Trying to learn three games in one night was a mistake we make every year. The first, a short card-drafting game, landed well: twenty minutes, easy to teach, and close scores.
The second was a worker-placement game with a rulebook thicker than the board. We played it wrong for the first hour and agreed to try again with someone who had actually read the appendix.
We ended with a cooperative puzzle game and lost twice. Nobody minded. That is the one we will bring back.