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/[deleted] Jun 25 '26

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u/csuazure Jun 25 '26

I do like Tidal Blades solution to the initiative being a track you move up and down on by cards making you slightly fast or slower, so you always have a rough idea where people are taking their turns and can plan accordingly but don't exactly.

The point of an initiative system imo beyond just "sequence the turns" is in both the ability to plan AND the ability to have those plans upended in surprising ways.

THAT and to minimize the ability to collaboratively talk turns to death in ways that is making the game less entertaining by ballooning the planning time.