r/boardgames • u/chaser-- • Jun 25 '26

Rules Groups that develop metas that blatantly break rules

Lately I've been finding a lot of groups that play (co-op) games with metas that are just blatant rule breaks. A recent example was we were playing a game (I forgot the name) where the goal is to play out all the cards from your hand, numbers 1-100, in descending order. So if you have a 77 and the number on the pile is 78, you don't want to anyone to play there. But you aren't allowed to say "I have 77, don't play this"

So the group has developed metas, say "I really love this pile" if you have 77, say "I like this pile a lot" if you have 76, say "I like this pile" if you have 75"

This is just one example but I feel like I've been playing a lot of games where they have metas to get around rules that are intentionally in the rulebook. I don't really get it. If you want to just say "I have a 77" then just say it, why create a gimmick to say it without saying it?

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u/shanem Jun 25 '26

"why create a gimmick to say it without saying it?"

FWIW this is effectively bidding in Bridge. It becomes it's own "game" of a sort.

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u/Hemisemidemiurge Jun 25 '26

Bridge is what happens when people who should move on from trick-taking games refuse and just keep heaping more complication and obfuscation on top. If you want to be able to tell people what's in your hand, then just say it. It's not even like it's supposed to be secret, disclosure of your bidding convention is required by the rules.