Every game night has a vibe. Some tables want strategy, some want laughs, some just want everyone included. What kind of table do you run? Take the free 2-minute Table Type Quiz and find out. playbgt.com/quiz/table-type/ #BoardGames #GameNight

Venting doesn't get the anger out. For most people it keeps the anger running. I know that sounds wrong. "Let it out" is some of the most repeated advice there is. Hit a pillow, go for a hard run, rant to a friend until it's gone. The research doesn't back it up. A 2024 meta-analysis in Clinical Psychology Review by Kjærvik and Bushman pooled 154 studies with more than 10,000 participants. Activities that calm the body down, like slow breathing, relaxation, mindfulness and yoga, were linked with less anger and aggression. Activities that rev the body up, like hitting a punching bag, didn't reliably reduce anger. Even jogging, great for your heart, didn't help with anger. The mechanism makes sense once you see it. Anger is a high-arousal state. Rehearsing it, out loud or with your fists, keeps your heart rate up and keeps the story of what happened on replay. It feels like emptying a tank. It works more like practice. None of this means you should stuff it down. The feeling is information. The real question is when you act on it. What that looks like in practice: Lower the heat first. Breathe slower than feels natural for a couple of minutes, step outside, unclench your jaw. Talk second. Once your body has settled, the conversation can be about the problem instead of the feeling. Notice who you vent to. A friend who matches your outrage is fun in the moment and keeps the fire going. Try it once this week. The next time something sets you off, give your body ten minutes before you give your opinion.

Showing up is half the battle. A VA medical center ran a tabletop role-playing group for veterans. 65% of those who started finished, averaging 11 of 12 sessions, and participants reported high satisfaction. An early pilot, but a promising one. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4015…

At a loud hidden-role table, "your role looks suspicious" and "you are a liar" can sound almost the same. They are not the same. A big part of hosting is catching that slide early and slowing things down when one person keeps getting targeted.

At a loud hidden-role table, "your role looks suspicious" and "you are a liar" can sound almost the same. They are not the same. A big part of hosting is catching that slide early and slowing things down when one person keeps getting targeted.

Myth: good losers don't care. Reality: good losers care. They just recover faster. A coaching question for after any loss: what's one thing you'll keep, and one thing you'll change next game? Two answers, then shuffle up.

Codenames and Just One are the picks for The Socializer: the player who notices who has gone quiet and keeps the table talking. Which of the six player types are you? Takes about 2 minutes. playbgt.com/quiz/

Can a board game make feelings easier to talk about? A 2024 review sifted nearly 2,000 articles down to 11 studies. In kids, games were linked with more prosocial behavior and emotion talk. In older adults, with social interaction and communication. doi.org/10.1080/01490400.202…

Think of the quietest person at your game night, and what game finally got them talking? For us, something like Just One, where every clue matters.

Dungeons & Dragons, one hour a week. In a small 2024 study from James Cook University, 25 people played for 8 weeks and their scores showed less depression, stress and anxiety, plus higher self-esteem. Early days, but worth following. researchonline.jcu.edu.au/81…

One more chip from the bag, or stop while you're ahead? Quacks of Quedlinburg asks that every round, and it's a safe place to notice how you make calls under pressure. Pusher or stopper, which are you?

Myth: a good host fills every awkward pause. Reality: when a Pandemic round ends on a failed last move, one breath of quiet before "What did each of you notice?" does more than a pep talk. playbgt.com/articles/when-si…

53 studies, one tile game. A 2024 scoping review of mahjong research found older adults with more playing experience tended to show better thinking, psychological and everyday functioning. Most studies were correlational, so it's a link, not proof. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3935…

Try this tonight: before the first turn of Cascadia, everyone names one goal that isn't winning. "Build one big salmon run." "Take every fox I can." At the end, check goals before scores. You learn how people plan, and the low scorer often has the best story.

Disappointment is the feeling when something you wanted did not happen. Failure is a story about what that means. Keep those two apart at the table and people have somewhere to put the sting.

Do you let new players win, or play for real and think out loud so they can see how you choose? I've had better luck with the second one. What about you?

Calling it "just a game" is often true and often useless in the first minute after someone loses. New on playbgt.com: a facilitator FAQ on handling losses at the table, from picking the game to the debrief. playbgt.com/articles/handlin…

Try this in your next CATAN game: during your trade step, always make one real offer or just say "pass." No explanation needed, and anyone can decline. It gives quieter players a set moment to ask for what they need. playbgt.com/guides/catan/

Nobody else at the table is allowed to be blue. That's not a rule, it's tradition. Well, unless I'm playing Agricola or someone else has a more convicting tradition. Which color is yours, no questions asked?

A regular card night may do more than pass the time. A French study followed older adults for 20 years and found regular board game players had a lower risk of developing depression than non-players. A link, not proof, but a good one. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/article…

Someone in the 11th century flipped over the bread paddle and set up a game of merels. People have always found a way to play together.