We are all so very conditioned to play board games to the end. Most games have some sort of end game trigger and a form of end game scoring. They want us to play them all the way through. Yet, when a player’s win is all but guaranteed, continuing to the end seems pointless. The enjoyment of a game often matters more than strictly following the rules. Adapting play to the situation and the group’s mood can keep board gaming fun and engaging. I want to look at this in some more detail and explore why so many of us insist on playing to the very end.
Read the full topic discussion article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/09/23/to-the-bitter-end-board-games-dont-have-to-finish-topic-discussion/
Useful Links
- Brass: Birmingham review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/07/06/brass-birmingham-saturday-review/
- Tapestry review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2019/10/26/tapestry-saturday-review/
- Ovsiankina Effect: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovsiankina_effect
- The Crew review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2020/12/05/the-crew-the-quest-for-planet-nine-saturday-review/
- Prey Another Day review: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2024/05/11/prey-another-day-saturday-review/
Music
Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot (https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/)
Royalty Free Music: Bensound.com/royalty-free-music
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Artist: : Vital
Music by Bensound
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Artist: : The Fable
Music: Bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
License code: AFAL3NFGWYHRDT21
Artist: : Lunar Years
Support
If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog
(Photo by Marek Piwnicki on Unsplash)
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