KFL Games Collection

Most board game boxes have iconography on their covers to indicate:

• the maximum and minimum number of players
• how long it takes to play the game
• the recommended age range for the players (of course, this varies widely based on the players and their background.) 

When selecting a game to play, keep in mind that the average play time listed on the cover usually does not include the time it takes to learn how to play the game. Often, it will take at least as long to learn how to play a game as to play a single round. 

All games in KFL's collection should include instructions on how to play. If this isn't printed as a rule book, there may be a QR code linked to documents or how to videos. Please let library staff know if you think a game is missing any pieces or components. 

These are some common terms you might come across in gaming literature and descriptions of the games in KFL's collection.

• Actual play - a genre of podcast and / or video in which people play games for an audience
• BBEG - big bad evil guy; the primary antagonist or challenge in a game
• Co-op - collaborative game; the goal is to work together with fellow players to achieve a desired outcome, rather than in competition against one another
• D6 - a six-sided die
• Alternate forms, such as D4 or D20, use the numeral following D to refer to the number of faces on the die. 
• Multiple rolls of a specific die may include a number before D; eg: 3D6 means to either roll three six-sided dice or roll one six-sided die three times
• GM - game master; one who organizes and facilitates a roleplaying game; in Dungeons & Dragons, referred to Dungeon Master (DM)
• Hexcrawl - a style of gaming where the goal is to explore or interact with a map, which is usually laid out in hexagonal tiles
• HP - hit points; how much health a character has
• LARP - live action roleplaying game; a physically enacted roleplaying game that makes use of theatrical elements
• Legacy - a game designed to be played only a limited number of times, this often entails irreparably changing the game pieces or revealing details of story arc
• Mechanics - the rules or methods of play
• Meeple - a generic player token
• Minis - miniatures; detailed character tokens, often customized by game designers or players
• NPC - non-player character; most often controlled by a game master, rather than a player
• OGL - open gaming license; gaming content that is allowed to be republished for free under open copyright / trademark
• PC - player character; the character a player is controlling in a roleplaying game
• RPG - role playing game, as in Dungeons & Dragons or Pathfinder
• Safety Tools - auxiliary rules in roleplaying that establish boundaries, trigger warnings, and communication methods between players; popular examples include the X Card, Lines and Veils, and Script Change
• SRD - system reference document(s); rule books or other material that instructs on how to play a game
• TCG - trading card game, as in Magic: the Gathering or Pokemon; also, CCG for collectible card game
• TT - tabletop; synonymous for analog
• XP - experience points; used for tracking play time or progress in a game, allows characters to level up; also, EXP

These are some additional websites you can use if you are struggling to learn how to play a new game.