Some games are easy to classify as casual or definitely not casual, but there are some that seem to fall into a more grey area, so I thought if I posted here, maybe the experts could help me figure it out. Any if anyone else is questioning a game, they can post here as well!
Last week, some gamer friends introduced my husband and I to Small World. It didn't seem to last too terribly long, the instructions were easy to understand, and my husband caught on really quick despite the fact there were more than three instructions.
A game that my friends and I play regularly is Munchkin. With it's easy to learn rules and crazy game play, it definitely has that casual feel...but a game can take over two hours sometimes.
Thoughts?
Thanks for posting. This is a common question, but a very good one that is worth discussing.
It would be great if everyone could universally draw a line in the sand to divide casual games from non-casual games. Unfortunately, whether or not to apply the "casual game" label can be quite subjective. There is a complete spectrum of game complexities, and what is casual to one person may not be to another.
In this regard, it is important to consider who you are speaking to. Both Small World and Munchkin can easily be considered as casual games by one who is very familiar with gaming and has played a wide range of more hardcore games. For us, we must consider a more general audience consisting of both people who are familiar with games and those who aren't.
We have, of course, tried to draw a line in the sand as best we can (see our casual game definition). We evaluate games against this definition and several other criteria to determine whether or not a game is a "recommended" casual game, and both Small World and Munchkin would fail the evaluation based, if nothing else, on the time required to play (80 and 90 minutes, respectively, according to BGG). In addition, Munchkin is really aimed at more experienced gamers who would appreciate the role-playing parody.
So, there you have it. Do we consider them to be casual? No – at least we wouldn't recommend them as such. Could someone consider them to be casual in the right context? Sure.
Do you consider them to be casual? If so, that is a great reason to call them casual games and we can't argue otherwise. :)
Thanks for answering my question! My husband is the epitome of a casual gamer as he won't play any game that takes longer than 2 minutes to read the rules and then explain - his favorite game publisher is Out of the Box because the games can be literally played out of the box (in fact, the last game we bought by them, Snake Oil, had the instructions printed on the box so he was like, "woohoo, no instruction sheet!"). He actually caught on fast to Small World and enjoys Munchkin so much he has the scoring app on his phone and taught another couple how to play it at C2E2, which is why I was wondering if they could be considered casual.
Hi! I have both games in my collection and I completely agree with Chris. Although they can be considered as not-too-complex games, I don't see them as casual.
Small World has a simple set of core rules, BUT:
- There are several "small rules" to cover all possible situations. They are simple to find in the rule book, but if you don't have someone to introduce you to the game and answer this questions quickly you will be referencing it quite often in the first game or two.
- There are many Races and Power tiles, and while some of them are pretty straightforward to explain, others are trickier. And at the very beginning of the game, you have 6 different races + 6 different power combinations to choose from, which may overwhelm some casual players. At the start of the game, when playing with newcomers, you will always spend at least 5 minutes explaining what each of those 6 combos do, and how they work.
Regarding Munchkin, it's a fun game that mocks RPG games, and it's pretty simple to play. It definitely "looks" friendly, most cards don't have much text in them, and the mechanics are intuitive enough. BUT:
- It can drag for 2 or 3 hours, specially near the final levels, where the leader always gets stomped by the rest.
- Some cards can be complex enough to require explaining them to new players.
- There are a fair amount of rules to cover all kinds of situations than on any typical Casual Game.
From what you describe, maybe your husband doesn't enjoy reading a lengthy rule book, but he will be willing to play more complex non-casual games, as long as there's someone there to quickly teach him the rules. In that case, I think you would enjoy playing cooperative games together, with a player in the group who already knows the rules. Pandemic, Shadows over Camelot, Sentinels of the Multiverse, Elder Sign, are examples of cooperative games that aren't casual, but they aren't too overly complex, either.
I think that's a great question. You've had some good answers. I've always seen is as either something that is light on a storyline or something that is easy to pick up and put down whenever. My favorites are spoofy/funny games. These are some goofy ones that a good for a laugh.
That's a great question! Small World definitely leans toward casual, while Munchkin's length can be deceiving. It feels casual with the silly gameplay, but the time commitment pushes it towards something more. If you're looking for a truly casual, stress-free experience, maybe try something like Solar Smash. It's simple, cathartic, and requires zero strategy. Just pure destruction fun!
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