I have been asked, more times than I can count, why am I so addicted to Yahtzee? So I got to thinking, what IS it that makes Yahtzee so addictive. And it isn't just me. Maybe others in our faction don't spend so much of their time writing blog posts about Yahtzee or quite share my level of fanaticism, but they certainly play it a lot. Even when I'm not there to spur them on, they're still playing it. Plus, and this is just an assumption, we can't be the only ones. There has to be more of us weirdos out there, lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce and offer a random stranger a game.
Over the last couple of days I pondered the question, searched the greasy and sometimes troubling inner depths of my soul to find the answers as to why, indeed, I am addicted to Yahtzee and also why I think it's addictive to others too. And I believe I've come up with some answers. Full disclosure, I have mentioned some of these points in other posts, but I like to consider this my comprehensive rundown, my handbook to Yahtzee addiction.
On a serious note, if you think that you, or someone you know is suffering from a Yahtzee addiction then please do not hesitate to contact... no-one you sausage, it isn't gonna kill you. Enjoy it.
Anyway, let's dig in...
Set Up
Let's start with a contentious one. There are board games out there that are about as complicated to set up as they are to play. They come with rule books that are longer than the bible, armfuls of miniatures that, if you want them to look good, you have to paint them yourself, about twelve thousand game cards and dungeon tiles that can only be used properly if you have a table the size of a regulation football pitch. I'm not really denigrating these kind of games, just trying to make a point in my usual dickish way. If you like these types of games, wicked. You do you. They just aren't for me. I like something quick and easy to set up and can be played without having to rent a hall in a sports center. Yahtzee, to me, is just that sort of game. There are, of course, people that will vehemently disagree with me, and that's fine. It all comes down to whatever blows your frock up. It just so happens that my frock is blown up and my panties get loose over Yahtzee. Don't judge me! Don't you bloody judge me!!
Accessibility
Yahtzee, for most people, is incredibly easy to learn. I say most people because anything is beyond some people. If you can string a sentence together, you can explain the rules quickly and concisely in about five minutes and everything else can be taught over a practice match. Whether you're just out of nappies or so old that the iron age was your earliest memory, it matters not. Yahtzee is accessible to anyone who can be bothered to learn and they can be up and off on their road to competitive Yahtzee in less than a half hour. This gives the game huge scope for potential competitors, and there is nothing more satisfying than teaching someone that has never played before and watching them catch the Yahtzee bug (but be warned, antibiotics may be required).
Replayability
While being easy to learn, for those of us whose brains don't dribble out of their ears, Yahtzee has a real depth to it. It requires further learning in order to improve your game and get more of those all important wins and after all, that's why we play isn't it? Don't trust anyone that tells you it's the taking part that counts. You show me a good loser, and I'll show you a loser.
I've prattled on long enough in earlier posts about the skills involved in Yahtzee, so I won't repeat it here, but it's this depth that makes the game, to me, endlessly replayable. You wouldn't think that a game that involves just five dice could be different every time, or that it could throw unique deliberations every time, but it does. But beyond the depth that the game itself presents, it's the social element of Yahtzee (at least when we play it) that helps to keep it so fresh. The back and forth that comes with the competitive banter, the bickering, the moaning, the huffing and puffing of the losing player. That's my Crack. I live for it. Can it get tedious at times? Yes. Can it get frustrating? Yes. But, again, you want to win. If it doesn't get to you at some point, not all the time, then you either don't care or you're not trying hard enough. But most importantly, even more than the waffling and the wittering, is the single minded endeavour of a group of people, who love, like, or at the very least, tolerate each other, coming together for a single purpose; to destroy each other at the Yahtzee board. This is a very big portion of why we keep coming back.
Yahtzee also benefits from being a game that has no upper limit to the amount of players that can compete at any one time. So you don't have to wait forever to get your moment on the board. You can all get on it at the same time. You can't say that about chess, the silly, sophisticated game (only joking, I love chess). The only barrier in this respect is the amount of time you have to play.
Pace
Whilst on the subject of time, that ephemeral entity we use to denote the passage of our tiny, insignificant lives, I have a little more to squelch on about. One of the many, many charms of Yahtzee is it's consistently paced nature. The gameplay moves like a Swift on the breeze, a Dolphin through the water, or a threadworm through your colon. You can look at the fantastic pacing of Yahtzee in a couple of ways. If there is only two of you playing, you can get through a game in under ten minutes. This is most definitely the snappiest way to play. If you like games that are bum blowingly snappy... you could probably do a bit better than Yahtzee. But still, it's pretty quick. On the other hand, if there is ten of you playing, a match can take up to two hours, which is a long time and it can feel even longer if people are intent on faffing (as our faction often is). But, a turn in Yahtzee can take less than a minute, so the board is generally always moving. As mentioned, it's not a game you play at break neck speed, but it's paced well enough that you're not exactly sat twiddling your thumbs waiting for your turn. Not for too long anyway.
Competition
Yahtzee really does tend to lend itself brilliantly to competitive play. Whether it's in the form of a League, Knockout, Team Championship or a Head to Head Knockout, it always works very well. And once again, this only adds to the irresistible nature of the game. What can be better than a white hot battle for dice based supremacy? The surging adrenaline that comes with each roll? The pure Class A euphoria of rolling a Yahtzee? The heart palpitating tussle for the top? The pant soiling effects of a League finale? The sweaty palms? The dribbling arm pits? The moist crack? The crushing last minute defeat that leaves you only with sticky knickers. There's nothing like it!! And the beauty of it is, a competition can be played in one night or over a series of days, weeks or even months. Whatever your Grindr dates leave you time for (Dad). Of course I am perfectly prepared to concede that this is nothing new in the world of gaming and sport, but I do think the game's flexibility in terms of competitive play is worthy of note. And yes, while Yahtzee is hardly unique in this regard, it is certainly one of (if not the main) reason I, and the faction I belong to, just can't keep away. Just like a Furry can't stay away from the costume shop.
Allure
Yes, allure. I don't know what it is about Yahtzee, but it seems to have a rather magnetic effect upon those that have either never played it or have no idea what it is. They seem to be drawn like a moth to a flame, a Scottish man to a fight or a Welsh man to a Sheep. Irresistible. Or at least that's my experience. This could indeed be a geographical thing. You see, I'm English and Yahtzee is generally not as well known over here as it is Yankee Doodle Land. But even so, any time someone who has never played it sees us playing, more or less without fail, they are intrigued. Maybe it's just the curiosity of how you can play a whole game with just five dice. It could also be down to my pure animal magnetism and charisma. I honestly don't know. It even seems to attract people that don't usually bother with board games too. Most of the people I play with are not would I would call regular "boardgamers", and to be perfectly honest, neither am I. But this allure is not just reserved for the uninitiated. Once you get to playing Yahtzee, you do tend to find yourself coming back time and again, such is the intoxicating nature of the game.
So there ya go my lovely Yahtzee jubblies. A comprehensive list of characteristics that I think makes Yahtzee hard to resist, a bit like my wife cannot resist me (or something far more believable). Obviously most, if not all, of these characteristics are not unique to Yahtzee, there are likely thousands of games that share similar traits, but Yahtzee happens to be the game that fate saw fit to grace me with.
Take it easy folks. Until next time!!
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