall into the same category. Either the game is great without them or something has gone wrong during design, development and playtesting. I acknowledge that this is a generalisation and over-simplification and there may be exceptions (games like TIME Stories or Gloomhaven where the expansions are more content without really changing the game).
I went through this recently. I had about 60 games, and with each new purchase I felt the compulsion to play my new games rather than playing games I already had (and really liked!). So I’ve been culling my meager collection (compared to many others in the hobby), keeping only the games I would always say yes to playing. I now enjoy the hobby even more, exploring games I love more frequently.
Great topic, Rodney! And it was a pleasure to meet you at Origins in Columbus! My thoughts are that collecting games has replaced people's interest in collecting books.
You had mentioned stamp collecting in the video, but a gaming library I feel is more akin to one that would have a library of books. Many would buy and collect books without necessarily reading them all. And I think the mindset of a game collector is similar. It's comforting to know you have the potential for adventure & discovery at any moment. Games, and previously books, are both able to provide that personal satisfaction.
So even if one doesn't play a game (or read a book) that they feel that they would enjoy right away, there's a feeling of comfort in knowing it's "there".
Just my $.02.
When I first got into the hobby, I just bought a few games that looked really cool. Then I got into a phase where I was excited and bought anything that looked slightly intriguing, often without even playing it (more than a few regrets there). Then I started buying to fill holes ("Oh I need something that will work with 3 players", "Oh I don't have a strategic 2-player game").
Space is a bit of an issue now so I have cooled off, and I am happy where I am now with about 75 games. Probably about 90% of my collections has seen play multiple times and I can pull most games off the shelf and play them without having to learn all the rules again. I still keep my eyes open for new games of course, but they almost have to hit on every cylinder for me to get them at this point, so I don't think I'll be continuing my 15-games/year pace of the past 5 years.
One thing I haven't had the courage to do is cull games, which is probably the next step in my journey. For example, my copy of Game Of Thrones has been collecting dust for something like 4 years at this point, so it might be time to move on from that one. Not that I wouldn't play it, but it's just such a beast to get 3 or 4 people invested in it unfortunately. Another one to ship off might be A Few Acres of Snow, which I think is going on 3 years without a play. So yeah, culling is definitely going to become a reality in the near future I think, but I'll work up the courage for that....eventually.
I would love to see more content from Rodney about many topics! I enjoy his videos and it's great to get his opinion and thoughts
This was very well said. I fully started out as the gamer and certainly (d)evolved to collector.
Only recently, maybe a month or so back, I embraced playing a game more than once in a row, heck, even making plans to play it again soon even though my collection has sprawled more than I care to admit.
This has led me to the decision to slow down, even stop buying games as often. Every time I want to buy one, I think of an extraordinary game on my shelf that I have yet to play.
Certainly, they are thought of as opportunities for greatness and enjoyment, not shame.
Thanks for the insightful video! I got into board gaming a couple years ago and have always been a very frugal / minimalist person with regards to possessions. I capped my collection once I hit 50, and about half of those are small-box games. I've found it really helpful to trade frequently - if I don't think a given game will get played within a 1 year span I trade it, no regrets. This way I still get to experience a wide variety of games without increasing my investment or shelf space much.
I'm starting to move into the idea of thinning out my collection into games I play and games I want of a specific type.
Very, very relatable. I recently made a big cull of the games that were standing on my shelf (of shame). I felt relief and dread at the same time.
Man, I needed this video more than I thought before clicking it.
I've only been in the hobby for about 4 years. And it's funny b/c I used to think "why do ppl not keep their whole collection?" after seeing ppl sell games. Well, after having 4 piles of board games on my floor that almost go up to my waist, b/c I ran out of shelf space, I understand now.
My collection peaked at about 90 games, about half of them I never even played!
Sadly, out of desperation for space, I've given away about 20 games the past couple months for FREE to friends and friends of friends. I'll miss those games, but...it's necessary for my small apartment.
And your self-psychoanalysis on WHY we get games and don't even play them or continue to play them is spot on - fear of missing out, keep ones we played once and enjoyed and will likely never play again, etc. It was hard to cut my collection by a 1/4 almost, but I did I thought the same thing - what will I actually play? How often? Which do I enjoy most? Which do I want to spread the love of most and hand out for free? What them or genres do I want to stick with? Even what publishers I want to support. etc
When streaming was a blossoming technology, I had friends who asked me, "Why are you collecting all these DVDs and Blu-Rays?" Part of my answer was "I like looking at them on the shelf." And its true -- I take enjoyment of seeing a well-stocked game shelf as I do one of my bookshelves or my rack of movies. So, yes, there's something about collecting that appeals to anyone. And the idea that I'll buy something just to have it resonates with many of my colleagues. I'm an English prof, and indeed I've got friends who'll buy books they won't read, books of which they've already got other editions, etc.
