The game becomes kinder when being new does not mean being permanently last.

Most games and groups reward what you already have, so a newcomer starts behind and stays there, and the gap widens because losing is a poor way to learn. That is rarely anyone’s intention. It is simply what happens when nobody builds a way in. A group that wants new people has to design for the first few weeks, not only for the strong middle.

If you are the experienced one, change something that gives a beginner a real chance: teams, handicaps, a slower round, a teaching game. Play so that they finish wanting another.