Lore Slinger

I consider Settlers of Catan to be the introduction to Board Games, and Axis and Allies to be the introduction to War Games. I’d probably want the person playing to have at least tried a game like Risk before playing –but that’s just so they’d have an idea of how dice are used.

Most people aren’t thrown into a comic shop at age 5 and given a crash-course of mentoring by the terrain building veterans still wearing reenactment garb from earlier that morning. Most people are introduced slowly into the “world of gaming.” They have to be… because Classic Games are all they usually know exist.

Axis and Allies has a special bit of magic about it. People typically are familiar with the basic tactics employed during the war. If you tell a beginning player controlling Japan that they probably want to attack Pearl Harbor –they’ll understand. Axis and Allies gives an introduction to War Games in a way that’s not overwhelming or alienating.

The nice sculpts and “newness” of this version really do a lot for today’s “almost-gamers.” I had the joy of sitting down with a group of college-players at an alumni gathering few weeks ago who were distinct non-gamers. They were all having some fun and were a bit surprised when during set-up I asked if I could fill in the missing spot. Their surprise continued when I told them I already knew how to play their “new game.” I couldn’t help but chuckle when one player told me “Japan can’t attack Russia, they have to go after the US fleet.”