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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu to want to play a board game properly?

64 replies

Cindefuckingrella · 30/12/2016 23:21

I'm frowned upon by my husband's family as I like to play a board game properly and not twat about (and when I say this, I'm not an absolute stickler, I'm lenient with the kids etc). With them it's basically anything goes, blatant cheating, making up rules, being in a strop if the other team gets something right etc and they make me feel like the fun police for not joining in on it. I just think what's the point of sitting down to play a game if you are going to cheat and not attempt to follow the rules- and it doesn't set a good example for the children either. We might as well just be mucking around doing something else. But apparently I'm the one with the problem 🤔. What's wrong with a bit of healthy competition and mental stimulation?

OP posts:
QueenMortificado · 30/12/2016 23:23

This utterly fucks me off. What's the point in playing a game if you're not going to play by the rules?!

Organised fun is right up my street. Shall we play some games together, in an organised fashion? Grin

Wheresthattomoibabber · 30/12/2016 23:24

I'm with you. I also hate it when people play scrabble wrong. No, you cannot swap the blank for the letter it's representing.

LindyHemming · 30/12/2016 23:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ManaFleet · 30/12/2016 23:29

I hate myself for it but I totally lose the plot when people cheat at board games. I have been known to descend into black rage when faced with Monopoly crime.

BizzyFizzy · 30/12/2016 23:29

It's fine to have house rules (e.g. to accommodate younger children), but they should be clear at the start of the game

HarrietSchulenberg · 30/12/2016 23:34

This drives me potty too. Ds3 is 9 and likes to make his own rules up, and gets cross when anyone gets the rule book out to check his "facts". We have some interesting games of chess where the knights seem to gallop all over the board, but we've managed to play StarWars Risk almost by the book tonight.

Original poster
Cindefuckingrella · 30/12/2016 23:35

Phew, that's a relief it's not just me then! Sounds good Queen 😀. To be honest the family always recounts what a sore loser/ cheat my husband was as a child..... But watching them in action I'm not surprised at this! But now he's siding with them and making me feel like the odd one. I despair!

OP posts:
BackforGood · 30/12/2016 23:37

YANBU but then, nor are they.
Different family traditions and all that.
You know they do it, so relax and join in, or don't play, and your dh will have to play more formally when it is a game with your family.
It's called compromise - its about making the effort when with the 'in law' side of your family.

CherryChasingDotMuncher · 30/12/2016 23:37

YANBU, in fact I think I've found my kindred spirit! I'm like Will from the Inbetweeners when it comes to rules, a real stickler for doing things properly, and I get very annoyed about people twatting about with board games.

CherryChasingDotMuncher · 30/12/2016 23:39

I'm with you. I also hate it when people play scrabble wrong. No, you cannot swap the blank for the letter it's representing.

There was an epic fallout when I was about 10 as we were playing scrabble on Xmas day and my parents were gonna let my brother's entirely made up word be submitted, because I was winning and he's a sore loser who would always end up flipping the board. I remember shreieking "but that's not the rules!!!" And then did a Kevin the Teenager style "you are not my faaaamily" strop off to my room Grin

Wheresthattomoibabber · 30/12/2016 23:42

Ah, I'm the sibling of a board flipper too. Draughts really hurt.

MrsDustyBusty · 30/12/2016 23:46

I like when the rules are flexible. You can't develop house rules if everyone has to do every step as printed on the box.

Original poster
Cindefuckingrella · 30/12/2016 23:47

I have taken that on board backforgood and after finishing the game at our house on Christmas Day I was told to bring it to their gathering last night. For the sake of my sanity I conveniently forgot!
And yes Cherry, I mean really what is the point. Where does it stop?

OP posts:
dollydaydream114 · 30/12/2016 23:48

Oh, I'm SO with you on this one! Either play properly or not at all. Or, if you're fucking about with the rules, make this clear at the beginning so everyone knows what's what (for instance, some games are so long so you can work out a way of shortening them in order to finish before 1am or something). You can't just arse about as you go along; it just causes rows and dramas. This would drive me insane, honestly.

CherryChasingDotMuncher · 30/12/2016 23:48

Is anyone up for starting a support group for anal board game players?

dollydaydream114 · 30/12/2016 23:49

You can't develop house rules if everyone has to do every step as printed on the box.

But why would you want to develop house rules? What's actually wrong with just playing the game as it's designed to be played? Why would 'house rules' necessarily be better?!

2rebecca · 30/12/2016 23:50

Star Wars risk is great. Risk godstorm looks great but is far too complex. I love board games but would rather not bother than play with people who muck about. We had family shortcut rules for monopoly to stop it taking all day like not needing a set to build houses. Also more realistic. Why would you need 3 different streets before you start building?

MrsDustyBusty · 30/12/2016 23:50

Why would 'house rules' necessarily be better?!

They may suit the personalities or occasion or mix of people better.

BakeOffBiscuits · 30/12/2016 23:51

Yanbu but....

We tend to "adapt" rules to suit us but we always agree at the start of the game, which rues we are playing by.

BakeOffBiscuits · 30/12/2016 23:53

"Why are house rules better?"

Because sometimes the person who made up the game, thinks we all have too much time on our hands Monopoly We've made up short cuts which make the game go faster.

Original poster
Cindefuckingrella · 30/12/2016 23:54

It wasn't a complicated game dustybusty. It was the logo game. Answer questions about the brand. Chosen because it seemed like something young and old could do quite easily - my 5 yr old has surprisingly good brand awareness 😳

OP posts:
crazywriter · 30/12/2016 23:55

No, you cannot swap the blank for the letter it's representing.

The rules we got with the latest version of Scrabble say you can. I didn't think it was allowed but looks like rules have been updated.

But OP YADNBU. The games have to be played according to the rules. Apart from monopoly which can be adapted for days when a quicker game is needed! Our work around is usually a timer and whoever has the most.money wins.

Rules are adapted. In other games when the kids get involved but that doesn't happen often. They have their own board games that they like to play instead.

KnitsBakesAndReads · 30/12/2016 23:59

YANBU! This drives me mad too. I remember a game of scrabble where one of the other players had blatantly looked in the bag when picking his first seven tiles and then insisted he go first to make sure he could use the seven letter word he'd so carefully picked out of the bag.

I looked round the table at everyone else thinking surely I'm not the only one who thinks that's not on and everyone else just shrugged and laughed. WTF is the point in playing a game if you're going to give someone a fecking 50 point head start for cheating?!?!?

Gives me the rage. As you can probably tell from the fact I still remember it about five years later.,

QueenMortificado · 30/12/2016 23:59

Is anyone up for starting a support group for anal board game players?

What a niche topic of board game. I presume they can be a bit of a tough game to get in to but once you're there and relaxed its very enjoyable?

SingaSong12 · 31/12/2016 00:00

I have ASD and find this really hard. I try to get out of playing games because I can't cope very well if it isn't done properly or actually with the whole process- I don't seem to have a lighthearted side if it's just adults playing. I know this is likely to trigger a bad response, at worst a meltdown and as a grown adult it isn't acceptable behaviour over something so trivial.

My mother doesn't understand this at all (I think I spelt it out last year) so makes me play (tomorrow night unfortunately). I can't get out or excuse myself or it looks like a tantrum. I'm dreading it tomorrow, especially as there is one person who none of us know (new husband of a good friend).

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