I’ll be honest with you – I’m a shy, introverted little nerd without many friends. And the ones I do have, I never see. Most of the time, I like it this way, but once a year or so, the need for a warm embrace outweighs my deep-seated fear of rejection. This is where board games come in.
Here’s my secret to tricking your friends into spending time with you in an introvert-safe way: own a lot of board games. One of them is bound to interest your friends and keep you all occupied for hours. Board games are the introvert’s ideal version of human interaction and I’ll tell you why –
- There’s a goal. No more strange loitering around the chips and dip. You can take those delicious snackies and place them right next to you on the board game table. Keep the chips and dip flowing all night.
- It’s organized. You don’t have to worry about people separating off from the group and leaving you alone with Creepy Steve. Not this time, Creepy Steve. You have to play board games with the WHOLE GROUP.
- There’s a clear and easy exit-strategy. Now you don’t have to lie to all your friends about your house flooding, your dog dying, your grandma getting lost, or your sudden and violent case of diarrhea (one of these is a real excuse I’ve used, good luck guessing which one).
With a board game in front of you, there’s no awkward silence. There’s no panicking about what to do next, or how to make your exit. It’s truly comforting for the socially anxious.
And listen, this tip goes both ways! If you have introverted friends that won’t hang out with you, send them this. Tell them you’ve created a safe environment for them and the party will wrap up exactly 3 hours from when it began. Mention the snacks too. That’s key.
If you’re in need of some new tabletop goodness, check out the WizKids crate. They’ll ship out 3 mystery board games to your door every other month. That’ll keep you and your introverted friends busy for a long-time to come. This theme is Medieval Madness!
