The Culture: The OTHER Competitors To Conventional Play

"But Walker, what other competitors to the Cargo Cult paradigm of tabletop adventure gaming is there?"

If you're new here, or new to the hobby, you can be forgiven for asking this in earnest. The answer is this: board games.

There are three go-to options (which have videogame counterparts of their own):

(The counterparts are the Darkquest series (Heroquest), the Gloomhaven adaptation, and the Descent adaptation is here.)

Yes, there are others out there. You can go look for those yourself; here's one I've enjoyed.

While a tabletop board game (and now, just as many card games) still has Schedule Your Fun issues, all of the other issues that Conventional Play has go away.

First, and foremost, you can actually have a complete play experience in one go. This isn't playing Twilight Struggle or the tabletop version of Civilization where you can play all afternoon and not get shit done. You can, and will, go from start to finish in 90-180 minutes.

Ongoing campaign play is optional. You can just reset, or use presets, and no one will care.

The result? You have a WHOLE AND COMPLETE GAME PRODUCT! This is what a game looks like to Normies, which is why they like these over Conventional Play products if they go into tabletop at all. Perfect party game fodder for socialization, and this has spread to all the various zombie-themed adventure board games that cropped up.

Why would you put up with all the non-game bullshit that the Cargo Cult pushes as normal when you can have a normal social time playing a board game that delivers the same play experience with none of the bullshit, none of the weirdos, and none of the long-term ongoing demands upon your time?

Conventional Play loses coming and going. It runs along on brand power and inertia, both of which are waning due to friction with no motive force replacing what is lost.

The hobby for this medium has no future until the Cargo Cult surrenders, admits its wrong, admits that #JeffroIsRight, and returns to the Clubhouse to learn how to play correctly after all this time.

Or leave. Either result will be acceptable.

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By the way, the Winter Sales at Steam and GOG end in a day or so. If you got some Christmas Cash and you're looking to score good games cheap, now's the time.

And yes, Palladium Books' Christmas Grab Bag sale goes on until the 15th. $60+S&H for double that value in product is a steal.