We can do better
I must start with the preamble – Eric Lang is one of the most caring and good people I have ever met. He is kind, he is humble, and additionally, he is freaking awesome. I cannot express how much I love this dude.
But! A few days ago, he posted this:
I strongly believe that we should never use the words „hate” and „game” in one sentence. That’s the basic, fundamental truth. No exceptions, no special cases, and no „I really hate Monopoly.”
The phrase you are looking for? You may not enjoy the game. You may don’t like it. You may prefer another title. You may find the game clunky. You may find it boring. But never ever use the phrase „hate it.”
Let me unpack it for you.
There is Agricola. There is Gloomhaven. There is Detective. Jenga. Twilight Struggle. Mahjong. Dune Imperium. Dune: House Secrets. Pitch Car. There is Resistance, and there is Azul. There are hundreds of genres of games. Hundreds of experiences. Hundreds of styles, types, and different ways the games scratch the itch.
Many games won’t scratch that itch for you. In fact, most games won’t do it for you.
It doesn’t mean you should hate those games. It just means you don’t play them and live your happy life.
Hate is a strong word. It ruined many lives and hurt many people. Don’t use it in public discourse. Don’t hurt creators. Don’t say you hate their games. Remove this poisonous word from your dictionary. Please.
I strongly believe that good board game is the one that tells a good story. You play it and suddenly you are sucked into it, you feel chills on the skin. Emotions grow. In a moment you defend castle. You hear roar of warriors. You smell boiling oil. You are into it.
That's how I design my games. I always want to tell a good story. I want players to be into it. As deep as possible.
Thank you for raising the issue. I must confess I did this too. Seeing this makes me more aware of the impact of the term. I will try to speak more kindly about games I dislike. After all, games I dislike still can attract lots of great people to the hobby we all love.
Cheers,
Rodger