When you’re playing a board game as a team, the team should be working together to win, right? Right?
Not according to the nephew in today’s story.
He seems to think that deliberately choosing the wrong spot makes it “fair,” and his aunt is furious.
Let’s see how the story plays out…
AITA for calling out my nephew for sabotaging our team because he was “following the rules”?
As far as the other Thanksgiving drama on here, this is minor. Would like outside opinions tho.
A tradition for my family is that we play board games after we eat the Thanksgiving meal.
This year we played Landmarks which is a word association and strategy game.
We were having a really good time.
I (55F) was the guide for my team of my Nephew JC (33M) and his cousin CS (33F).
[The other team was JC’s mom (56F), and two sisters (28F, 25F).]
They weren’t really working well as a team.
I gave them a word that could only go one of two places on the board.
They picked the one I didn’t want.
No worries because the next turn there would be only one option.
CS immediately wanted to put the tile in the correct place and JC steered her away, arguing that I didn’t want them to go to the space CS want to and directed her to a different space.
Rinse and repeat the next turn. CS wanted the right space, JC talked her out of it.
On the fourth attempt, they put it in the correct space.
I was so happy. Finally!
JC shocked everyone with how he had been playing the game.
Then JC stood up and proudly announced that he knew that I wanted them to go there the last two turns but deliberately lead CS to the wrong space.
Queue the stunned silence.
I was the first to speak and asked him why.
He guessed from my tone that I was not happy.
The answer had to do with facial expressions.
JC explained that I was “indicating” what I wanted with my facial expressions too much so to play “fairly” he “acted” like he didn’t know what I wanted them to do.
I responded that no, he didn’t.
What he did was sabotage his team and gaslight CS.
He could have 1) said something to me – but he didn’t. 2) he could have done nothing to steer CS to the wrong space, instead he lied and gaslit her.
I pointed this out again that if he thought I was being overly expressive then he should have said something.
The right answer was definitely not to sabotage his team and to lie to CS.
His mother of course started to defend him and attack me.
She is wondering if she’s the jerk or if JC is?
I let it drop but it’s still bothering me.
I didn’t say it at the time but he came across as incredibly self-righteous and entitled – and proud, very proud of his conduct.
JC and his mother think I’m the jerk here for disagreeing with his ethical approach, wanting to play the game fairly, and calling him out for his behavior at Thanksgiving.
Well, am I?
So are facial expressions sabotaging the game?
It seems like a team should be working together not trying to implode.
Let’s see how Reddit reacted…
Chill – it was just a game!
Nonverbal communication is allowed.
Worrying about this is childish.
Next year, she should make sure JC isn’t on her team.
Board games are supposed to be fun not cause family drama!
Everyone needs to lighten up.
If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a daughter who invited herself to her parents’ 40th anniversary vacation for all the wrong reasons.