Are you new to the world of board gaming, or perhaps you've been playing for a while but haven't been much into collecting? Whether you're a beginner or an enthusiast looking to streamline your board game collection, I'm here to share some tips on how to expand and enhance your board game collection.
Define Your Interests
The thing that makes most people fall out of love with board gaming, is not knowing what their interested in or not paying attention to it. You’re not going to like every game that you play, unfortunately with board gaming you’ll figure that out through trial and error. Play through some competitive battle games, some deck-builders, some co-op, and even some part games. Don’t be shy to try a game or two from each genre just make sure that you’re not forcing yourself and you’re actually enjoying it. If you don’t like it after the third play, it’s probably not the game for you and you can move on to another genre.
Don’t Get Caught Up With The Word NEW
Board games are a little different than video games in the sense that new doesn’t necessarily mean better. There’s a lot out there with people trying to make “original ideas” but those ideas aren’t always what is going to make a good game. Every good board game collection should have, or maybe even start with, the classics. No I’m not talking about Monopoly, Clue, or Risk, you’ve probably had those since you were nine. I’m talking games like Settlers of Catan, Pandemic, Stratego, and so much more. Don’t take a shiny “NEW GAME” label distract you from the already well done games out there.
Find a Reviewer You Trust
One thing that you’ll find is that not everybody has the same taste in board games. While my favorites might be the Villainous Games you might be more of an Exploding Kittens kind of person and that’s okay! So a huge recommendation is that you find a reviewer that has a similar taste as you. This will keep you up to date on games that would be to your liking and let you skip out on games of “your taste” that aren’t worth the time.
Support Local Shops
Small shops are the best way to start a collection and they’re the best way to do good in your community. For one, you’re supporting a small business by buying from them. And two, you’re likely to make some good friends along the way, because more than likely that small shop has gaming tables that you can either hop in with random people and make friends or you can your gaming group can have a dedicated place to game. Plus, if you work with a small shop more than likely they’re going to work with you. Got a game you really want to get your hands on? Target isn’t going to get that for you but that small shop will try. Then you get the bonus of sometimes being able to try before you buy, so never skip out on a small shop if possible.
Don’t Forget To Consider Your Storage Space
You might think this goes without saying, but once you get deeper into your collection, you’ll forget. I don’t know how many times I got home with a brand new game and then took a look at my board game shelf and had no idea where to put it. Always keep it in the back of your mind how much space you have or if you have the patience for you keep a spreadsheet with the games you own and the spaces you have available.
Don’t Be Afraid To Sell Or Trade
A board game collection isn’t unlike a card collection or a comic book collection. While you play these games there are technically some that are worth a good amount of money, like first prints or limited edition versions of games. But that’s not what I mean by don’t be afraid to buy or sell, remember how I said you might not like a game? Yeah, don’t be afraid to sell that game or trade it for another one you want. Trust me you won’t miss it.
Find a series you like with Expansions
Now a good collection filler and a way to keep your gaming fresh, is to find a game that comes out with expansions every once in a while. Villainous by Ravensburger is one of my favorite games and they have tons of expansions from Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars. Not only do the expansions give you a new gaming experience, those boxes look good on a shelf. But there’s also games like Dice Throne by Roxley Games that have a few different expansions that release less often but they still have them. There are plenty more games with expansions, especially on Kickstarter but be careful.
