The best boardgames you never had?

[Profpointy]

A pal of mine's wife was getting him a boardgame for his birthday from a geeky games shop. The shop staff fitted the image perfectly - straggly beards, heavy metal t-shirts etc - then backed into a corner and didn't know what to do. " OMG a girl in our shop, this has never happened before". Anyhow she's pretty confident in any company or environment, so it wasn't by any means the hi-fi shop sketch. She broke the ice by saying she wants a game for her husband & teenage boys - something with a high score on boardgamegeek.com. They replied "you've to be a bit carefull with boardgamegeek as there are some real geeks on there" - then got into an in depth discussion leading to a sale.

 

[jefmcg]

A pal of mine's wife was getting him a boardgame for his birthday from a geeky games shop. The shop staff fitted the image perfectly - straggly beards, heavy metal t-shirts etc - then backed into a corner and didn't know what to do. " OMG a girl in our shop, this has never happened before".

This did not happen. She may have imagined that they freaked out, but they didn't. It's called "confirmation bias." I've been in to board game shops in London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Moscow, Melbourne (remarkably the very similar shops around the world) ..... and never have they batted an eyelid. I'm not a member, but I'd estimate that the board gaming community in London is somewhere between 20% & 30% female, and of course board games are played by people who aren't in the community. Women go into the shops, and buy things. No matter how geeky the shops seem to be.

Games Workshop is another matter; I've seen an unaccompanied woman set upon with "can I help you?" blocking entrance into the store, but they were right. She was buying something for her son, and welcomed the help. But they don't sell normal board games, so that wasn't the store.

Oh, and there was a shop near Waterloo station I once visited on Easter Monday. There were a group of teenagers playing a game in the corner, and the shop smelt like 5 teenage boys had been locked in there for 4 days. The shop assistant came and hovered, not offering assistance, just starring at us resentfully for taking him away from the game to stop us shoplifting. We didn't stay long. Not that it was gender based, as I was with a man.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

I've always been tempted to play this one. Perhaps I'll wait until I'm either ready to retire, or just fed up with the company...

 

[Profpointy]

This did not happen. She may have imagined that they freaked out, but they didn't. It's called "confirmation bias." I've been in to board game shops in London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Moscow, Melbourne (remarkably the very similar shops around the world) ..... and never have they batted an eyelid. I'm not a member, but I'd estimate that the board gaming community in London is somewhere between 20% & 30% female, and of course board games are played by people who aren't in the community. Women go into the shops, and buy things. No matter how geeky the shops seem to be.

Games Workshop is another matter; I've seen an unaccompanied woman set upon with "can I help you?" blocking entrance into the store, but they were right. She was buying something for her son, and welcomed the help. But they don't sell normal board games, so that wasn't the store.

Oh, and there was a shop near Waterloo station I once visited on Easter Monday. There were a group of teenagers playing a game in the corner, and the shop smelt like 5 teenage boys had been locked in there for 4 days. The shop assistant came and hovered, not offering assistance, just starring at us resentfully for taking him away from the game to stop us shoplifting. We didn't stay long. Not that it was gender based, as I was with a man.

I'll pass on the message that some bloke on the internet says she made it up then.

More seriously - the lady in question is an extremely good judge of people's thoughts and motivation. I can vouch for that playing poker against her. She barely understands poker but forget trying to bluff.

I should also add that the chaps in the shop were perfectly helpful and not-patronising so it wasn't a complaint - but I totally believe the account of the initial shock

 

[jefmcg]

that some bloke on the internet s

... Some woman on the internet who was concierge for the board game stream at the inaugural Nine World's convention and knows some of the leading board players and dealers in the UK, and is close friends with games designer who's work you would know if I was at liberty to disclose, but she kept quiet during a recent controversy, so I will too.

Yeah, maybe your friend found a games shop that mostly sells RPGs and war games and has never seen a woman, but that would not be any of the shops I know in London, Leisure Games or Orc's Nest, nor the sadly departed Playin' Games in Bloomsbury. And you should check the basement of the Red Herring in Gresham Street on a Monday or Tuesday night. That should remove any idea that board games are a male only pursuit.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Casdon soccer game, too expensive when I was a kid. Going to Goole it

Shaun

We had that. It looked so unreal though, with naff figures and a ball bearing for the ball.

My favourite was this one.

Proper looking footballers and proper ball!

 

[Profpointy]

... Some woman on the internet who was concierge for the board game stream at the inaugural Nine World's convention and knows some of the leading board players and dealers in the UK, and is close friends with games designer who's work you would know if I was at liberty to disclose, but she kept quiet during a recent controversy, so I will too.

Yeah, maybe your friend found a games shop that mostly sells RPGs and war games and has never seen a woman, but that would not be any of the shops I know in London, Leisure Games or Orc's Nest, nor the sadly departed Playin' Games in Bloomsbury. And you should check the basement of the Red Herring in Gresham Street on a Monday or Tuesday night. That should remove any idea that board games are a male only pursuit.

I didn't say boardgames were a male only pursuit. I think you may be fighting a different battle

 

[MontyVeda]

 

[Smokin Joe]