Catan, the Gateway Drug

Chances are if you are a geek, semi-geek, or breathing you might have played Settlers of Catan.  I personally love this game, and there are so many reviews on this game I am going to teach you how to use this game to your geeky advantage.  One must use caution to avoid TMCS--or Too Much Catan Syndrome--as this will kill the strategy set forth below.

photo courtesy of catan.com

How to turn your girlfriend into a board game geek.

1. Introduce them to basic Catan.  DO NOT throw expansions at them when they first start to play.  I don't care how smart you think they are, it will just confuse them and make them give up.
2. First play in a small group of people. Invite a her friend and a her friend's boyfriend--who you know likes games--over for a double date.  Start with supper or a snack time, them move to playing the game.
3. Let them win--or at least make it close. I know it's hard--especially if you are ultra competitive like me--but just trust me.  There is nothing that will make you give up and hate a game more than than playing a game and losing constantly.  This is a sacrifice you must make for further enjoyment later on.  Please note: don't get caught at this step, or the whole plan will be ruined.
4. Be careful not to overplay. Girls are like temperamental puppies, if you do the same thing for so long we get bored.
5. After playing a few times move on to another game.  You will need to take it slow.  Do not assume that because she liked Catan you can immediately play D and D with her. Always play games that take an hour or less to play.  After she asks you to play one of these games you can upgrade to Risk or another game on a similar level.  Some suggestions for you for your next game might be Carcassonne or Stratego.
6. Mix in party games.  Take on for the team and occasionally play Quelf, Apples to Apples, or Cranium. This prevents her from getting bored and losing interest in strategy games.  Also it gets her off the trail of your master strategy.
7. Repeat steps 1-6.  After each cycle add a new game with increased difficulty and longer play times.
8. Take a year. Unless your girlfriend converts fast take at least a year before you play games that would be classified as "extremely geeky."

That's all folks!  Feel free to comment with questions!