My expertise with folks resembling that is that they are impatient to begin taking part in, and do not wish to take the time to learn a number of directions. The very best factor you are able to do, as @beam022 touched on, is enhance the directions. Make them non-threatening and as simply comprehensible as attainable.
Sport ingredient formatting
Graphic symbols–used sparsely–can assist. Do not go overboard on symbols, however for the most typical of your frequent sport parts symbols will be good. Dominion, for instance makes use of symbols for cash and victory factors. It might use symbols for +Playing cards or +Purchase, however these are brief, clear phrases so there is no want. Magic makes use of symbols for tapping and untapping and for mana prices (perhaps a pair different issues, however I am unable to consider any), which could be very parsimonious given the extent of complexity. Once more, they might use a logo for “goal”, however it’s in all probability higher that they do not. A couple of graphics may help folks parse issues higher and add colour, breaking apart textual content and making it look extra inviting. However solely use symbols when you can make certain that they’re unambiguous. 7 Wonders, for instance, makes use of symbols successfully, however so extensively that each time I’ve taught the sport to somebody new they’ve wanted to check with the image glossary incessantly.
Systematic formatting may help too. You give an instance of a card the place the participant discards all playing cards to get $10. If in case you have many playing cards that may very well be damaged down equally, the textual content on the cardboard may very well be formatted as
Pay: Discard all of your playing cards.
Get: Acquire $10.
Primarily separating the situation and end result into bullet factors, I believe, makes it more durable to disregard, and if it is a sample that may be simply realized and utilized to different playing cards, all the higher.
Directions type
If my expertise generalizes, the individuals who cannot be bothered to learn the principles simply wish to begin taking part in, so write directions that assist them do this. Most rule books begin with figuring out items and set-up, as they need to. If you happen to can, the subsequent sections ought to briefly state the purpose of the sport, then get on to a pattern flip. Give part quantity references to following sections of the principles the place you may give particulars on every section/step/no matter, however allow them to get began. In writing, you may be hard-pressed to carry these gamers’ consideration for very lengthy. The very best you are able to do is to facilitate their “diving in” by making it straightforward to look issues up within the guidelines (through brief, well-labeled sections and subsections, a Desk of Contents, an Index, and cross-references).
