Ugh. One reason why I dislike family get-togethers is being forced to play games. I’m not a competitive person, and I’m bad at remembering rules. I’m the player who’s always asking questions and making the “wrong” move and never not quite understanding what’s going on. If I get put on a “dumb” team, I hate it. But I also hate being on the winning team because there’s pressure to perform well. I’d rather just watch everyone else play, but that’s never good enough for the OMG!! LET’S PLAY A GAME!!! crowd. They require full participation.
I’m also always a little suspicious when the hosts bring out a game they’ve played a gazillion times. I wonder if they’ve played the game so much that they’ve memorized all the answers.
So as an anti-gamer, here’s my advice. Try to have time for both conversation and games. Let people sit out of the game without insisting they play. If you’re unsure about your guests’ preferences, leave the game out on the coffee table as a conversational piece prior to dinner. Pick a game that you’ve never played before (or better yet, no one has) so that everyone is on an equal playing field. And if there are guests who aren’t playing, don’t drag the game on forever.