I am wondering about the learning curve for this game? I sometimes participate in board games with family, and am wondering if my parents (think 50's-early 60's) would be able to pick this up in an hour or two? The reason that I ask is because I play the LCG right now, and I know that trying to teach them to play that would be a complete nightmare and take forever, if it was even possible. I think that I can convince them to read the first novel though.

How does this compare with the AGoT LCG, with respect to learning curve?

I don't play LCG( I'm familiar with them) but I do play AGoT & i'm a little older than your parents sooooooooooo.The Board Game should work if your parents like Board Games,it's not Monoply by a long shot but it's a lot simpler than the LCG.Basically in AGoT each turn your conducting the same sequences over & over so once you have run through a couple of turns it gets basic.

I would note it's not a Gateway Game so if your parents are totally unfamiliar with these types of games then you got some explaining to do. But as you mentioned it would be a great deal easier than getting them into Deck Building.Getting them to read the book(s) might inspire to want to try the Game but it could also turn them off as it can be rather bloody plus it can lock them into a mind set of which Houses "don't go together".I still have Trouble if playing Stark cutting deals with Lannister .

If your parents are willing to try-Go for it.

OD

Old Dwarf said:

There's Deck Building in A Game of Thrones: The Board game?

I'm also interested to know how long the learning curve is, I want to introduce this game to my gaming group. But now I'm confsued if it's played as a deck builder with a board game thrown (I was expecting something like Dust or Risk but in a different theme/settting).

No, there is no deckbuilding in AGoT: The Boardgame. Everything the OP and Old Dwarf said about deckbuilding was a refrence to AGoT: The Living Card Game, which has deckbuilding but is a completely different game.

If you want to introduce this game to your gaming group you have to keep in mind the playing time. This game can take up to 5 hours for your first plays. You should know best if you and your gaming buddies are okay with investing so much time to try out a new game. If your gaming buddies (or at least one of them) belong to the rare species that read manuals in advance when you ask them too, the first plays might be easier and more enjoyable.

Once everybody memorized what those six types of order tokens and the star variant of each can do, the rest will come to you naturally. People will figure out what to do and know what cards are in the Westeros Deck soon if there's not too much time between your first two or three plays. Reference sheets for the order tokens and house cards are highly recommended. It can get a little bit tiresome to explain the raid order for the 10th time.

To round it up: To get really started with this game you have to memorize some things which might confuse you at the very beginning but once you get past that, the process of which everybody can speed up for themselves by reading the manual in advance, there's not much more to do than simply play the game and see what works.

I have always felt this is a game that requires a lot of table talk, and thick skin. If you are playing with people that aren't used to this it may not go over well. I don't think it is overly complex but it has a good dynamic and diplomacy is a must. If you were to play it straight up without the intrigue I think much would be lost.

The point about play time is well put,it's a long game.We usually break ours up into several sessions but you need to be able to leave the game set up & it does take up space.Nolanisim also makes a good obersavation,if the OP can't double cross Mom this is not the game he wants .

OD

It's not only about the one double crossing but the one double crossed. If people take it personally when you grab away one of their euqally unimportant and unsecured territories and start a vendetta against you that lasts the whole game it seriously weakens the games balance and takes a lot of fun out of the game.

People need to forgive and forget in this game. Okay, not really forget. If you trust that sneaky bastard after that and he betrays you again you deserved it. Be faster, generously offer him an alliance when it seems to be of his advantage and then start an all out surprise attack on his borderlands! If he falls for it, he should realize that he reaped what he sowed and not start complaining. That's how A Game of Thrones works. There are no friends in this game but also no lifetime enemies or nemeses. Everybody can be useful or a threat to you. This game is about finding out who is what of those two at the given moment and not about personal feelings.