How are you saying “no, thank you “ when it’s brought up? I have some relatives who can’t clearly say no, and it leads to confusion and resentment.

Or do you have a spouse/part partner who says yes and it’s assumed it’s a yes from both?

Start beating them to it by inviting them, annd then and allowing them to decline, joining you in the living room for drinks and deep thoughts. Then they’ll have no choice but to let you sit out games!

Anonymous wrote:
It's only rude when there aren't enough people, without you, to play the game. If there are enough people to play a regular game, then they are rude to force you to play.

Also, it's not very intelligent to keep posting these screeds when you know full well that not every board game player will try to do this, OP. Every poster that creates thread with "WHY does EVERYONE participating in X wants me to do Y?" is, by definition, wrong.

YOUR family is rude. OK. It's not a board game problem, it's these particular people. And you are rude to then generalize to every board game player.

I reread my OP twice and don’t see where I generalized or used the word EVERYONE? But fine.

*At the majority of events THAT ARE NOT GAME NIGHT that I ALONE attend, I am expected to join in on a game that wasn’t on the original agenda, that I have no interest in playing.

Anonymous wrote:Your social skills are not at par.

When you are invited to dinner, you eat. When you are invited to play softball, you pick up a bat. When people are invited to a certain activity, and want to hang around but not participate, it is awkward.

Yeah, no. If I'm invited to dinner, I eat. I won't play a board game with you afterward.

Anonymous wrote:Your social skills are not at par.

When you are invited to dinner, you eat. When you are invited to play softball, you pick up a bat. When people are invited to a certain activity, and want to hang around but not participate, it is awkward.

I decline invites to game night for this reason. If I am invited to dinner and drinks, I eat and drink, but I am not there for games. If I go to play softball, I play but I won’t be interested in a pop up game of Monopoly afterwards.

You're hanging out with the wrong people. In our family, some play, some talk, some hold babies or dogs, some sit quietly and watch.

Anonymous wrote:Interesting. I didn’t realize that there were people who hated them. You should do an AMA.

NP. They are hell
I'll play cards but board games can go pound sand.

Your social skills are not at par.

When you are invited to dinner, you eat. When you are invited to play softball, you pick up a bat. When people are invited to a certain activity, and want to hang around but not participate, it is awkward.

Interesting. I didn’t realize that there were people who hated them. You should do an AMA.

It's only rude when there aren't enough people, without you, to play the game. If there are enough people to play a regular game, then they are rude to force you to play.

Also, it's not very intelligent to keep posting these screeds when you know full well that not every board game player will try to do this, OP. Every poster that creates thread with "WHY does EVERYONE participating in X wants me to do Y?" is, by definition, wrong.

YOUR family is rude. OK. It's not a board game problem, it's these particular people. And you are rude to then generalize to every board game player.

Is it a board game night? Or just a hang out and someone suggests board games?

I'm assuming the latter. I think it would be okay to say, "sure, but if I play this next round, then can we do ten minutes dancing or a philosophical discussion?" They'll either leave you alone or maybe take you up on your offer.

As a game lover, when we invite people to join, it's generally:
- to be friendly
-because some games won't work as well without the right number of people
-because if your hesitation is more like nervousness that you won't get it, I want to be clear that it doesn't matter, it's just a game, give it a try.

But if you really don't want to play, sure, that's fine.

Anonymous wrote:Play the game, Bobby.

Jeez.

NO! I’m putting my foot down!

Play the game, Bobby.

Jeez.

Good question. I HATE them.

I hate, no, *loathe*, board games. To me, they are mind numbing. At family or friend events, I’m more than happy to sit amongst the group playing and spectate, and to contribute to any ancillary conversation that may be happening. But no! I’m expected to “take one for the team” and join in. It’s just a game, after all. It won’t kill me to play a hand of Uno.

Why can’t I just sit it out? Why don’t we allow people this grace without giving them a browbeating and all but insisting? Why can’t the others “take one for the team”and just gather around and socialize? Pick a topic and get philosophical. That’s what I’d want to do. Or put on some music and dance! It’s totally fine when people don’t want to have deep conversation, or if they don’t want dance. But say you don’t want to play the game and everything goes to hell.

Why?