Watched my group go from strategizing to phone-scrolling in 2 years

I remember when we'd argue for 20 minutes over a move in Twilight Imperium. Now half the table is on their phones between turns, and one guy literally said 'just do something' to end a debate. Has anyone else's group lost that competitive edge over time?

3 comments

3 Comments

ward.piper2mo ago

Feel your pain. It is a bummer when the fire fades and everyone just wants to phone it in instead of really playing.

the_jana2mo ago

Have you read that article on gamemasters guild about keeping sessions alive? It talked about how the whole table has to buy in, not just the DM. I swear, once one person starts scrolling on their phone, the whole energy just crashes. It's like a group project where only one person does the work, it kills the vibe for everyone. Maybe setting a no-phone rule at the start could help, or having a quick check-in before each session to see how everyone's feeling? What do you think would get people back in the zone?

roseb6225d ago

Actually, I think that article had it backwards in a way. The DM sets the tone more than anyone, sure, but it's the players who decide whether to follow that lead. You can have the best DM in the world, but if two players are on their phones the whole time, it doesn't matter how good the story is. The whole "buy in" thing works both ways. Players have to want to be there, not just show up out of habit. I've seen tables where we did a quick phone basket at the start and it helped a ton. People felt weird about putting their phones away at first, but after five minutes nobody even noticed.