That said, a much higher percentage of my movie and book libraries go unconsumed than my game library. I think that's for two related reasons. First, games are much more social, so I buy with an eye toward my group. It feels like there's more "at stake." I consider what my group likes, what they own, and what would work as a 2p game with my wife. I'd likely not buy anything that my group's already got or something that is too similar to something we already play. I'm also more aware of my tastes now, after collecting for 3 years. I know what will and won't hit the table at my house or at game night. And it's a lot less of an investment than a $10 copy of the next Expanse or Harry Dresden book because I know I'll get to that eventually.
My collection is still fairly small (50-60 games) but each one is something I researched before buying and bought with the group I want to play with in mind. I find that I purchase a lot based on who will actually play a game with me, so my collection changes as my gaming group does. That said, getting rid of games that no one will play with me anymore is hard -- especially if I love them. As my collection grows, however, I'll probably have to start coming to terms with letting some of them go so that I can make room for games that actually hit the table. I do enjoy the "acquisition" aspect of board games though, and have re-bought games more than once that I gave away in the past.
Thanks for posing such an interesting topic, Rodney! It really got me thinking about my purchasing habits and why I buy what I buy :D.
Rodney, I use games in my college classes. I had a collector mentality for years, not to play in my spare time but to research and emulate game rules and experiences in the classroom. Exclusives sometimes bring about different rules for a game. Thankfully, I was able to cull my collection because BGG allows uploaded game rulebooks for free. It decreased my collection considerably and allowed me to make my own components Thanks to BGG and you for bringing up such a personal topic for most gamers!
In this hobby (and the principle applies to many others), there's a cycle. Interest, acquisition, then the purge. You start off wanting a whole hell of a lot. You get as much as you can. Then you realize you aren't actually getting the enjoyment out of the game that was promised, either by the marketing, or hype, both external and internal. So you start thinning out that "shelf of shame."
The problem is, the cycle moves really slowly. You might keep buying games for *years* until you move to the next stage. The 1 Player Guild on BGG is notorious for having "board game acquisition disorder," because we aren't limited by our ability to convince other people to play the games we buy. We're frequently able to get almost every game in our library to the table whenever we want, at our leisure.
There is a concept of a "grail game" that I think extends even beyond the 1PG. That one game that hits everything that you enjoy about playing board games, if only you could obtain it. The thing is, a "grail game" cannot be owned, because whatever you might think it is, the next game on the horizon will have been designed with that game in mind, so it'll be an even better experience. You buy Dominion, only to find out about Puzzle Strike. You buy Thunderstone Advance, then it goes out of print as Thunderstone Quest, the new and improved version, is announced. You finally learn how to play your copy of Mage Knight, and now there's this Gloomhaven thing on Kickstarter again, and it was such a massive success the first time around (how'd you miss that?!) that you can't pass up this opportunity. Your copy of Gloomhaven hasn't even shipped yet by the time you back Kingdom Death: Monster, because you'd be an idiot to pass it up now, with all that plastic and high production values at such a low, low price.
At a certain point, all of this comes to a head, and you realize, roughly at the same time, that you're not only buying games far faster than you're able to learn and play them, but the games that you thought you'd love turned out to be not much better than what you already had, or maybe even worse. The sad truth is, for the vast majority of us who have enough disposable income to throw at board games, we spend a lot of time and money on new games before we become used to the feeling of hype enough to simply resist it and say no. We have to be disappointed, likely several times, before we learn our lesson.
For me, Mage Knight (an outlier among several Sirlin games, plus Coup) was one of the first board games I ever bought. It was about $50, and very highly regarded in both Amazon reviews and on BGG. The fact that it also supported 1 player intrigued me. I started buying games that were highly ranked on either the BGG rankings or the latest 1PG Top 100 list. It took several disappointments (shoutouts to CMON...) before I truly learned my lesson. The overwhelming majority of board games out there are not nearly as good as Mage Knight. But months and years would pass between sessions of that game, because I'm too busy with the newest latest.
