Yeah! I’ve talked about board game literacy here as well, and I think that’s one of the major barriers of entry for most people getting into designer board games. Most people are not exposed to very many board games, so it can take some time to learn the hobby when you get into it. I might regularly enjoy playing games that have very high complexity ratings on BGG these days, but I remember being terrified or intimidated the first time I played Agricola and Go (and more recently, High Frontier 4 All).
Unfortunately, I do not find repetitiveness meditative or enjoyable. For me, enjoyable but repetitive tasks quickly turn into a nauseous, sticky feeling that makes me feel physically sick. I start asking “Why am I doing this?” and wonder if I can automate the process somehow such that I can divest myself from the tedium. I suppose I am a programmer at heart 