Had to pick between a co-op and competitive game for game night, and it split the group

Last Friday I brought both Pandemic and Catan to our weekly meetup at the library, thinking people could just choose. But 8 people showed up, 4 wanted to work together against the virus and 4 wanted to trade sheep and brick for 45 minutes. We ended up splitting into two tables, but half the group looked bored and the other half were whispering about switching. Has anyone else had a group get divided over co-op versus competitive, and how did you fix it without ruining the night?

3 comments

3 Comments

vera_lewis222d ago

Catan in 45 minutes? That's a miracle, not a game night.

grantp1421d ago

I once brought both Exploding Kittens and Risk to a party, thought I was being clever, ended up watching people argue over whether to laugh or conquer Europe for two hours.

bennett.evan21d ago

I read about a study once that said games like Risk can actually make people more aggressive, something about how long turns and elimination mechanics trigger that competitive instinct. Meanwhile Exploding Kittens is pure chaos but nobody gets mad because its over in five minutes. I think @vera_lewis2 nailed it about time being a factor, 45 minutes for Catan is basically unheard of but that speed probably keeps things friendly. Its like the longer the game the more likely someone is gonna flip the board. Exploding Kittens and Risk just don't mix well at the same table.