Errata: Drinks at the Table?
This week’s question concerns a bit of gaming etiquette. Drinks are a delicious addition to game night, but their liquid nature makes it easy to spill and damage game components. So how is this dilemma solved?
The Drinker asked, “When I get together with my friends, we have different rules on drinks at the table. Usually we allow them. Playing thirsty is never fun. But one friend in particular refuses to allow us to play his copy of a game if there are drinks at the table. How do I change his mind?”
Well, the bad news is that I don’t think there is going to be much mind changing. To be perfectly candid, I line up with you. I always allow drinks at the table. Snacks too (with a few major offenders – like cheese puffs – prohibited). I like keeping my games nice and all, but the purpose of games is to have fun. So if having a soda in one hand and your hand of cards in the other contributes to the fun, then I say go for it. Of course, I have had spills before, but they are infrequent and a small price to pay.
That said, I think its perfectly legitimate to ask other players to keep their drinks off the table or to avoid snacks that might transfer gunk onto cards or bits. Games aren’t cheap. When someone buys a new car or gets a new couch, there is this instinctive desire to keep it preserved as long as possible. The same is true with games. If he wants to protect his game, then I say more power to him. If it really bothers you that much, then you can buy your own copy and play with that one. Otherwise, his game, his rules.
Got questions about strategy, specific games, or the hobby in general? Post them in the comments here, email me at geekinsight at gfbrobot dot com, or send them to @GeekInsight on Twitter and check back next week for answers!
Good use of the new car/couch analogy. And with kids? No, I do not allow them to have drinks/food while we play.
Now, we have just started with role-playing and they really enjoyed feasting while playing – I’m not concerned there as there are no bits to soil!
Timely. I spilled a Maker’s & Coke all over a friend’s brand new copy of Android:Infiltration this weekend. It’s my first accident in over two years with this gaming group.
Such is life. I’m buying him a new copy (unasked) because the counter widget took most of the brunt. Could have been way worse.
I still say keep the drinks on the table. If you’re worried about your collector’s War Of The Ring game, make rules about it. Otherwise, drink up and have fun. An occasional accident is a small price to pay.
We have a GeekChic coffee table as our main gaming table, and that creates the rules more than the game, because it’s a $1000 custom made table, and I won’t have it ruined by beverages! Thus, the games are safe because drinks have to be at least on the floor or another table.
The friend who hosts our game night is a bit paranoid that I’ll knock a drink over and constantly moves it out of my elbow-range
A very simple solution: Confine the drinks to several lower side tables (within easy reach) next to your gaming table. Even some TV trays will work. This greatly reduces the likelihood that a spilled drink will get any liquid on the main table. So far, I’ve yet to have this approach fail.
We allow drinks, no problems yet
No drinks at my place unless the drink to game distance is greater than the potential spill radius. There’s a formula and everything!