Big Board Is Watching You

I work at a local tabletop gaming shop. We have a “Library” section where people can try out games before they buy them. A guy has been sitting at a table for a while, staring intensely at the board for Ticket to Ride.

Customer: “So… how does the board know I’ve placed a train? Is there like a machine or a sensor that keeps track?”

Me: “It’s just cardboard, sir. You just put the plastic piece in the space with your hand.”

Customer: “That seems incredibly insecure. What’s to stop me from just moving my trains around when you aren’t looking?”

Me: “Well, usually, the fact that you’re playing with friends who have eyes.”

Customer: “So it’s not even interactive? I have to move all the pieces myself? This just seems like I’m doing all the work. The board needs to know if someone is cheating or not!”

Me: “I understand the concern, but we find that ‘human honesty’ is a lot cheaper to manufacture than a sentient map of Europe.”

The customer does not buy the board game. I think the customer has never played a board game, or seen Jumanji too many times…