House Rules

Here's a hot topic. Some people love them, others hate them and some play them thinking they are the published rules. Worst of all, you're playing a game at someone elses place, you know the correct rules and before long you've unwittingly committed a cardinal sin and treated like a leper.

House rules are born from two things; a poorly written game or ignorance. Sadly one is as common as the other. A faulty mechanic is frustrating but ignorance causes 'rules' to undergo an odd journey. They may start as an omission or a lack of understanding, they become the norm and before long, it's law. Eventually they can destroy a game when players are at odds, especially if they are played unannounced.

Some games attract house rules like ants to food. Take Monopoly for example. It's probably the most house ruled game in existence but the majority of players have probably never played it as intended, I know haven't. I have to be honest when landing on others' properties, apparently Free Parking gets you money and since when do I have to pass Go before I can buy anything? Those are all add-ins but some rules are simply ignored like auctioning which is probably played by the minority. There's plenty more but even a few breaks the game.

However, some games need them like HeroQuest. It's a great game with a loyal following but it was poorly tested, released and supported which resulted in many ambiguities.  They don't kill the game play but it leaves players asking unanswered questions.  Fortunately, it's a game that responds well to things ranging from clarifications to expanded rule sets.

Each to their own but at the end of the day, the house rules. Be open about them but be careful too because they can make or break a game in ways you probably haven't considered.

Happy ruling