Board Games 101

Are you new to modern board games? Curious about how to decide what to play, where to play it, and who to play it with? Confused by insider lingo and talk of various “game mechanics”? Below is a complete course syllabus for Board Games 101, a video series that endeavours to answer all these questions and more!

LATEST COURSE OFFERING: Terminology Grab-bag Part 2

Subscribe to Nights Around a Table on YouTube and click the bell to get notified when new modules are released!

Welcome to Board Games 101 with Professor Ryan

  • What are Expansions?
  • What’s the Deal with Reprints? [COMING SOON]
  • Introducing BoardGameGeek.com [COMING SOON]
  • Where to buy? [COMING SOON]
  • What to buy? [COMING SOON]
  • Where to play? [COMING SOON]
  • Who to play with? [COMING SOON]
  • How to Get Better at Board Games [COMING SOON]

Terminology / Glossary

Board Game Mechanics

What is a board game mechanic?

Specific mechanic explanations:

  • 4X
  • Abstract [COMING SOON]
  • Action Point [COMING SOON]
  • Area Control [COMING SOON]
  • Asymmetry and Variable Player Powers [COMING SOON]
  • Bluffing [COMING SOON]
  • Card Drafting
  • CCG & LCG [COMING SOON]
  • Co-operative [COMING SOON]
  • Deck Building [COMING SOON]
  • Dexterity [COMING SOON]
  • Dice worker Placement [COMING SOON]
  • Engine Building
  • Hand Management [COMING SOON]
  • Judging [COMING SOON]
  • Peekaboo Powers [COMING SOON]
  • Pick-up-and-deliver [COMING SOON]
  • Programmatic Movement [COMING SOON]
  • Roll-and-move [COMING SOON]
  • Roll-and-write [COMING SOON]
  • Rondel
  • Route Building [COMING SOON]
  • Sandbox [COMING]
  • Social deduction and hidden traitor [COMING SOON]
  • Sowing [COMING SOON]
  • Tile Laying [COMING SOON]
  • Trick taking [COMING SOON]
  • Weird French Artwork [COMING SOON]
  • Worker Placement