Learning about Learning

While teaching myself Numbsters, I noted a few comments on the easy and repetitive nature of the game. Which made me feel pretty silly since I haven’t been finding that to be the case.

The I realized those players probably actual read through all the special powers and planned out their strategies. As opposed to me, who made the cards, shuffled them and started playing.

I think there’s a number of reasons why I prefer to learn games without examination and analysis first. Beyond just laziness and impatience, which are also there, of course.

A lot of it has to do with how I first learned games when I really started playing board games. I would be learning other people’s copies or demos at conventions. Under those circumstances, you can’t read through every last card or other component.

There’s also something to be said about tactile learning, learning by actually doing. I know for me, that tends to sink in better. Plus, it gives you the fun of discovery.

I know that approaching games this way means that it takes me longer to get good at puzzley games, which is what a lot of solitaire games break down to. On the other hand, I get in more plays of those games, figuring them out this way.