The Transformers TCG put out a post on their Facebook about how to teach the game. There's also a spoiler card for those interested (which I am) but that's not what I want to talk about.
When I get to teach someone how to play a game, I try to tell them everything I think they need to know.
The mistake I make that this article points out, is telling them more than they need. It's a difficult error to recognize, because as someone versed in playing the game, I can see all the moving parts. Those are important to me, so that I can play at the level I am trying to play at. New players don't need all that extra data. The trick is to pare things down to precisely what someone needs and no more.
Or: focus on what matters.
The biggest stumbling block for me might be to let 'incorrect' plays happen. With a game like Betrayal: Legacy, it's a little easier to let that go, because we're all making the mistake together. But in a competitive game, I don't want to have someone learn the wrong thing and then move forward, losing games because they didn't know the right thing.
There has to be a compromise or workaround, I'm just not sure what it is. Maybe a 'wrapup' moment, where I can clarify certain points, or just saying beforehand that I won't worry about details until a couple games in, and the person I'm trying to teach gets a feel for the game?
It's hard to know-but it also makes me appreciate the work of designers all the more.
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