My friend pointed out my 'analysis paralysis' was killing game night

He said, 'We've been staring at the board for 45 minutes, just pick a move.' I now set a 90-second sand timer for my own turns in heavy strategy games. Anyone else have a rule to keep themselves from overthinking?

3 comments

3 Comments

taraw164mo ago

That timer trick is a solid fix for game night. It feels like analysis paralysis is everywhere now, from picking a movie on a streaming service to comparing a hundred reviews for a toaster. The internet gives us endless options and data, which can make even small choices feel huge. Setting a hard limit, like your sand timer, is the only way to snap out of it and actually get on with things.

miller.avery4mo ago

What's your go-to time limit for a choice?

the_joel2mo ago

Did you catch that episode of Radiolab where they talked about decision fatigue and how having too many choices actually makes our brains freeze up? I feel like that's exactly what happens with board games sometimes, especially when you're playing something like Terraforming Mars where there's a hundred different paths to take. Setting a timer is smart, but I've also heard that just verbalizing your thought process out loud helps other players understand what you're weighing instead of just watching you stare at the board. When I play with my group, we sometimes do a "think out loud" rule where you have to say your top two options and why each one sucks, which keeps the pace moving without making you feel rushed. The sand timer trick is good though, I might steal that for when I'm the one holding everything up.