Eventually, you get fed up with these games that aren't as good as what you already have, and start to purge. You mentioned going down from 500 to 250; I bet you don't regret a single sale. I've sold 7 games in the last few months, and the few I still have left to remove are getting donated to a local library. I look forward to adding to that "for donation" pile, too, as selling games often comes with the temptation of buying more.
I found myself falling into that collector category way back when we played Killer Bunnies. Even though we had quit playing it by the time expansion 10 came out, I still NEEDED them all. Although I do occasionally find myself falling back into that, I do try to really make careful decisions when I purchase games. My collection is at about 200 and I am slowly culling it. Made a goal this year to play at least 2 games each month that haven’t been played in years to decide if we keep or replace!! Of course I will never stop buying. But at least now I make sure we really will play it in our group. (I say, as I wait on 11 Kickstarters to arrive)
This video has one of the best thumbnails ever 😄
Back on topic, I've reached the absolute limit of my potential game storage space (just under 200 games) and my non-gaming partner made it very clear that it's now "one in, one out". I think this has really helped me focus on the important games in my collection, I've made fewer purchases and so has led to fewer unplayed games.
I can totally relate to this video! I got into MTG for the novel game play, but after a while it became like a collector hunt, the thrill of the chase: looking for the cards that would make my decks even more powerful. After a while, when prices started going up; I couldn't justify the amount of money I was spending on what were essentially pieces of cardboard with art on them (even if it's awesome art!). I got into Board Games because they seemed to offer more stuff for the price, and started buying the ones that I liked. Fortunately; my friends seemed to enjoy playing them too. Because of the current state of things, they have been unplayed for months now, and are essentially a "collection". Hopefully, when things get better; they will get that much-needed game play. For now, I'm making sure that they and their components are kept dust-free and safe. I love buying games, and don't plan on culling any of them from my "collection" (even the cards). Don't know if that makes me a collector...but I guess I am one! : )
I think there's a connection element here. With well known and respected people in the hobby reviewing games, discussing them on podcasts etc it can be comforting for us fans to own those same games to feel part of the scene so to speak. I don't feel this is in any way bad as such, the games almost contain small personalities which are nice to be around and for some improve sense of well being.
I think that also there is an element in some cases of a feeling that if you don't buy a particular game right away you might not get a chance as it'll sell out, be out of print etc as the hobby has got so big.
“Hello, my name is Bob and I’m a board game collecting addict”.
*not my real name
Hi Bob!
First of all, thank you for this video, it is very important IMO and made me think a lot.
I want to tell a little bit of my own story before addressing the video.
I've known of the board gaming world for a while now, but some how didn't really get into it.
I had an old copy of citadels, I'd heard of Settlers of Catan, and I knew there was more out there, but I didn't really have time to delve into it.
Two and a half years ago, I moved into a new apartment and thanks to two of my neighbors (one more than the other), who are gamers I truly dove into the deep end of the gaming world. what do I mean by that? I have around 70 games I've bought over these last two and a half years.
In the beginning I bought like crazy, today I still purchase games but much more moderately. I think at first it was part of the thrill, I really got excited about every game I laid eyes on. Today I am much more focused, I tend to know what I like a lot better and don't get worked up over every new thing.
So yes, I have games in my collection that I rarely play if at all (ROOT for example), but I'll probably not buy any more games like it, I'll keep it cause it's special. I'll only buy new games that are ones that I'll like.
I think most people go through a similar experience. Buy a ton of games in the beginning until they understand and refine their taste, but will still buy something special once in a while, for example I'm planning on buying the century series even though I think there are better games because they'l look nice on the shelf.
I think that those of us who are here and watch your channel, are mostly collectors, and this is another point I wanted to address, the abundance of games lately and the overflow of information drive the need for more games. When every two days you see a video about a new game, it's really hard not to want that game. And then what happens? Another game you don't have time to play finds it's way into your collection. It's sort of a catch 22, you're interested in this hobby, you want to learn about it, but then you fear you'll miss out and you buy more and more. It is a sort of addiction on some level, A true gamer IMO plays more games than he watches videos.
I'll say one final thing about kickstarter, I've never supported a game there, I probably never will, not that I don't want to, I do very much, but because of the crazy shipping costs to Israel that are usually charged that can double or even third the price. I'll probably not be bummed about a game if I don;'t get to play it. On the other hand, if I do play it and really like it, I'll be upset for missing the campaign (lately its happned to me with Gugong).