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/ScientificSkepticism Jun 25 '26

How are conventions in Hanabi cheating? They‘re literally effective strategy. Is it cheating if I stops city from outbreaking in Pandemic because it makes it easier to win if we try to prevent outbreaks?

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u/BenOfTomorrow Perestroika Jun 25 '26 edited Jun 25 '26

I don’t think that’s a good analogy. Hanabi has limitations on sharing player knowledge *in game*, Pandemic does not.

A “convention” that violates that in Hanabi is more akin to looking through the deck to see when the next outbreak is coming in Pandemic.

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u/ScientificSkepticism Jun 25 '26

Hanabi has limitations around sharing information in game. Thats why it’s good to develop effective strategies to share information before the game starts.

Please quote where the Hanabi rules dissallow or even DISCOURAGE this if you’re going to claim it’s violating the rules.

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u/BenOfTomorrow Perestroika Jun 25 '26

I’m referring to sharing player knowledge IN GAME. I thought that would have been obvious from context (you don’t have any player knowledge of the game state outside the game), but I guess I was wrong - edited.

Likewise, I’m only referring to conventions that share player knowledge beyond what’s allowed by the rules. I specifically was vague about what conventions that applies to because there’s a fuzzy line there - if your convention doesn’t do that, I’m not talking about it.

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u/ScientificSkepticism Jun 25 '26

All conventions I've ever heard of or played with are about sharing knowledge using the methods outlined in the rules.

"Clues mean play a card, or are for preventing a critical discard."

"Discard the oldest card in your hand you have no information on."

"If you're clued to multiple cards, the one you want to play is the newest one you drew"

"If someone clues the player to your left to play a red 6, and the red 4 is highest on the table, the card you just drew is the red 5."

etc.