Tried a 'teach as we go' game night versus handing out the rulebook first

We played Dune Imperium last Friday with two new people. I tried the usual way of reading the whole rulebook out loud first, which took 40 minutes and everyone looked lost. This week, I just set up the first round and explained each step as we played. The whole game clicked way faster, and we finished in under three hours. Has anyone else found that jumping right in works better for heavy games?

3 comments

3 Comments

kim1911mo agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, that's the only way to do it with a game that heavy. Reading the whole rulebook first is a total trap, everyone zones out. I always explain the main goal first, then just start playing and teach each phase when we get to it. People learn by doing, not by listening to a lecture for an hour.

betty_price141mo ago

But some games need that full rules explanation first.

taylor6681mo ago

Ever tried that with a heavy euro game? You just end up stopping every two minutes to explain another rule. A solid upfront overview actually saves time and frustration.