What To Do When No One's Doing Anything

I recently talked about what to do when it's not your turn. What if it's not anyone's turn? That is, what do you do if the game is over, but the game session continues?

The easiest course of action is to immediately reshuffle the cards or whatever is needed to restart the same game (or a new game) immediately. But – at least at our table – we tend to realize that it's helpful for everyone to stand up, walk around a bit, stretch those legs, check messages briefly, get snacks or a drink, use the potty, and so on.

The trick there (again, in our experience) is to get everyone on the same page as to how long "taking a break" is. If half the table is assuming it's five minutes and the other half is assuming it's 15 or more, then there's going to be friction. The most-straightforward tack we've found is just to say expectations at the end of a game: "Everyone good with a 15-minute break? We'll meet back at the table by 5:35?" Assuming everyone nods (or negotiates for their own preference), you should be good to go.

What if there's a hiccup in the plan, and players drift in at different times? Well, it can be good to hash out why that happened, so future breaks can go smoother. After all, the same ability to follow the rules – or even bend them creatively – can also be used to keep sessions themselves running smoothly . . .

-- Steven Marsh