One time boardgames
I’ve long had the opinion that boardgames should be replayable and it just doesn’t make any sense to have a game that you can only play once.
My reasoning was based on following arguments;
- Waste of material
- High cost per use
- Games need to be replayable
The funny thing is that I never actually played a boardgame that was a one time use, before this game. I have however played pandemic legacy, which is praised by a lot of people, but I didn’t get hooked.
The game
My wife and I played Exit Game: The Mysterius Museum which is an escape room style game where you have to solve puzzles to escape the room or complete the game. I know that this is one of the reasons I really enjoyed the game since I’m a big fan of escape rooms.
We played when our daughter was sleeping, and since she is a light sleeper this game took place over over severals naps! 😴
Altered views
Based on my experience with The Mysterious Museum, I realized I should revisit my earlier statements regarding one time boardgames. Are the arguments still valid?
Waste of material
It’s a one time use but the box doesn’t contain that many items and most if not everything is recyclable. There is atleast the possibility of not taxing earths resources that heavily. It would be nice if all items in the box were made of paper for this reason, there were a selected few that were plastic.
High cost per use
Yes, it’s expensive if you compare to another boardgame that allows you to play the game multiple times. I’m thinking that these sorts of games shouldn’t be compared to other boardgames but with events or activities such as going to the movies or an escape rooms, and in that context it’s cheap. The game cost 200kr, roughly €20, so it was 100kr per person which could’ve been as low as 50kr if we played with the max number of players.
A normal ticket to the movies cost atleast 130kr as a reference point, and then snacks are ofcourse price hiked! 💸 You got to have snacks for a movie, that’s the law!
Games need to be replayable
You are unlikely to rewatch a movie at the cinema or replay an escape room, and since I’ve started to compare these sorts of games with those activities it makes sense for it to be a single use. It should be noted that some individuals rewatch movies at the cinema to not miss out on a single detail, I’m not one of them.
As with a movie, you could potentially play the game again in a couple of years when you’ve forgotten the gist of the puzzles I guess?
Final thoughts
It’s OK with games that you can only play once, BUT they should try and be as environmentally friendly as possible. I guess that goes for any item, but especially when the item is meant for single use.
I’ll most likely play more of their games!
GG
